Hard work beats talent !!! Ranting away . . .

NOTE: SOME MAY FIND THIS OFFENSIVE, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK, THIS IS ME RANTING ON MY BLOG. NO ONE IS MAKING YOU READ IT.

      Summer has been hard for me as a dance teacher. Don't get me wrong I love seeing old and new faces but I can't help but to be angry when dancers and/or their parents choose NO DANCE for the summer. I understand that money is an issue and I do appreciate you telling me that you are saving up for the new dance year however, spending money on drinks at the bar every Friday night and getting your nails and hair done every two weeks hasn't been a problem. . .yeah I see your facebook posts ! Maybe I'm just bitter, but don't come running up to me asking why your child hasn't improved or why in the world they lost their flexibility and PLEEASSEEE don't be begging me to do a solo for your child who I haven't seen all summer.

     On the other hand I am so grateful for my students that are in that studio day in and day out trying their best and pushing themselves to their limits ! These are the students that I want if I could clone you all I would ! Maybe I'm being really selfish and I'll be the first one to admit it but summer is the time when I see students improve like crazy ! There is no pressure, no recital, costumes or routines to go over and the classes are smaller so a lot of my die hard students are receiving individualized attention which is so beneficial. It is such a shame when I see kids full of potential that can be amazing and don't have a care in the world. They are so talented and they know it so they take the summer off, well guess what, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." I don't care how talented you are, while you're over there being lazy there is always somebody in that studio working their butt off to be the best possible dancer they can be!

    You have to want it, I can't want it for you. In fact I am so over wanting it more than you. I say it all the time, get it with it or get out ! Your parents are using their hard earned money to pay for your dance education, you need to give it your all. I'm over the laziness, the complaining, the excuses. You either you want it or you don't. For those of you that want to be in every class possible, I love you for that. I know dance is an expensive sport and very time consuming. Sometimes you will have to make choices and sacrifices, I know it's easier said than done but that is just the dance world.

It is not fair to the students who are killing it in class and want it more than anything to be put in a class with someone who is just there for the hell of it. For some its a hobby for others its a lifestyle. I only want the students that want it from now on. Some parents don't realize how much they're kids mean to me and how much potential their children have. Being a dance teacher is a lot harder than you may think. I don't expect them to care about how much dance means to me but this is my life. Your kids are my world ! I love seeing them grow, dance, and make memories with their dance family. It may not mean anything to you and that's okay but it means everything to me and I wish people would see that and respect that more. :-/

END RANT ! 

RELAY 4 LIFE 2014

     Last weekend was Relay for Life in St. Cloud, Florida. I had signed up to be apart of this cause a while back and the kids were so excited to be performing on stage for a great cause. We had 14 numbers performing and I had been working them extremely hard in class because I wanted them to look flawless. When we got there I walked over to the stage and said, "Where's the rest of it ?". There was no way these dancers were going to fit on that tiny little stage, I was pissed. Then I realized, we are not here to compete, we are not here to be judged, we are not here to look flawless. We are here to fight cancer. We are here to lift spirits of those who need it. We are here to pass on the love of dance to anyone who is open to it and we are here to show we care in the best way we know how. 

    Regardless of the stage being 2 ft X 2 ft my kids looked amazing, they had fun and as always blew the crowd away.                                                                  

  

 

The kids had a great time and some of them even stayed with me for the full 20 hours straight ! They are a bunch of crazies but I love them !

            During this past week in classes we went over what "went on" on stage.  One of the strongest dances we have is a Hip Hop number entitled, "JDC STYLE". Since there is no turns or anything the kids asked to dance on the grass so they would have more room. We pushed back the crowd and they performed in 100 degree weather on that grass like they've done it a million times. They had that crowd going like no other and they did a fantastic job. Waiting on the sidelines was another studio getting ready to perform. What made me so mad was we were all there for the same reason at this moment in time. I explained to my students there will be other studios there, this is not a competition, you clap for everyone, you tell everyone Good Job and I don't want to see any negativity. This event was not the time or place for it. As my kids exited the "stage" (grass) not ONE person from that other studio clapped, said good job or even smiled. They sat there with their arms crossed along with their teacher with negative energy oozing from their bodies. WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TEACHING YOUR KIDS ?! My older ones who noticed this negative, unnecessary behavior asked, " Why didn't they clap for us?, Why were they sitting there with their arms folded? "  BAD SPORTSMANSHIP is not something I will teach my kids. No matter what that other persons performance looked like, you clap and say good job !  . . . I wanted to give my kids the right answer to their questions so I said the first thing that popped in my head, " They were too busy picking their jaws up from the floor."
 

