I'm a dance teacher. I'm also 17. This is amusing, helpful, fun, and annoying all at the same time. Some days I can feel the karma hit hard with the things some of my students do in class. The same things I’ve done before; and still do… 

Being a dance teacher has- is- a long learning process. Finding a balance of teaching moves, skill, while also creating good humans and teaching responsibility. Most people don't think of that when they sign up for dance classes. Yes, it's a physical sport and a fun thing to do on the weekends, but as I’m becoming more of a teacher I’m learning that the dancing part is only half of a dance teacher's job. 

One of my favorite stories to tell my students is about the time I fell ass-first on stage in front of not just my mother, but my grandparents, three teachers I invited, my girlfriend at the time, and my dance teacher, and my boss to this day. It's funny now, but at the moment, it was a mix of humiliation, disappointment, and literally a pain in the ass. Of course I would never tell my students that I felt those emotions. After all, I am on the job so I still have to be professional. but not because the emotions are wrong. Because its human emotions, and when they fall on stage like me, they WILL feel those emotions. (Also they’re 6-10 years old) You can’t avoid them, It’s How you choose to address them after the fact that I teach them. 

“When I was on stage, I was dancing, giving my all and going full out. I was dancing so hard that when I tried to do a toe slide, I slipped and fell right on my butt. But did I stop dancing right there? Did I walk off stage crying?” (They usually respond with no all together) And when I ask them what i did, they do one of two things: Wait for me to answer my own question while they listen quietly (Props for not talking while the teacher is) Or they all respond with “You kept dancing!” 

If you're ever in my dance class you will know that my energy level is like a 5th shot of espresso after 20 ounces of Red Bull. Higher than snoop dog at 4:20 on 4/20. So hyping them up is the cherry on top in my class. This story helps them not only dance harder in the classroom (because I also say that if you're going to fall better to do it in dance class) but it also prepares them for a problem they haven’t faced yet.

They are now comfortable after hearing that their own teacher, the person that they follow and try to impress also has flaws. I learned the value of this when my boss told me to my face that no one knows what the f*ck they’re doing, not even her. This helped me realize that my biggest fear of disappointing her shouldn't be a problem because as long as I work hard and give my all on that day, then that is enough. 

Our mind is our biggest cheerleader and bully at the same time. Teaching my students to silence that bully and hear the cheerleader is a goal in all of my classes. We all have bad days, and those bad days make that mind bully loud. My bully was screaming at me on that stage. What helped me most is remembering that nothing matters when I’m dancing on stage, in class, or in my room.

Dance has helped me through heartbreaks, school problems, asshole friends, amazing friends leaving. All of this was hard to deal with. Dance made it easier to deal with or take a break from it all. I want to share this love of dance and this space to leave it all at the door, and just dance.