frustrated

[minty]

Here is my problem : I take quite a lot of ballet classes per week, as an amateur . I started about two years ago. I take a beginners' class and other that would probably qualify as intermediate

I have some friends who are very advanced, and I like seeing them during the intermediate classes, because I am quite content to stay behind and try and do my best

however, they have recently begun to come to the beginners classes, where of course they occupy the front row to be examples . I have nothing against this, but the thing is that when they don't come, it's my only chance to get in front, which means I get a thrill from it, and therefore a surge of adrenalin, if you know what I mean

moreover, the teacher corrects you more often if you are in the first row

so , how can I stop being jealous of these girls, who are very nice, and do other people feel they sometimes need that kind of recognition from the teacher ie being put in the front row ?

[Victoria Leigh]

Minty, I understand your feelings about this, however, since there is really nothing you can do about the situation, it would be best to just accept it and turn your thoughts to your own work. When you waste energy being jealous of others you are not putting your focus into your own technique, your enjoyment of dancing, and your progress. Try to remember that you are there for you, because you love to dance, and that should not depend on being in the front row or having a lot of attention. Naturally we all want attention and correction, which any good teacher should give to everyone in the class. But if you waste energy focusing on that and not on your work, you are not accomplishing anything. Also, having more experienced dancers in the class is another way to learn.

[wembley]

Sometimes our teachers rotate the rows after every second exercise, while sometimes they leave the same people in the front for the whole class, generally if those people have an exam coming up. I prefer to hide up the back, but it is an extra challenge to be in the front row!

 

I must second Ms Leigh's comments about not letting this become a big issue! While you are feeling jealous of these students, you may be surprised to find that other students are jealous of you! Just concentrate on your dancing, and if you want more corrections ask your teacher after class if there is anything else you should be working on.

 

Wembley

[ashatNYU]

Minty, when I read this topic title, it was as if I could have written it! I suffer from being one of those "Type A" personalities who instantly gets frustrated if I'm not the best or getting the attention, especially in classes when there are people much better than me. One of the things that I have found helps me from getting frustrated is to step away from the "better" people and kind of form my own little dance world. For me this means putting myself at a place on the floor where I cannot see them when I look up, allowing me to focus more on the steps I am trying to do, rather than the steps they are already doing perfectly.

[dido]

Just wanted to add that this has happened to me too. After the spring/fall/nutcracker shows the company dancers where I take class start coming to the evening elementary classes.

Sometimes it gets very depressing flubbing away in the back and feeling like I'm never going to get anywhere. I don't exactly get jealous, but maybe envious rather, wishing I could look/do like that.

I try to change my attitude though: I watch them to see what I can learn from all the different types of dancer, and hope that it will pay off later. "It's like having 10 teachers instead of just one." I don't know if that helps but it's what I do.

[spankster]

Agree with Dido. Also, sometimes you don't appreciate the progress you yourself have made since it's a long slow process. It might help to sit down and list all the things you learned how to do in the past year that you DIDN'T know how to do before (or didn't do well).

 

And remember, there's probably somebody looking up to you! There are lots of ways to excel - even if you're not "the best dancer" in the class, you may be the one that everyone on your barre looks to, since you remember the combinations.

 

There are a lot of elements that go into excellence (in any field) and mental training is one of them. Memory is one (esp for dance). Keeping yourself positive should definitely be a goal as well (in my opinion anyway, I'm kind of a newbie here).

 

It's a CHOICE in how you look at things, half empty half full blah blah...

[spinbug]

...And self praise goes a long way. I tend to compare myself to others and so I can get jeolous or frustrated easily, also. To help break that cycle I try to remember what I am doing well and praise myself for that. That doesn't mean being conceited because I think that involves, still, comparing yourself to others and thinking you are better. How do you feel about how you are doing? I bet you are doing very well for only being in ballet two years.

 

Candi

[SeaMonkey]

I go to the adult ballet class at my studio for an extra technique class. Our teachers encourage us to do this. I love going to this class because its relaxed and I get along very well with the mom's in the class. In our usual classes, we HAVE to switch rows when we repeat the combination. In the adult classes, she usually asks the people on the second row if they're comfortabl switching. Sometimes they are, but most of the time, they don't want to.

 

Sometimes that recognition of being placed on the front row can be uncomfortable though. If you're one of the advanced dancers and you blow it, you catch WAY more hell for it, and then if you do get the combination right, then you should have added another turn or a battu.

 

I don't think there's anything you can do to change them being there. They're there because they get something out of it. Maybe don't focus on them so much and really work on your own dancing.

[Susanne]

I am a little bit late to reply

As long as it is not permanent I would only look at them and use those more advanced dancers as inspiration. Look at how they use epaulement and breath. Switching rows is the best way to go. Maybe you could suggest it to your teacher?

 

Almost all of my experienced teachers require us to swich rows because you will not only let another person be in front, but also, you are forced to remember the combination yourself.

[2 Left Feet]

I think something was missed here...

 

If it's a beginning class, then the teacher should be teaching to the beginners and not the more advanced students. It should be made clear the class is for students learning the basics and they should be the focus of the attention and the corrections. Just as you should not expect a beginner to show up at an advanced class and bring the class to a hault as the teacher explains everything to them, the advanced students should not expect to go to a beginner class and take time away from the students who need that class.

 

I usually take my teachers advanced/beginning class in addition to her intermediate/advanced classes. I try to stay to a side or in the back at barre and only move to the front in centre if my teacher asks me to. I do not expect her to spend time correcting me in the beginning class. Rather, I expect I will be using that class as a place to put everything she tells me in the intermediate class into practice.

 

I would suggest you mention somethign to your teacher about this. You're likely not the only person who feels this way in your class.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

This is an interesting discussion -- all I can add is that for me, having the

more talented dancers from the company in class is wonderful... I think they

raise the bar (no pun intended) for all of the muddle-alongers like me. Maybe

I'm just lucky in that they are so encouraging and fun, but I find myself learning

quite a bit from them

 

For example -- one thing that both of my instructors do towards the end of

class is that they will kind of rush through a description/demonstration of a

floor combination; not really demonstrating but just marking it for us. So, having

more advanced students going first helps me, because I can see them doing it

and that helps me visualize what I need to do more clearly. (Likewise, their

corrections help in this regard also)

 

Another example -- the more advanced dancers ask really good questions, and

I benefit from that...

 

And finally, I have learned a lot about the nuances of more basic steps by watching

really good students. Their attention to detail is contagious.

 

But I can see Minty's point too, that it would be hard to adjust to a situation where

having more advanced dancers in the beginner class might result in less individual

feedback. So, I agree with 2 Left Feet about this -- it might be worth mentioning

to the teacher!

[minty]

Thank you all for your answers ; I feel less alone. The thing is my teacher is a good friend of mine and I have tried to talk to her about that , but it's very difficult because :

- she thinks the people in this class need examples in front (which is true for some, but I personally think if you always copy you never use your head)

- she is the kind of people who think it's silly to compare yourself with the others, you have to danc e for yourself

- it's hard to say you're jealous...