Dance Moms

     No. . .not the show(Although I am a fan). I have to admit I do have some favorite "dance moms" in the studio. I say it all the time but we are a big family and I'm grateful for it every day. I'm also thankful for the crazy dance moms that drive me insane because if it wasn't for them I would have nothing to talk to my mom (a non-crazy dance mom) about everyday ;-) Just kidding. . .kind of. I am apart of a private group on facebook, for dance teachers only, where myself and fellow instructors blog, complain, laugh, cry and gossip about this crazy dance world we live in. The forum has posts from selling amazing costumes and bragging about their current wins all the way down to fist fights with their dance moms. Its entertaining, educational and extremely funny at times. You can try all you want to get into this group but first you have to prove you are infact a dance teacher or studio owner. Good Luck with that one.

       We may or may not have put together an unwritten rule book for dance moms on, "What to do and what not to do. The ultimate survival guide for dance moms." It would probably be a best seller. . .just saying.

    I will hold back (for now) on the whole "rule book" but just know, you are not the only crazy dance moms in this world. There's lots of you who just walk into the dance room with your dirty shoes on to complain right in the middle of class time. Probably hundreds of you who think its okay to suggest choreogrpahy/costumes/hair etc. . We've been doing this a while now, thanks we got it. Thousands of you who decide you rather yell over the music in the lobby instead of just simply talking outside, my music is loud because I don't want to hear about what you are making for dinner. Infact I don't even get dinner I still have 5 more classes to teach ! Millions of you who question why your dancer is not in the front doing a special part when they missed 3 classes already this month ! And way too many to count of you crazy dance moms who have no idea what's going on because you avoid coming in to the studio and your poor 6 year old forgot to hand you all the news letters from the past 5 months with picture day dates, costume costs and and special events and NOW you're mad at us because somehow its all our fault.

     But of course I'm not talking about "my" dance moms. My favorites are the BEST, they truly care for me and other dancers in the studio and that's what makes them special. They let me do my job and never forget to remind me how thankful they are for me when all I'm doing is passing on the love for dance to their children. They are there for me since my dance mommy is all the way back in New York. There is 5 of them making me laugh when 2 hours before 1 stinky dance mom made me upset. They understand that this job isn't easy and not everyone or anyone can do it. I am so thankful for them for giving me this amazing opportunity to teach their kids the art of dance, for believing in me, for trusting me, for providing the funds for dance, for understanding that I'm so hard on your kid because I love them and see the amazing dancer they are before anyone else can see it. For not only making me apart of your childs dance career but apart of their life.

BALLET BALLET BALLET!

It was no secret growing up that I was not a "prima-ballerina" . Ballet was never my favorite but I knew if I wanted to do any other types of dance I had to take ballet. As I grew older it got worse, I was always short and ballerinas were tall, I was muscular and stocky, ballerinas were tall and lanky. I knew it would never be realistic for me to be a ballerina but that doesn't mean I didn't work my butt off in class.

I constantly preach to my kids about how important ballet is and how I regret not taking it as serious as I could have. My studio owner would have different ballet teachers come in from all over to teach us and I was to take atleast 3 hours of ballet a week. (Unless my friends and I cut out and hid) . If I could go back and do it over I would.

I can see the difference in the kids who take ballet and those who don't. I can really see the difference in kids that work hard in ballet and take it serious and those that don't. This week and next I am subbing a couple of ballet classes while their ballet teacher is away and although I was never the star of swan lake I do have a lot of ballet knowledge. My body is killing from all the plies, and arms and releves etc. I totally forgot how much ballet takes out of you and I am not the 16 year old dancer I once was.

