We all want a ballet instructor that is warm, caring, and is invested in our growth as dancers, but not all instructors will make the cut. We've simplified some red flags into these areas below. Explore these 5 red flags for identifying instructors who may not be the best to learn from.
Class time is not used appropriately
You've arrived on time and are sitting in the room, waiting for the instructor. She rushes in about five to ten minutes late, then takes another five minutes to apologize, chat with the class, and prepare for combinations. Class starts off from there with a few combinations but is derailed by a couple of students asking questions not related to class. The instructor jokes with the class for a bit before returning back to the next combination. This pattern repeats all through barre until an hour has passed and the class slowly starts to move off the barre. The instructor asks everyone to stretch while she disappears for another five to ten minutes before returning with a video clip for everyone to watch. This takes another five to ten until there's only fifteen minutes left. The instructor tries to quickly cram in center combinations and pirouettes, but doesn't quite get to anything across the floor or have time for jumps. Class ends in a rush with promises to do extra allegro next class, but this tends to be the pattern for most classes with this instructor.
The above scenario has several examples of bad time management in class. Hopefully this isn't your experience, but if it is, this is a red flag for a bad instructor.
Suggestions in this case:
Talk to the instructor. This might be difficult for shy students, but it can have a big impact if the instructor is unaware of her class structure not being used wisely. The conversation doesn't have to be negative either. You can try casually mentioning that you're really excited to work on more allegro and pirouettes in the center today. The more you ask if the class will have time to jump, the more the instructor might take the hint.
Talk to the studio owner/director. Assuming that your instructor is not in charge of the studio you attend, you can always send an email to their supervisor expressing your concerns about not getting a full class in. Proactive Directors will want to be able to solve your problem and will also want their instructors to offer classes that help their students grow as dancers. Some studios have options to leave anonymous messages to the director if you are afraid of being retaliated against.
Switch classes. If the above aren't working, I'd recommend switching classes if you are able to. Find a class that has a better fit and use of time for what you are wanting out of your ballet training.
Bad Corrections from your Ballet Instructor
"Suzy, why can't you learn this correctly like everyone else?"
"Penny, I hate it when you dance like that."
"Why can't you figure this out? Are you too stupid to learn this?"
"Stop smiling all the time. You should look more serious when you train."
"Push through the pain! Ballet should hurt!"
Bad corrections can come in many different forms, whether they be aimed at a student in particularly, meant to shame the class, or just phrased wrong. Instructors should want to see their students grow and prosper in a supportive environment, not tear them down to exert power over young students. Below are some tips to evaluate corrections as good or bad.
Good Corrections will:
be targeted at an action, not the person.
be delivered in a constructive form with directions on how to improve.
be used to help a dancer grow as an artist.
apply equally to everyone.
Bad Corrections will:
target a person's characteristics that are unchangeable, such as height or leg structure.
be inconsistent between students.
be aimed at on a few particular students over everyone else.
do not help you to improve as a dancer in class.
Suggestions in this case: My best advice if you find yourself in a situation with an instructor who is using corrections to bully students, please report them to a trusted adult or director. If you are going to speak to a director, it's always helpful to bring evidence of inappropriate corrections with you so that they can take action. Try to write down offending corrections on a water break or after class so that you can share your experience with an adult who can help. If they are the owner/director of the studio, it's time to leave and find a healthier environment to train in.
Stifling Environment
A few years back, I directed a show that invited all of the local dance groups onto the mainstage in Anchorage to highlight the awesome dance community that we have in Alaska. The week of tech rehearsal leading up to the performance weekend, I remember sitting in the audience watching one of the competition schools perform their number. I remember thinking "wow, this piece was really fun and the dancers really did a great job performing it." However after the number, their director walked out on stage and chewed out all of the dancers for being lazy, missing quick changes that they didn't have time to performing, making staging errors even though this was their first performing at that theatre, and having technical errors in the piece. They reset the piece and did it again. The amount of mistakes doubled and the dancers did significantly worse. The director again chewed them out for their bad performance. Again the piece was reset and the dancers ran through their number for a third time. You can imagine the results from there.
A stifling environment is detrimental to the growth of an artist, and is caused not only by the instructor leading the class but also by leadership at the studio. You can feel a stifling environment in the air when you walk into a studio. The front desk staff will be short with you and not very helpful. There will be tension in the air coming from the students and parents. There will be cliques and teacher's favorites all the time, while others work twice as hard to get noticed. The director is not open to growth and says things like "that's how it was done in the past when I was a student." This kind of environment will work to destroy a dancer's confidence, and if you suspect that you are training in a stifling environment, I would recommend seeking out other training facilities.
Issues with Body Image
Studios have to be very careful with how body image is handled in general. Ballet is already inundated with constant images of what the perfect dancer should look like, how high the leg should be able to extend, how far the turnout should rotate, etc. The reality is that almost no student will be able to meet these impossible perfectionist standards. Instructors should support students on their own personal growth to be a great dancer, not demand any student confirm to images found on social media or what a professional ballet company appears to like. Performance opportunities should feature all of the advanced dancers, not just the one who looks like a stereotypical ballerina. Weight and body issues should not be discussed in class, and should only be mentioned if the student has questions (except in the cases of suspected anorexia or bulimia, which should be brought as a concern to parents from the director/instructor). When discussing any weight issues if asked, it is not appropriate for instructors to suggest that students change their body in any manner. It will create a long term struggle with a dancers body that they will experience well past their dance days. Be very wary of an instructor who openly talks about their own or another student's weight.
Teaches Bad Technique
An instructor who teaches bad technique is obviously a bad instructor. But if you're a new student, how would you know if they are the only instructor you've had? There might be some pretty significant tells on whether they are teaching bad technique.
They don't use any names for any of the steps or combinations in class.
Their combinations don't fit the time signature of the music they are using in class.
They use physical force to push a student past they're boundaries.
They can't explain why technique should be a certain way based on anatomical structures of the body.
They try to teach advanced technique before the class has a solid foundation.
A great instructor should be able to explain the reason why everything in class is taught the way they teach it. They will have a structure that keeps the class flowing in an organized way, and won't let class time be wasted.
A great ballet instructor will have a life long impact on every dancer she comes into contact with. We hope your dance journey is surrounded by many of these instructors!
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