Negative Feedback

[Guest alliecat93]

I was talking with my friend who goes to another studio and she was telling me how her teacher told her whole class that they were "icky, just icky!". I couldn't believe a teacher would say that. Then she went on to tell me that last year her teacher told their class they were all bad dancers. I have seen her class and they are definetly not bad dancers, I mean they're not like pro level, but they're pretty good. Also, I'm sure she was not making this up. My question is, is this professional or acceptable behavior in the ballet world? Would you ever talk to your students this way? I was just wondering because this seems odd to me. I look forward to your replies!

[Victoria Leigh]

No, I would not tell the class that they were "icky" or anything else negative. I might, however, say that what they just did was not quite acceptable ;) There is a difference between "they are" (something negative) and "that was" (something negative). I will usually use something like "underwhelming", or definitely not your finest moment. But you don't tell the student that she or he is bad. The only time I ever get impatient with a class or a student is when there is laziness involved. And I tell them that up front. I have ZERO patience with lazy. As long as they are trying their best, then I will have patience with them.

[Mel Johnson]

Well, life can't all be a bed of roses!;) Some teachers are famous (or infamous) for their putdowns of their students, but I will say having studied with some of them, that the ones who have the worst things to say to their classes have success because they balance things with compliments. Some teachers gauge the general personality of a class, and use appropriate stimuli to get what they want. And some teachers only remember the rotten things that their teachers used to say to them, then pass them on, sort of like the Abused Child Syndrome.

 

In general, though, most teachers keep a moderate tongue in their heads, and teach using ways to register disapproval in non-threatening ways. You get better results that way!