Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Mother Knows Best...Sometimes

I sometimes get a chuckle out of parents who have never danced professionally, who do not know any professional dancers and have no affiliation with the dance world that seem to think they know what is best when it comes to their children's dance education.  I am not referring to matters of career direction or what type of training suits their child (i.e. Vaganova, RAD, Cechetti, or ABT).  What I am referring to is parents who discount the recommended curriculum and attendance requirements but expect the same results as those students that follow the recommendations.

Our studio, like many pre-professional schools, prices its levels at a "package price."  The classes included in the package are pas-de-deux, technique, character, modern, conditioning, etc.    What I notice though is that some parents seem to pick and choose what they think is important.  Commonly thrown out are classes like jazz, character, and contemporary.  These classes are expendable in many parents eyes.  I hear my children's friends say that they don't take those classes because they have...karate, music, gymnastics and in some cases homework.  Do not misunderstand me, I believe that all of those endeavors are important.  My question is how do you make the determination of what is of value and what is not?

I hear parents make the argument for not taking character, for example, that their child does not like character.  Do they let their children skip Math because their child does not like it?

I hear parents say that they don't ask their child to take Modern or jazz because there child wants to be a ballet dancer.  Have parents watched any of the major companies perform?  Do they realize that most classical companies have a contemporary repertoire?  Do they realize that often one of the biggest difficulties that ballet dancers face is breaking down their rigid centers and being able to freely move?  Do they realize that jazz classes typically begin with stretching which ballet classes rarely do.

They argue that conditioning is not necessary because their kid takes 20 hours of technique a week.  Do they know that pilates helps them to find the muscles that are need to properly use that technique and avoid injury.

Parents will say things like..."we don't expect that she is going to be a professional dancer".  I want to say,  "Have you discussed this with your child?  Because it seems unlikely to me, that she wants to spend 12 to 15 hours per week studying something if she is not serious about it."

While I ultimately respect a parent's right to make the decisions that they feel are best for their child, I wonder if they realize that these choices may cost them roles in the future.  Have they explained the consequences of these choices to their child?

I contend that, pre-professional studios like academic schools, put together curriculums that they believe will produce successful dancers.  Something has to give.  If a parent chooses to eliminate elements of their child's academic curriculum, they would not have a leg to stand on if the child was not placed with a top-notch university.  But, yet, they will not hesitate to complain if their child is not given the preferred roles in shows, accepted into the A-list Summer Intensives, or placed with the top companies although they have created their own curriculum. This does not seem to be fair, does it?

Dance is a comprehensive education.   To have professional desires with a recreational approach to training is reckless.  Before a parent independently designs their own curriculum for their child's education, I would encourage them to discuss the matter with all parties who have a vested interest in their child's success in dance--the child and the studio directors.

If the studio has a comprehensive training plan supported by a comprehensive tuition structure, chances are the studio feels that the classes they are offering have value.  After all, they aren't getting paid extra money for the extra hours of training they are offering; but, they may believe that some classes are more expendable than others given your child's needs.  In some cases, it might be preferable for the child to forego technique before giving up modern.  That is only an assessment that in most cases the child's teachers are prepared to make.

As parents, we are too close to the situation and generally speaking, lack the knowledge and insight into dance training that would be required to make this assessment.  We tend to see things in black and white, but there are often shades of gray.  Make sure that you understand the subtleties in shading before you forge ahead.




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