Mission Statement

My personal belief is that anyone who wants to be a dancer can be a dancer as long as they are willing to put the work in, and it is important for a teacher to make that clear to all students. It might be obvious that it is the teacher’s job to present information about proper technique to students. However, I believe that a teacher is responsible for so much more than that. They should not be a person who just comes into class, teaches “steps,” and then leaves. A good teacher will make their students want to come to class and push themselves to learn new things. Most importantly, a good teacher will teach their students to become their own teacher, meaning that the students can continue to learn on their own outside of class time.

I often teach exercises that can be difficult even for advanced dancers, yet still beneficial for beginners to learn. I never expect my students to master something on the first try. Instead, I expect them to take the exercise and add it to their “tool box” if they want to practice on their own time. I always make that clear when I am teaching so that my students get eager to go home and practice, rather than get frustrated and want to give up. Like I said before, my goal is to teach my students how to become their own teacher. So, when giving out difficult exercises, I make sure to tell my students what I like about what they did, and tips on how to make it better. I also add tips on how to make it more challenging when they find they are ready to move on.

Being a tap dancer, I always like to focus on rhythm, though this is something I highlight when teaching any style. Changing up the rhythms is what keeps movement interesting and there are endless possibilities to play around with. So, I am always sure to provide my students with counts and emphasize where certain accents should go. To me, this is a big part of creativity and an important part of being an artist.

I always like to emphasize the fact that you should be your own dancer. You don’t always have to dance a certain way. Instead, you should find who you are, and how you like to move. So, when I teach combinations, I like to provide my students with a basic outline and then give them opportunities to make their own choices. I think it is important to start this at a young age because this allows them to start shaping themselves into creative artists right away.