My senior year of high school was a year of a lot of lasts -- last time I will be considered a minor, last time I will see many of the people I have grown up with, and (so I thought) the last time I would be a studio dancer. During the finale of my very last dance recital, I made sure to take in the feeling that performing on stage has always given me. It felt so bittersweet; I was moving on to collegiate dance, yet I knew I was leaving behind my studio family that I had become close with over the last 15 years.
I knew that I would never again get to be a dance student and that my dance days were numbered. However, over the course of time, I have found purpose in something new -- teaching dance. There is something about passing along my love for dance to the youth of today that fills me with happiness. While it will never replace performing onstage or taking dance class, I know it is what I am meant to be doing, and here is why:
I love seeing my students grow as dancers. There is nothing more amazing than watching your dancers improve because of the impact you have had on them. I love seeing students' faces when they master a new trick or when they know they have performed well. It reminds me so much of the joy dance gave me when I was a student and it makes me happy to know that someone else has experienced that feeling as well.
Going to the studio is an escape. Even as a teacher, just stepping through the studio doors gives me a sense of relief. For just an hour or two, I am able to forget about all my problems and the things that stress me out. I know for me personally, the studio was always a safe haven and I love being able to recreate that for my students.
Your students become like your children. The dancers look up to you (sometimes literally). You know when you have to discipline them, but also when to have fun. I may never have children, and that is OK because I will always have my dancers.
I love watching my dancers perform my choreography. My choreography is like my baby. It is something that I have put time and considerable thought into. Along with watching my dancers improve, this is also amazing to see. I love watching my vision come to life onstage. You want to make a dance teacher happy? Tell them you love their choreography. That basically gives us a boost of confidence. For me, that is better than someone complimenting an outfit or my makeup.
People do not realize how incredibly tough it is to be a dance teacher. Our job extends beyond our time teaching classes. We spend numerous hours choreographing, picking out costumes, creating lesson plans, and learning new ways to teach technique. But in spite of all of that, I would not change it for the world.
