Corrections from other Students

[spinbug]

I'm wondering if any of you ever struggle with corrections from other students in your classes. It is a personal pet peeve of mine and it showed it ugly head again last night. I'm sure the correction is very valid but I bristle at it every time. The girl is very nice and I'm certain she is only trying to help. I'm sure it is partly my own personality that has trouble with this and I'm sure I have innocently done the same thing myself. But, arrrrrgh! I had to withhold a snappy reply. And now I'm laughing at my own idiosyncrocies in that area.

 

On a side note. I'm going to ADC in a few weeks and I'm feeling so frustrated about my foot not healing completely. I know I have a few weeks to go but I'm so worried about it. I've paid all of this money and made all of the preparations, it would be so unfortunate not to be 100% for that week.

 

Can I also add?...And I'm a little uncertain about saying this...but to all of you animal lovers out there...my beloved cat just passed away this week and I'm having a real hard time with it. I raised him from a tiny kitten with his eyes and ears still sealed shut. I fed him from a medicine dropper every two hours at first and then from a bottle every four. He showed me that cats like to play fetch, too. Why did this hit me just now and why did I decide to tell all of you? I don't know. But, thanks for listening, anyways. Sorry about being off topic.

[~ Mimi ~]

Poor thing, I am so sorry about your cat!!!

But from the sounds of it, he must look down with such sweet memories, having been so beloved his entire life!

I mean how many cats are that lucky, especially right from the start?

 

As for the corrections from other students: In both my elementary school and the martial arts classes I used to take, it was part of the culture that the more experienced students would help newbies along by acting as 'deputy coaches'.

In itself I think it's a great system, but it can be annoying when people are unrealistic about their own 'prowess', and give unwanted advice while they aren't really in a position to do so. Or worse: when they just point out a flaw of yours in no helpful way whatsoever.

But I think it helps when you think of it not as a comparison between you and them (and them placing themselves ABOVE you... ), but as an opportunity to learn what a random observer thinks you can improve on when he or she watches you dance.

Hey, ballet IS a performing art eh?

[Serendipity]

(((((spinbug)))) on the loss of your baby. I know how you feel, having been owned by cats for the past 25 or so years, including some orphan babies raised much like yours was. It's not easy losing a pet. Just remember what a lovely life she had with you...

 

Corrections: I will accept corrections from anyone, as long as I know they know what they're talking about. A lovely lady at ADC was great at reminding me where to put legs and arms (of course, she was trying to maintain self-preservation, I'm sure, as I was not the safest person to be next to in repertory, at the time!!). I appreciated it immensely.

 

But I do agree it does make a different who does it and how it's done. I have given corrections to others in class when the teacher has allowed it - which means only in our "free time", and generally only if asked by other students. Because I'm the only adult in my current session, and have taught ballet before, and have 30+ years of training, it's generally respected. But I don't correct if my teacher(s) don't want me to (I always ask them what to do if I'm asked, out of courtesy).

 

What is it about this person that gets on your nerves? Is it that she breaks your concentration when she corrects you? If so, tell her. Thank her politely for her input, but tell her that when she talks to you during class, you lose concentration, and ask her directly to please stop correcting you, unless you ask for it first.

 

Regarding your foot: Spinbug, I badly broke my ankle 2 years ago this month. It's still not very good. I was careful with it, but managed the week, even with the OTHER ankle sprained, as well (and it's actually worse off than the previously broken one). I sit right now, writing this, with the expensive, sophisticated braces on both ankles. I was in agony by the end of the week, but, still, enjoyed the week. Wasn't 100% either (plan to be for next year, but being aged, heaven only knows!!).

 

Let them know what's happening. Heidi is great for giving advice on how to deal with aches, pains and injuries. BTW, I found doing the pas de deux on pointe was easier than doing ANYTHING on demi-pointe, my ankles hurt so much, so don't discount that possibility. Don't know what level pointe you're doing, but I found the beginning class was just right considering the aches and pains I had.

 

Chin up!! You'll be fine there.

[ripresa]

So sorry about your cat, Spinbug *hugs*

 

As for corrections, I much prefer giving then receiving them from other students. It's hard to just say: "Thank you." And leave it at that.

[spinbug]

Thanks for the comfort, everyone! I don't know why I decided to just spill the beans on that...it's probably also the reason why I was so frustrated about the correction. Thankfully I responded as I should have and just said thank you and proceeded on.

 

I have a new one, now. As if this week wasn't bad enough, I went into the emergency room after having excruciating chest pain and passing out last night after watching a movie with my family. It turns out that I'll need to have my gall bladder out, (never knew that the referred pain for that is in the esophagous and upper right arm)...and Richmond is in three weeks. Well, I'm thankful that it wasn't worse news than just gallstones.

 

And now I'm way off subject...

[Serendipity]

Are you having it out immediately? They can do it through "keyhole" surgery, which is the least invasive and shouldn't mean you being out of Richmond (you might have to scale down activities, though).

 

I had something similar to that when I lived overseas but didn't have mine out. It just doesn't fill properly. I just watch what I eat now...

