Basheva <P>RE:<BR>"In my experience I found that many parents had virtually no idea of the reality of what to expect in dance. Most didn't know that it takes years to become a dancer. That the learning is a cumulative process. That the child doesn't have to start at the age of three - and after that it is too late. "<P><BR>>>I have had the same experience, it has been the rare parent who came in knowing what to expect much less to have realistic expectations.<P>""There was one who was very upset that her daughter couldn't do an arabesque by the second lesson - so I invited the mother to attend the adult class and try it - that took care of that LOL.""<P>>>I love it... every year I hold a parent day..not a parent observation day, but a parent participation day..from the youngest to the most advanced classes..it does wonders. It is a lot of fun,, we spend a great deal of time laughing at ourselves.<P>

Rabbit:<P>I too, had a child who didn't want to dance. Her younger sister (3) was gung ho, but the older child (5) was terrified. The mother screamed at the child (in a different language)throughout her first class. I advised mom that sometimes it's not a question of IF they want to dance, but WHEN. The child came, periodically, to the studio when her younger sister was getting picked up, or to parent's day, and I always gave her a smile and a hug. When she was 7, she registered and was so excited to be in my class because I hadn't pressed the issue. She was so proud and happy that day, one of my sunniest, sweetest students ever. It was worth waiting for.<P>I also feel that in a way it's good I'm an "older" teacher. I don't mean that I'm Methusalah, but I'm at least as old as the moms and dads, and therefore, I often act as sort of a big sister, doing a lot of reassuring and instructing to them. I too, used a parent's day to pull a parent out of the audience and have the children teach her their recital piece. Fun. <P>One year, I had a couple of parents who were a little shaken over their kids. One set of parents had a child who didn't talk at all. I talked about this in another thread. They were embarrassed, I think, about this, feeling their child was behind and looking for someone to blame. The other set of parents had a child who simply was too young and cried for her mom a lot. She was given some coloring pages on such days to keep her occupied, but she would then try to manipulate the other children out of doing their work and try to involve them in what she was doing. I advised her parents that she should just wait a bit at the risk of killing her desire for class for good. They were NOT happy. <P>So, they all came to Parent's Day, waiting to eat Miss Chrissy for breakfast. When the parents witnessed the rest of the class' performance, they realized that they shouldn't get their undies in a bundle,looking for someone to blame because children aren't ready for all things at the same time. But -- and I think this really helped -- I handed out a typewritten sheet that morning that told in my most sincere words what my goals and philosophies were, based a great deal on my own experiences in growing up, and they seemed very touched by this. For me, this helped a great deal. <P>

Whow<P>Basheva: There was one who was very upset that her daughter couldn't do an arabesque by the second lesson - so I invited the mother to attend the adult class and try it - that took care of that LOL.<P>And Rabbit: I love it... every year I hold a parent day..not a parent observation day, but a parent participation day..from the youngest to the most advanced classes..it does wonders. It is a lot of fun,, we spend a great deal of time laughing at ourselves.<P>That’s great: A parent participation day. I already see it before my eyes. I will do this with parents over her. <P>Basheva, the idea “with joining the mother in an adult class” will also work. <P>How was the reaction of the children after the video showing? Once I had a 16 years old girl, who quitted dancing after she saw herself on the video. She had a totally different view of herself!<P>Christina (and all others):<BR>Do you have all the goals (main and specific) for all classes written out? This is perhaps the most difficult part of running a dance studio. To encourage the teachers to plan the lessons and to formulate goals (do you call them short term / long term goals?)<BR>

Another thing I have noticed from both parents and kids - is a reluctance to admit they just don't like it.<P>I guess it is so very obvious that I love what I am doing and the dance in general, that several times I have had a student or a parent come up to me with great trepidation and say - almost in a whisper - "I just don't like it". My response is always the same - with a big, truly sincere smile - "it's ok not to like it - we don't all have to like the same things."<P>So I learned (or tried to anyway) that sometimes loving what we do can intimidate others. We have to give them a way out......and let them know that not liking it is acceptable, and reasonable, and ok.

