On Becoming a Dance Teacher Again
I started to teach dance again this week. It was pure magic and beauty.
For those of you that don't know, I took dance classes when I was a child for twelve years until I graduated and then I taught at the same studio for a year after graduation. I took classes in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, musical, hiphop, bollywood, contemporary and even some ballroom. By the age of eleven, I was in a competing company and traveling the nation to compete and take workshops. I have been to Las Vegas, Orlando, San Diego, Anahiem, and Denver for competitions and workshops. I have taken classes from Mia Michaels (judge for So You Think You Can Dance) twice, Dave Scott (choreographer for Stomp the Yard) once, Wade Robinson (judge for So You Think You Can Dance) once, Jeff Shade (choreographer for Highschool Musical) once and countless other famous dance teachers, choreographers and dance gurus. I seriously love dance so much, it used to be such a big part of my life.
I have really missed dancing. Every little, minut thing about it is so comforting to me. The feel of the wood floor on my barefeet. The way the echoey music bounces off the walls in the open room. The smell of hairspray and sweat. The pull in my muscles while I stretch. The feeling of the music flowing through me and out my body. The moment when I am so connected with my fellow dancers and the music that I just close my eyes and exist. Its the greatest, most amazing, breath-taking feeling. I do not honestly have words for it. I feel like my writings are not doing it justice to you, my readers. Dance feels just so amazing, just so right to me. It feels so natural. Like maybe animals have been doing it all their lives to their own music of nature.
My class wasn't this breathtaking or amazing, I'll be honest with you. It was a beginners hiphop class for 4-8 year olds. I wasn't moving crowds or creating emotions and feelings, I was teaching little kids how to pop and lock. Still, it was exactly what I needed. I loved it, it filled the small hole in my soul that was empty. I did not know before that was what I needed. But it was perfect. It was everything I ever needed at this point in my life. The perfect release.
Both of my classes are small, only 4-7 kids. But that's perfect, I can spend more time with each of them. There is a good mix of boys and girls in each, which makes hiphop classes fun. I get each class for 45 minutes twice a week, which is great for younger kids. This way I can give them "Homework Steps" to work on that they will actually remember to practice. This will make progress easier for me. I have a recital in December and June that I get to choreograph for, I'm super excited! Love writing choreography, that whole process for me is very healing and opening. I enjoy it throughly and have really missed doing it in the past 3+ years.
I realize that I am very blessed to have a job that I just love to do, not alot of people get to say that in this economy today. I am also grateful that my son can be just downstairs from me and one short walk away while I work, and that my daughter is safe with my mother or my husband instead of in some community daycare where she could be catching all sorts of viruses. I am so lucky and I thank the stars every night for my blessings. My life is right where I want it to be right now, especially with my new dance career.
Oh how wonderful life really can be. :)
For those of you that don't know, I took dance classes when I was a child for twelve years until I graduated and then I taught at the same studio for a year after graduation. I took classes in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, musical, hiphop, bollywood, contemporary and even some ballroom. By the age of eleven, I was in a competing company and traveling the nation to compete and take workshops. I have been to Las Vegas, Orlando, San Diego, Anahiem, and Denver for competitions and workshops. I have taken classes from Mia Michaels (judge for So You Think You Can Dance) twice, Dave Scott (choreographer for Stomp the Yard) once, Wade Robinson (judge for So You Think You Can Dance) once, Jeff Shade (choreographer for Highschool Musical) once and countless other famous dance teachers, choreographers and dance gurus. I seriously love dance so much, it used to be such a big part of my life.
My class wasn't this breathtaking or amazing, I'll be honest with you. It was a beginners hiphop class for 4-8 year olds. I wasn't moving crowds or creating emotions and feelings, I was teaching little kids how to pop and lock. Still, it was exactly what I needed. I loved it, it filled the small hole in my soul that was empty. I did not know before that was what I needed. But it was perfect. It was everything I ever needed at this point in my life. The perfect release.
Both of my classes are small, only 4-7 kids. But that's perfect, I can spend more time with each of them. There is a good mix of boys and girls in each, which makes hiphop classes fun. I get each class for 45 minutes twice a week, which is great for younger kids. This way I can give them "Homework Steps" to work on that they will actually remember to practice. This will make progress easier for me. I have a recital in December and June that I get to choreograph for, I'm super excited! Love writing choreography, that whole process for me is very healing and opening. I enjoy it throughly and have really missed doing it in the past 3+ years.
I realize that I am very blessed to have a job that I just love to do, not alot of people get to say that in this economy today. I am also grateful that my son can be just downstairs from me and one short walk away while I work, and that my daughter is safe with my mother or my husband instead of in some community daycare where she could be catching all sorts of viruses. I am so lucky and I thank the stars every night for my blessings. My life is right where I want it to be right now, especially with my new dance career.
Oh how wonderful life really can be. :)
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