It was so much fun yelling at "my" kids that I have in contemporary, jazz, even hip hop. Its no secret that I'm loud, I blame it on my italian side and being from New York. For whatever reason most of my more advanced students do better under pressure (me yelling) than when I'm quiet. I'm not yelling because I'm mad or fustrated I'm yelling because it gives them that little push to go that extra mile. I hope they know its all out of love.

I don't want them to make the same mistake I did growing up with ballet classes. I want them to remember that the only thing they are going to get out of class is exactly what they put into it. Also, I'm teaching all next week so get ready ! ;-)

Its been a while

Wow has it been a while ! I forgot my email and password for my blogging account and couldn't get in and then eventually gave up. But now I'm back and itching to write.

One of my students and recent situations inspired me to start ranting and raving on here again. I've been teaching this young girl for about a year and a half now. As a dance teacher the way I see it a lot of the time is, you either have it or you don't. This girl HAS it. From last year to this year the amount of improvement in her technique, her drive, her passion, the fire in her eyes and her self confidence has gone from 0 to 10 in what seems like overnight. 

Lately a lot of the kids have been going on auditions for the local performing arts highschool, summer programs, plays, etc .etc .the list goes on . She recently went to one audition and came back telling me how good she felt about her self and finally bragged to me about how she "hit 5 turns" and "my leaps were perfect". I was so happy to see this girl so proud of herself because for a while she has been her worst critic. I was so proud of her and happy for her I had to hold back tears when she was telling me. Her second audition went well, she got a call back and said she felt good about it. We heard the news today that she did not make it this time. :-(

My heart is breaking for her and she hasn't even told me yet. I want to ask the people, "what are you looking for?" I want to tell them, "give her a chance, she won't let you down". But it doesn't work that way. I want to yell at them until they see just how amazing she truly is. Not only as a dancer but as a human being. If only they saw what I see day in and day out of that studio. But I don't run things.

I try so hard to teach my kids to keep their heads up, you're not always going to win, you're not always going to get the part and you're not always going to be the best. I want to prepare them so much that when they see how cruel the artistic world can be they are one step ahead of everybody else. But I can't, I can't be there for every audition, I can't be there telling the judges she's just nervous let her do it again. I can't do anything but prepare them the best way I know how and hope for the best.

If she could only see what I see when I watch her dance. She's a joy to teach and watch. I love how much she's grown, she makes me proud to be her teacher. I love how when she nails a combo in my older kids classes, they look at me with that "holy crap" face. I love how when the younger students stare in the doorway, their eyes light up when they see her dance. I even love when students her own age in beginner classes say, "I wish I danced like her". I just want her and all of my students to know that not getting in is not the end of the world, just a crappy day. Tomorrow is a new one and your futures are incredibly bright.

New dance year !!!

   Yay !!! The start of the dance season is finally here ! In Florida the kids went back to school 2 weeks ago and that means DANCE started as well ! I was so excited to see all the kids again, new and old, and I've never seen them work so hard. It is something about a brand new dance year that makes these kids push them selves and give it 110% in class. It may be that "this is their year" or they want to impress the new faces, whatever it is I'm blessed that they never stop trying their best.

   In the beginning of the year we allow the parents to sit in the first couple of classes to just observe and get to know us as teachers. I will go out into the lobby before and after each class to say "hello", meet new people, and answer questions etc. After those first 2 weeks its SEE YA LATER! We shut the door, kick all you parents out and I'll peek my head out to say hello once in a while if you're lucky :-) Plus, to be completely honest I feel a thousand times more comfortable in a dance room than anywhere else in the world. It is where I am in my comfort zone and I prefer to hide out in there.

   The very first couple days back to the studio were so much fun ! I have to get off my chest that there was one incident with a parent that was so ridiculously silly I do not even care to blog about, but other than that the classes were amazing! Instead of having a negative outlook on the unnecessary drama that occurred, I would like to THANK the lady for making me realize how VERY close this dance family is. I had parents, kids, and my boss backing me up 100%. One of the Mom's stated, "We don't do drama", which is so beyond true. I understand where ever you go there is always going to be people you love, you like and some who you cannot stand but dance is not the time or place for drama.

