The Comeback Dancers: Returning After A Break

I’ll have student returning to dance after a “break,” typically they’re a bit older and very intimidated.  I didn’t have the break in dance as stated from a previous blog post, but I try and nurture the “comeback” children into believing that they’ll be behind for just a brief stint of time and they’ll be caught up before they know it.

For these children, I typically recommend a private lesson or two in order to shorten the “catch up” period- this way the teacher is able to hone in on particular areas the student is behind in and regain the muscle memory of ballet moves they were once able to do a few years ago.

I once had a student that came into a Ballet 2 class (at another studio I taught at) and after a few classes, I told her mother that her daughter was just not ready for the class- she needed to move down to Ballet 1.  Her mother stood firm, stating that she had taken ballet when she was itty bitty and desperately wanted to come back and would be mortified not being with her peers- it would “ruin dance for her.”  I reached a compromise with the dancer’s mom and said she could stay in the class in she had a 30 minute private lesson before each class.  She only needed two.  I was stunned- suspecting she would need a lot more and was surprised by her rapid improvement.  The following year, she was accepted into the school’s pre-professional program.  

 

These situations tend to keep me up at night being a teacher, I was ready to write the dancer off and move her into a lower level class instead of suggesting a private lesson right away.  I was happy her mother stood up for her and realized that ultimately, I needed to be the one who believed in her more than the dancer believed in herself.      

I’ve also learned that the comeback dancers are particularly delicate and need careful consideration in choosing their instructor.  I do appreciate how Ballet Petite provides teachers of different demeanors and we all stick to the same curriculum.  I think it’s important for the parent to voice exactly what type of instructor their child needs in order to flourish: a strict teacher, a vibrant “fun” teacher, etc., so our staff can help choose the right fit for the comeback dancer.

For adult students returning after a long break, I always recommend starting at a beginner’s class.  For some reason, many are reluctant to do so, remembering their time dancing from ten years ago when they were able to do “such and such” and “triple pirouettes.”  I tell them, “even professionals have to go back to the basics sometimes.”  I assure them that they’ll catch up, but they need to give themselves time to allow their body to catch up with their brain and that a beginner’s class will never be a waste of time, but a class too advanced for them will be. 

I’m constantly surprised by my students and try to keep in mind that the comeback dancer specifically is in class because they want to be.  They were not just trying it anymore, they are returning with a purpose.  Something in them called them back and that deserves my ultimate attention and belief in them as dancers.   

~Miss Jenna

"You have nothing to dance about until you are over the age of 30." — Bert Balladine