In answer to your questions Berry - the video tape idea always worked out positively. I guess I was lucky. <P>As for having written goals both short term and long term written out - I never had to do that - it was always written out in my head. And, I taught in some very formal settings - performing arts high school and a college and university setting. If you asked me what my goals were I could tell you with great detail - but written? no.<P>One of the teachers at the college had hers all written out - but she never accomplished them. I knew her for over 20 years - and never once did she accomplish her written goals.<p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited January 23, 2001).]

Re my particular goals, see post under creativity in dance thread. Those are the kinds of ideas I transmitted to parents. "Goals" can be a funny word -- e.g., "My goal for this class is to build a box by the end of the day and then we all go inside the box and never come out." <P>No, see, that's not what I mean. Goals has more to do for me with what kind of joy, playfulness, confidence and spark I want to bring to my tiny friends.

Goals:<P> Yes I do, all written out..I seem to be a perpetual planner LOL. This is just how I work best, lesson plans, goals set and re-set. It simply helps me focus. It works well for me and I am opposite of Basheva,, if do not do this I don't accomplish what I set out to. Just my learning/teaching style I guess.

Rabbit - and that is what makes the world a wonderful place - that there is room for people like you and people like me - and we can end up enjoying the same things and one another - and hopefully bringing that joy to our students.<P>I firmly believe that one way is not "better" than another way - they are just different. <p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited January 23, 2001).]

Thank you for all the post. That’s a lot of help already.<P>But, I’m just curious, a lot af classical dance teachers (Basheva?) are not working with goals. Basheva: “i have the curriculum written out in my head”. Is this because of the enormous amount of classical dance books or is there another reason?<P>“Creativ” dance teachers are working much often with goals. Why?<BR>Is there a “danger” for riding on his hobby when you are not working with goals?<P>I found a web site from the “Teacher's Resource Guide” with 8 videos.<P>From the website:<BR>[ The materials found in this resource guide have been designed to supplement secondary school social studies, world cultures, and dance curricula. The goal of the materials is to help students actively participate in the study and experience of dance.<P>Ballet and Kabuki are classical dance theater forms that remain popular today even though they were created more than 300 years ago. Although they are very different dance forms, ballet and Kabuki are similar. Both express the beliefs and values of their founding cultures through the staging of dramatic and romantic stories often derived from myths and fairy tales. Both flourished in the 1800s and 1900s and have since survived through the support of patrons, audiences, and performers. They now represent a bridge between the past and the present.<P>Students will:<BR>· explore the continuing tradition of classical dance theater; <BR>· compare and contrast the origins and performances of ballet and Kabuki;<BR>· observe and compare the training of ballet and Kabuki dancers. ]<P>I’m sure every teacher is going - when possible - with her/his students to a dance performance. Are you working – besides the dancetechnical goals - also with receptional (is that the “correct” word?) and cognitiv goals? do you give them material to study?<P><BR>

You know, Berry, I wish I could explain to you why and how it is in my head what I set out to do - but I have simply never felt the need to write it down. When I walk into a class whether it is the very first class for beginners or an advanced class I know where I would like to take my students, for that day, for that week, for that month. <P>I have a plan for the day, the barre work leading to the center. Even the combinations for barre and center are not written down. I know what concept I want to develop and I have my idea of how to get there. I have just never written it down. Even when I was teaching 20-25 hours a week, all different levels - adults and children, I just remembered it from class to class. <P>I also allow the class to flow - if I have set out a certain goal and the class seems to have run into a problem, then the goal is set aside to concentrate on the problem we have encountered. The goal is a fence post along the road - not an absolute. I don't allow me or the class to become subservient to my preconceived goal. <P>There are also goals within goals - some immediate, some intermediate and some long term. Hopefully, if I do it correctly, one will reinforce another. If, for instance, I notice a particular need for reinforcing the principles of "placement" those principles will explored throughout the barre and center. It will be explored through port de bras, adage, petit allegro, turns, balances both static and moving, and on into the final reverence. <P>I try to incorporate my goals, but also I enjoy a certain amount of spontaneity. Some days are just meant for waltz, and some days are truly not. Each day, each class takes on a particular personality of its own.