   I am so in love with how close my kids are in and out of the studio. They support each other to the fullest and made all of the new comers feel welcomed. Walking into a new dance class or any new class for that matter can be intimidating. Especially when all the other kids have been together for years and already have these amazing friendships developed. My teens especially know how to welcome anyone willing to join their "dance family". They are so loving and caring for each other and the younger ones will copy their behavior. I can only hope that this is how it will stay for years because it is way to precious to ever go away.

The Teens

Yes, we are a smaller studio so it may be the reason why we are all so close but these kids agree, "We don't do drama". Being teenagers I am very proud of how mature they are because usually at that age a lot of attitudes emerge. For example, when I was a teen I was too cool for anything and perfect at everything. They understand they are here to work, learn and have fun. They understand if you don't try you will never know. They get that bringing your leg all the way to your face, keeping your hip down, and turning out your feet all at once does not happen over night. They live by,"Practice makes perfect". They are so willing to do whatever, try whatever and never give up that it forever inspires me to never give up on any of them. They push me to be the best I can, and remind me every time I step into the dance room why this is and always will be my passion. . . NO MATTER WHAT. 

Winning isn't everything, but I never hated it.

     The dance competition world is EXTREMELY competitive. If it wasn't for the dance competition world, I don't know if I would have kept up with it as much as I did. Something about traveling to other places, getting up on that stage with judges in front of you, and winning always kept my adrenaline pumping. I loved being in my studio on the weekends, from early morning till night doing the dances over and over again just to shine for that 3 minutes on stage. Just to win that plastic trophy and share that $500.00 check with with the other 15 people in your group was all that mattered to me at one point.

     I was very blessed to grow up in such a great studio with hard working dancers and an amazing director. Everywhere we went we won. No, it wasn't always first place but that's what made us get right back in that studio and work even harder. We were raised to always have good sportsmanship.We were taught to always congratulate the other dancers, clap for everyone,compliment, be humble about your winnings and no matter what try your best and have fun. My team was so supportive of each other and that is one thing I am passing down to my students. Every time I teach any combination in my classes I ask my students to split up into groups. This is beneficial to me because I can concentrate on my students more as an individual and beneficial to them because they can see the way others are dancing and get inspired. One of my "rules" is to clap and cheer on your fellow dancers before and after they dance, no matter if they messed up or rocked it. It is important to me that all my kids carry confidence with them because not only does it help in the dance world but it also helps in the real world. It takes a lot for these kids to get up on stage in front of all these people and perform and I am so proud of the way my kids always rock not only the stage but in the classroom as well.

       One of the most exciting and memorable moments in my dance competition career was in my last year of dancing with my team. I was in around 15 dances my senior year of dance. One of the contemporary pieces I was in was choreographed by one of my best friends and fellow dancers, Ralphie Picciarelli. The dance was titled, "Hallelujah" and there was seven girls apart of this amazing piece. As you know every dance should have a "story" and this story took place in the 50's. We were stay at home housewives who had the perfect life of cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, always dressed with the finest of pearls with dinner waiting on the table for our husbands. From the outside everything was perfect and they were always smiling, but behind closed doors they were tired, felt unloved, beaten on and trapped.

 
       This dance (excuse my french) kicked so much ass at competition and we won the national finals in New Jersey that year. We worked so hard to perfect this dance, there were many rehearsals of bickering, crying, hysterical laughter, one to many bruises from jumping into thin air and falling straight on our knees but most of all great memories. This dance brought us seven girls so close and winning with them felt so good. I will never forget standing on that stage with at least 40 other dancers waiting for them to announce the winner, instead of calling out "Hallelujah" right away, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop and they played our music. All seven of us screamed and broke down into tears not only because we were so happy but this was also our last time dancing all together before most of us were off to college. This is one moment I will forever remember and I hold it very close to my heart. I can't wait for my kids to experience this in their upcoming years and will forever remind them that dedicated + hard work = success.