Guest DaNcE4mE Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 A new teacher was hired over the past summer and I can tell she dislikes me a lot. She has her favorites in the class and most of them are short, but i am tall. I really want to go professional, but she makes me feel like it could never happen for me. SHe has lowered my self confidence so much that I am practically always comparing myself to others. At first I tried to befriend her, but that didn't really work, so what should i do now? Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted March 7, 2005 Administrators Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 Hello Dance4Me, welcome to the Young Dancers' forum here on Ballet Talk for Dancers. You know, it seems to me like a lot of students have difficulty getting used to a new teacher, and that sometimes their perceptions of how that teacher thinks and feels are quite off. The only answer I have for you in this situation is to work harder than anyone else. If you allow someone else to undermine your confidence, then nothing will work. Your name says it all. You have to dance for YOU, not for the teacher. You may think that SHE is taking away your confidence, however YOU are the one who allows that to happen and it's very possible that there is no intention of that at all by the teacher. Befriending is NOT the answer! Working is the answer. Teachers are not your peers and friends, they are teachers. They can care about you a great deal, but they remain teachers the way a parent remains a parent. Link to comment
Guest DaNcE4mE Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 Thanks Ms Leigh, and I agree with you, working harder is the best thing to do. Although sometimes it is hard to be inspired when there is so much negativity in the room. I also sometimes don't understand the corrections she gives me, so I guess I need to ask her to explain the ones I dont understand. I feel I can learn a lot from her, but sometimes I do not think she takes me very seriously, so I guess like you said I will just have to work harder than I ever has. Thanks again! Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted March 8, 2005 Administrators Report Share Posted March 8, 2005 If you have a question, you must ask it! The teacher does not mind read, and if you don't understand something, you have every right to ask for an explanation! Perhaps she thinks you do understand, and if you don't say something, she doesn't know that you don't. Link to comment
tutu22 Posted March 8, 2005 Report Share Posted March 8, 2005 I am also a taller dancer and it does many times seem that a teacher will only like shorter dancers because they look cute or something....I don't really know. I always just take what corrections she gives me and other dancers around me and practice them over and over again untill you're confident that you will impress her. If you do everything she says than she has no reason to dislike you, but if she keeps picking favorites, just take her classes to your fullest and ignore her negativity. Link to comment
Guest widgy Posted March 10, 2005 Report Share Posted March 10, 2005 I get the same thing with some of my teachers. I find that being a boy when it comes to ballet either means the teachers are going to like you or make life hard for you. The way i learned to deal with it is just to work my arse off!! Always be on time, consentrate and practice. Be one of those try hard kids that everyone hates but the teachers love. If you do that and she over looks you then shes got something wrong not you!! xxx Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted March 10, 2005 Report Share Posted March 10, 2005 Welcome, widgy, to the Young Dancers' Forums here at Ballet Talk for Dancers. I haven't found that being a boy in the US in ballet classes is usually a problem in the class, but I've certainly seen places where students and parents make life tough. It's like an intruder in the "girls' club", and is an invidious practice, no matter where it happens. Link to comment
Hopefuldancer Posted April 12, 2005 Report Share Posted April 12, 2005 It really depends on the teacher.. and sometimes you interpret them incorrectly. But please, whatever you do, don't take how your teacher treats you out on yourself. Theres a variety of reasons I've seen teachers choose "favorites" and "not so favorites" for that are very obvious and have nothing to do with how good a person is. If you are being ignored(worst case scenario), just take the corrections she gives other students and apply them upon yourself... believe you me, you can live with that- just hang in there Just keep reminding yourself, she won't be the only teacher you'll ever have!! And she won't be the only "awful" teacher you come across, especially if you want a professional career in dance! I wish you good luck! Link to comment
AmaG520 Posted April 20, 2005 Report Share Posted April 20, 2005 I have a guy teacher at my studio who teacher three days a week, Bi-polar is an UNDERSTATMENT! Well, as we got used to him, we learned he is such an excellent teacher, you never know what yo expect, so you ahve to work to keep your technique, expression, musicality right, which is exactly what the real dance world will demand. When he is in a certain mood, I might get a compliment or two, but (as in just Monday), "my alignment was all off"...Now I have somehting new to work at. I htink you have to have the right mind set... Link to comment
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