Comments on fever: on three

That IS a great lesson. FYI, I went/was forced to...

2011-12-12T21:07:20.498-05:00

That IS a great lesson.
FYI, I went/was forced to go to Little's Dance Studio right on Perry Square. ;)

I just took ballet when I was 7 to about 12. I do...

2011-12-01T22:19:19.351-05:00

I just took ballet when I was 7 to about 12. I don't remember my weight being an issue with dance. My teacher was scary, because she yelled if I didn't do it right. But then I would always get a hug afterwards. I'll never forget that. We finally figured out I would never dance in toe shoes because one leg was longer than the other and I would always be off-balance. So I started taking piano lessons....

Great post!

Great lesson, even if she did add to the list of f...

2011-12-01T11:57:02.695-05:00

Great lesson, even if she did add to the list of future issues.

I like the moral - morale (hmmn, a typo and NOW I ...

2011-12-01T10:35:49.848-05:00

I like the moral - morale (hmmn, a typo and NOW I get it) to the story, but the whole stature and boobs/feet? Not cool. You didn't deserve to be talked to that way. I hate that adults think they CAN talk that way to kids, ya know? As someone with big boobs and big feet, I never took dance, but I hope my daughter someday will and nobody will deter her!

Sadly, I knew exactly who your dance instructors w...

2011-11-30T14:39:52.687-05:00

Sadly, I knew exactly who your dance instructors were as soon as you mentioned the issue. I took one class at age 8 - for fun. I was tall and awkward and gawky, but still criticized nonetheless. It's almost like being permanently scarred by them to some degree is a right of passage for girls in that area.

Well at least she had some good advice there!! Hug...

2011-11-30T10:25:44.461-05:00

Well at least she had some good advice there!!
Hugs
SueAnn

That took an interesting turn! I love it-- and I&#...

2011-11-29T22:27:17.387-05:00

That took an interesting turn! I love it-- and I've been offline for a long time, and have missed your voice. This was a lovely post--provocative and insightful. Thanks!

Very well said! I always wanted to take ballet as...

2011-11-29T18:52:38.357-05:00

Very well said! I always wanted to take ballet as a girl, when all of my friends were, but I studied piano and clarinet. Not sure if it would have helped my gracefulness (which needs help) but it was yet another way I was different. Sorry to hear you have body issues, but I sure do, no ballet to blame!!

Love it, so needed this.

2011-11-29T17:57:17.985-05:00

Love it, so needed this.

Teachers (me included) forget that all our words a...

2011-11-29T14:24:16.121-05:00

Teachers (me included) forget that all our words are heard and we need to choose them carefully.

I think teachers make a huge mistake when they try to teach non-failure, failing is a part of life, they are mistakes and we learn from them and we make them all the time, teaching our young to handle mistakes and failure is more important to me then teaching not to fail. I mean, I think we strive to not fail but it is more important to teach that it happens, it is not the end of the world, learn from it, pick yourself up and move forward. Hell, I am still making mistakes at the age of 46 and I suspect I will continue but I hope I learn from my errors and go on!!

That's some pretty amazing advice. I need to r...

2011-11-29T14:10:37.781-05:00

That's some pretty amazing advice. I need to remember it.

Also? The first teacher you linked to? Her statement of belief is quite interesting in regards to this post. Her words most certainly did have an impact for a lifetime :/

On the flip side of that, maybe, getting up in fro...

2011-11-29T12:51:21.561-05:00

On the flip side of that, maybe, getting up in front of an audience doing stand-up comes from that inner ballet-tap-jazz student who found something better or more suited to her talents.

Listen to your timing. Watch your steps b/c only your steps are the ones that matter for you!

Maybe the scary teacher knew sometin' after all.

;-) How was Vegas?

I took jazz, ballet, and tap as well for about 7 y...

2011-11-29T12:01:24.069-05:00

I took jazz, ballet, and tap as well for about 7 years. Those were some of my favorite and worst memories of a girl growing up. Yep..the teacher- specifically the ballet teacher gave me a weight complex. It was strange...I felt confident about my body..until she would say something. ALl I know..is this makes me not let my little girl take dance lessons..( when I eventually or if I have a girl)
I guess now that we are older..we can take some of the lessons our dance teachers taught us..without the body image stuff..but it is hard. The body issues really took control of what I remember as a teen. But there were some great lessons..like do not give up..keep practicing..and do not have a negative attitude..and good posture as well.