STOP telling me to YELL at you...
This keeps happening!! A student introduced herself before class by saying “you can yell at me. Really! Just scream at me”. Umm….thank you?? I understand that this dancer is trying to convey her dedication, her thick skin and her strong desire to improve. However, in my experience, this dancer tends to not know her body. (Again, in my experience) This dancer is less spatially aware and technically weaker than others in the class. My suspicion is that her need to be “yelled at” is a direct result of not working internally and not actively listening in class. This dancer maybe zones out and needs to be brought back to NOW by the screaming. OR this dancer is so busy being “right” and perhaps relying on things she “has always been told” about technique that the present moment is lost
I am in class to educate, guide and hopefully inspire but motivation must come from within. Instead of waiting for the teacher to yell, the dancer would be better served by listening to all corrections. The best way to improve is to take in all of the information given in class instead of dancing through muscle memory and assuming she is “good” until the teacher starts screaming. Exploration and intention are major tenets of professional dance training. We all KNOW this but few students put this advice into practice. Relying on the teacher to scream and wake you up might be a symptom of giving your power away, of waiting for someone else to “fix you”. Be in charge of your education and training. Find teachers that give corrections and take an interest in you. HOWEVER, the responsibility is yours. Your training and your motivation is your responsibility. The first step to growing could be to step back, breathe, quiet the commentary in your head so that you can take in new information.
I love working with dancers who are engaged and thoughtful. I view the shaping of a professional dancer to be a partnership between the teacher and student. But the listening, the work and motivation is job of the dancer. No yelling should be required.
DISCLAIMER: YES! I have been known to scream and yell…. more often than not, my increase in volume is because I want to be heard over the music playing. I am a passionate and expressive person who has a strong commitment to dance education and moving dancers from class to stage. I yell, I scream, I act crazy to get my point across at times. This is not the same thing :-) I just get excited sometimes….
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