Teachers, directors, let us bow our heads for a moment and think about that time… that time before studio life, that time before ordering costumes, cleaning mirrors, filing business taxes, and that blissful time before pushy parents! We absolutely adore our students, and appreciate their incredible parents, but sometimes they just don’t understand, and we have to work together to make sure the dance can go on.
Here, two of BDC’s amazing instructors who teach multiple genres all over the NYC area, as well as two studio owners from across the nation, explain how they best handle a range of scenarios that come up with parents. We hope that their sage advice can give you some new ideas and support.
Continue reading ➞ Dance teachers: What to do about pushy parents
“And one and two and three and four!” Tracie Stanfield accents each count with a staccato clap. Dancers whip through double-time chaînés, changing their spot each time to travel in a tight square. It is the culmination of a demanding across-the-floor combination in Stanfield’s contemporary/lyrical class at New York City’s Broadway Dance Center. “I usually try to do style, a turn and a jump across the floor,” she explains. Today’s turns are challenging enough, however, to keep dancers busy for the entire class segment.