[spinbug]

I have plans to go in this next Wednesday for the outpatient surgery. I'll be home the same day but it may be a while before the soreness is gone. On ultrasound it's pretty bad and though I could leave it in I would risk another attack which would be even more debilitating than the surgery itself. Nope, it's a done deal. I need to have the surgery. I can't imagine having another excruciating event like the last one. Every attack has been worse than the last so the next one would be a real doozy. I'll still go to Richmond but I'll just have to be happy with my body. It is something I should appreciate even if it's not always the way I want it to be.

[Redbookish]

Can we either get this back On Topic -- how we receive & respond to corrections from other students -- or take the conversation of personal medical procedures to PM (or Ballet Health & Nutrition, if they're ballet-related)? This is a ballet discussion board, not a blog or chat room. Thanks.

[tangerinetwist]

I am a teacher, almost 40, with a BA in dance. I take at least one class a week- my teacher only teaches adult students and has been doing so for almost 20 years. There are several of us in the class that either teach or have had professional performing careers. There are several, however, who got a late start to ballet, came back after years off, whatever. I usually enjoy these classes very much. However, I have studied with many, many teachers over the years. I do not doubt my training or my own performing capacity. There are things in class that my teacher asks us to do that I personally disagree with but do out of respect.

 

I really do not like it though when one of these dancers, who have studied for studied for several years, perhaps only under one teacher, tells me what I "should" be doing differently. My teacher has entrusted me with her students several times when she has been away on vacation or out sick. I think there are sometimes several roads that lead to the same destination, and if every dancer always did things exactly the same way, the artform would be filled with clones and everyone would be in the corps de ballet. Now, if another teacher tells me something, I weigh whether I think that would benefit me in some way or not and then make the decision as to whether to implement it. I usually try and say, "Thank you", grin and bear it til I can get home and give my husband an earful(this would be in the case of a "nonteacher" giving me a correction).

Edited July 25, 2008 by tangerinetwist

[dancingjet]

I'm sorry about your kitty. I have hand-raised two litters of feral kittens from their tiny beginnings, and it's a special bond.

[Redbookish]

Now, if another teacher tells me something, I weigh whether I think that would benefit me in some way or not and then make the decision as to whether to implement it. I usually try and say, "Thank you", grin and bear it til I can get home and give my husband an earful.

TangerineTwist, I don't have your distinguished training & dance career, but my response to other students giving me unasked for advice is pretty much the same. I take class mostly with adult students learning as adults for the first time, but a couple of ex-pros & teachers also take these classes. I actually get really irritated by fellow students trying to "help" me, but I don't mind comments or help from the teachers/pro dancers -- apart from anything else, they are often the teachers of other classes I go to!

 

To be brutally honest & tough with myself, for me it's a judgement (not necessarily a true one) of how the other dancers "measure up" in standard to me. In an advanced class, I'll be in the middle somewhere in terms of standard, but in our studio's "Improver" class I'm one of the more experienced & competent dancers ... so if a dancer in that class who I think is less competent than me tries to give me a correction unasked for, I get irritated. But I hope I hide this & smile and say "Thank you". I don't think my making judgements of other dancers is actually a very nice thing about my character, but oh well, I'm only human ...

 

On the other hand, I think those moments when we're all marking something through and sharing knowledge ("How does this bit go?") with each other in the class, are nice moments that you get with adult classes. And there's one woman I dance with who doesn't have great rechnique in some ways BUT she is a whizz at always getting the steps absolutely correctly in petit allegro. I always try to go in her group for combinations!! She has an amazing skill in just getting the steps!

[Mazenderan]

Very sorry to hear about your cat, Spinbug.

 

As regards corrections, as I'm a bit of a duffer, I'm always quite pleased to have advice from anyone.

[Serendipity]

I take a teen/adult class twice a week (and will continue to do so this next year, along with the other classes) and occasionally my fave teacher (who is also my private lesson teacher) joined us for class. One thing I noticed about her was that she NEVER corrected us (which I was afraid she'd do, actually) but simply concentrated wholly on her own technique. That's an amazing quality to have, I think, to NOT notice others. Or maybe she did but noted it for later.

 

She told me once that when she's in a class, it's the only time she's absolutely totally focused on herself and her body. Wish I had that sort of concentration!!!

[Blanche]

Corrections from other students are definitely a pet peeve of mine!

 

It happened with regularity last year with one particular adult student, who, though knoweldgeable, had very few "people skills." She seemed to target either the newer adult students or the occasional teen who took the class, and without invitation just start sort of having her own little class in the back. I was a bit miffed as I found it quite distracting and inappropriate. When she would zero in on me for the day, I said the requisite "Thank You" and got as far away from her as possible. She rarely takes classes at either studio I attend, and for right or wrong, I sigh with relief.

[onyx]

Spinbug- I'm so sorry about your cat- I have owned and loved several and each one's loss is extremely difficult.

About another student's corrections - just try to take it in stride- I got them from one paticular student as well, but she finally shut up when our teacher yelled at her for doing it!!!

Onyx

p.s. which ADC are you going to? Iam going to the last August one>