Pointes and Perspective #56 Don't Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today

Don't Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today

As we all start a new dance season, I've been thinking a lot about the difference between giving a class and teaching a class.

I thought about it all summer on the drives to and from guest teaching engagements, and then this week, it came up again when I listened to my episode of The Casual Dance Teachers Podcast with Maia Mahosky. We recorded the episode back in the spring, and the episode just aired this week, so I was enjoying it on my commute. Maia had noticed something on my website that I not only say, but advertise. “I don't just give a class. I teach a class”. She loved that distinction, and we talked about it on the podcast.

It made me smile since it is something I wrestle with constantly, especially when I am guest teaching. When you are a guest teacher and you know you only have a limited amount of time with a group, you start to wonder, Should I be keeping them moving? Should I just be giving them fun content? Combinations and letting them fly with it? And I see so many guest teachers do exactly that. They come in, give combinations, give steps, keep the dancers moving and everyone has a great time.

But are they teaching?

When I see a body positioned too close to the barre, a port de bras that doesn’t make it to second position before allongé, or a grand battement where the arm is behind the leg, I can't just keep going.

I have to stop.

Because to me, teaching means there is an opportunity to think, to learn, to understand, and to grow. There should be a lesson in there somewhere - not simply a string of combinations.

Yes, it takes time. Yes, it means I may not get through everything I had planned. I'll admit, I look at the clock and think, this is going to take so much time to break down. But if I can fix something that a dancer might otherwise continue doing incorrectly for another year, or five years, or their entire career, isn't that time worth taking? It's the one thing I can gift them that they get to keep. That correction becomes a building block. It strengthens the foundation instead of leaving me (or someone else) to undo a bad habit later. I would much rather have them leave having truly learned something than leave having danced four more combinations incorrectly.

So no, I can't just give a class. I'm a teacher. I'm here to dissect, to fix, to sculpt, and to help create artists who understand technique, terminology, and artistry. As much of that as I can fit into a guest class, that's what I'm going to give them.

That's teaching.

And I have to say, there are plenty of people who can give a class. Give combinations. Put steps together. Keep dancers moving.

But are they teaching?

Because if all you want is someone to give your students a class, you already have faculty who can do that. Why bring in a guest? Think about why you'd hire a guest instructor in the first place. If all you wanted was combinations and a class, you could give that class yourself. Or your seasonal staff could, or your regular faculty.

A guest teacher should bring something new. A different perspective. A new way of thinking about a step. A correction the dancers haven't heard before. A little bit of insight that makes something suddenly click. That's what I want to bring when I walk into a studio as a guest teacher. I want to inspire them to keep dissecting the things they dissect every day, because dance is constant relearning, tweaking, and perfecting.

Frankly, it's what I want to bring into every class I teach, whether I'm there for one day or teaching the same dancers all year.

Because even as regular faculty, we can fall into the trap of feeling like we have to get everything in - barre, adagio, pirouettes, petit allegro, grand allegro. We watch the clock and feel guilty when we don't get through the entire plan. Many teachers talk about that rush.

But maybe the goal isn't to get through the class. Maybe the goal is to teach the dancers in front of us.

So as we begin this new season, I encourage teachers to slow down. If something needs correcting, stop and fix it. If something needs explaining, explain it. If the dancers need another way to understand it, give them one.

Don't be so worried about getting to the next combination that you miss the opportunity to actually teach the one you're on. Because the combination will be forgotten. The correction might not be.

Don't put off until tomorrow what you can TEACH today.