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Ask Rhee
 Advice
for dance teachers
Q:
Dear Rhee,
I am a dance teacher/school owner in the
Northwest, but I am familiar with your family because I went
to college in Boston and took classes from you, your
brother, and your mom. To this day I pass on many of the
lessons I learned from the Golds.
My school has been open for 17 years. We
started with 22 students and today we have a little more
than 300. I consider myself a successful school owner and
businesswoman, but I am stumped on a major decision that I
need to make before the season ends.
Several of my students travel 45 minutes
to an hour to our school. One mom is willing to finance a
second location for my school so that her daughter and a few
others won't have to travel to my current location. The mom
in question is wealthy and trustworthy, so I believe that
working with her would be easy.
My problem is that I am barely able to
keep up with my current students or manage my family
appropriately. Each week this mom asks if I've made a
decision about the second location, and each week I put her
off. I do find the opportunity tempting, but I know that
there is no way I would be able to keep up with it all and
maintain my sanity.
I'm afraid that if I turn down the offer,
I could lose some of my students who can't continue to
travel the distance that they do. One parent is spending
$100 per week on gas to get her child to and from the
studio. Maybe I am too soft, but I feel guilty because of
how long some of my students travel and how expensive it is
for them to dance at my school.
Do you think that
the second school is a good option or that I might be
missing an opportunity that I could regret someday? I am so
confused, and I feel like I have to make a decision as soon
as possible. I don't know what to do.
--Elizabeth
A:
Dear Elizabeth,
It's nice to hear from a former student and to find out that
you became such a success. I can say definitively that I
don't think opening a second location is a smart move for
you. I feel that you're considering this option only because
you care about the students, especially the ones who have to
travel the long distance to take class from you. That is
honorable, but you have to let the guilt go.
If
you feel overwhelmed by keeping up with your first location
and managing time for your family, then opening another
location is out of the question, at least at this point. All
good teachers want what is best for their students, but if
that means adding more stress to your already hectic life,
the situation would not be good for them and especially not
for you and your family. If you're not happy, you will find
it difficult to continue being the teacher that you are now.
The fact that you might lose students because they don't
want to travel (or can't afford to) is not a good enough
reason for you to make a choice that would stress everyone
out. The next time this mom asks you if you have made a
decision, tell her yes. Explain that you've decided not to
move forward with the second location. Be honest with her
about your reasoning and tell her that this is not the right
time in your life to open another business. Let her know how
much you appreciate her support and loyalty. If she is truly
loyal, she will understand. Resolving this now will
eliminate the pressure you must feel each time she asks the
question. Get it behind you and move on.
I
would suggest that you gather the traveling students and
their parents together to discuss carpooling options that
might ease the time and financial burdens of traveling. But
if they tell you that they can't continue at your school,
don't feel guilty. The reason you are successful and these
students travel to train with you is because you are good at
what you do. You have to let those feelings of guilt go and
do what is best for you and your family; otherwise the
pressure will turn you into a different person and teacher
than the one who is attracting
students from faraway
places.
Be proud that your reputation has traveled such long
distances and that someone is willing to invest in you--but
put yourself first, because that's what you deserve after
all the hard work and sacrifices that you and your family
have made to build your business. I wish you all the best.
--Rhee
Q:
Dear Mr. Gold,
If one of my
instructors choreographs a dance for class or recital, does
the dance belong to the teacher or the studio? One of my
instructors has been asked to perform in another studio's
recital, dancing a number that he choreographed for one of
my classes. He also plans on taking my students from the
class to perform it.
--Anna
A:
Hello Anna,
I
believe that the studio owner owns the choreography created
for the school by its faculty. I base this on the fact that
the teacher is being paid by the school for the time it
takes to create the choreography. However, this policy
should be disclosed during the hiring process and included
in any contract that is signed. But even if you did not
address the question of choreography rights before now, it
does not mean that you can't explain to this teacher that
you do not want the choreography created for your students
to be performed without your
permission.
As for your students performing at another school's recital,
that definitely shouldn't happen without your approval. It's
not very professional for a faculty member to commit to a
performance that includes your
students without
consulting you first. If the performance is not for someone
who is in direct competition with your school, then you
might want to allow it if the kids are excited about it. But
if it is for one of your school's competitors, it's probably
time to have a talk with this teacher. There might be more
going on here than you can see at this point. It's not an
easy situation to deal with, and I wish you all the best.
--Rhee
Q:
Dear Rhee,
Recently I saw your magazine in the lobby
of my daughter's dancing school and I saw that you answer
readers' questions. I'm hoping that you'll have an answer
for me. I have a 7-year-old daughter who has developed
tap-dancing skills way beyond what her classmates can do.
The other kids in her class have to keep repeating what they
learned in previous classes, and my daughter is always ready
to move on.
When I approached
the teacher about my concerns, she told me that my daughter
was in the right class and suggested that if she really
wants to be a dancer she should start taking ballet and jazz
classes. I'm getting the feeling that the teacher doesn't
recognize my daughter's talent and is just trying to sell me
more classes that my daughter doesn't
need. Why would she
need ballet to be a tap dancer? Do you think this teacher is
trying to get me to spend more money?
--Concerned Mom
A:
Dear Concerned Mom,
This column is not usually a forum for parents to ask
questions; however, I think that many of our readers will
appreciate my advice to you.
Your tone indicates that you do not trust your daughter's
teacher, yet you offer no examples of your expertise in the
field of dance education. You suggest that your child is
being held back because
her classmates are not up to par with her abilities, and you
base that on that the fact that you observe the repetition
of material from week to week. But that repetition provides
the foundation that is needed to build a strong dancer. For
as long as your daughter takes tap classes, she will be
repeating the same basic steps and applying them in more
complex movements as she develops stronger technical skills.
Although your child may excel in tap, it is very hard to
determine which form of dance she might be best at when she
is only 7. You may discover that she is as talented in
ballet or jazz dance as you think she is in tap. Also, it is
important for you to know that many professional tap dancers
consider ballet classes a necessary part of their training.
Simple things like
body alignment, upper-body grace and strength, and a strong
technical base are some of the reasons why ballet is so
important to the tap dancer.
I
work with a few thousand dance teachers every year, and I
can tell you that very few of them are trying to get parents
to spend money on unnecessary lessons. In my opinion, your
child's dance teacher is on target with her advice. If your
daughter truly has talent, then I would suggest that you
leave the decision-making process to the professionals and
respect their knowledge and understanding of what is best
for your child in terms of her dance training.
Also, it is important to avoid judging your child's
classmates, either in dance or academics. I have been
teaching for 30 years, and I can tell you that many (if not
all) parents believe that their child is one of the best
dancers. But most of them keep it to themselves. To avoid
being one of those domineering stage moms or alienating the
parents of your daughter's classmates, you might try to do
the same. Good luck.
--Rhee
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