The Power of Believing

"Three weeks ago, my daughter couldn't jump," said one of my baby dance parents, thrilled that her child had acquired this new skill.  This dancer was only 20 months old. Of course, the other child in the class was running in circles, whooping with excitement and another left early due to uncontrollable sobbing.


My baby dance class is interesting since this is the dancer's first classroom experience and it's difficult for parents not to compare their young dancers to the others.  I hear every comparison from, "She has way more hair than my kid" to "Your child is younger than mine, but so much better."  Parents also get very embarrassed by their unfocused toddler and I try and assure them that their toddler's reaction is perfectly normal.  I also tell them that my parents used to say that I fooled them into thinking they were good parents- then my sister came along and proved them wrong.

I've mentioned this dancer once before in a previous blog post, but I'll go more into detail now.  It was a Ballet 2 class for 6 year olds at a different studio I worked at.  Even though this student had taken ballet for a couple of years, I did not feel as though she as ready for Ballet 2.  The class moved much faster, the other little dancers already knew basic terminology, and was picking up on choreography.  I had to stop the class frequently for this particular student, she would stick her tushy out for her pliés, could hardly focus long enough for one exercise and would arrive sobbing for most classes.  When I heard the student say to her mother, "this class is too hard!"  I decided to have a conversation, stating that I think she should take Ballet 1 again.

"But she took Ballet 1 last year," the mother argued.

"I know, however-"

"No, she's staying in this class."

This conversation continued several more times, until finally, the school stepped in and told the parent that her child needed to move down to Ballet 1.

The mother was furious.  I understood.  She was protecting her dancer and didn't want to experience to effect the person she may become.  I decided to offer private lessons to her daughter before classes.

"30 minute private lessons before every class for as long as I felt she needed it," I said.  Her mother agreed.

Only three weeks passed when I told her mother she was caught up and would be fine without the private lessons anymore.  Only THREE WEEKS.  The dancer blossomed and surprised me.

I can't say that she blossomed because of the private lessons (but of course, they helped.  It allowed me to play with my vocabulary and find what "clicked" for her,) but I do feel like she understood that her mother believed in her (thinking that she was signed up for private lessons because she was exceptional.)  For the mother, there was no giving up.  Her mother believed in her daughter, and therefore, her daughter blossomed.  Then I believed in her (admittedly when I should have all along.)

The following year, this dancer auditioned for our Pre-Professional Program and was accepted.     

I try to keep this in mind with every dancer I have now.  Not "writing off" any individual- no matter how rambunctious, how "behind," anything she may seem from the rest of her class, because honestly, I should be the one who believes in them unconditionally.  As an instructor, it is my privilege to believe in the dancer of each and every one of my students and watching them thrive.

I told this story to my Baby Dance parents today and they all left with smiles on their faces and holding the hands of their waddling toddlers with their heads held high.  

~ Miss Jenna

"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe