11th Grade

For Hispanic Heritage Month, we created an infographic about the topic of our choice. I decided to discuss dance in Latin America, and how it is influenced by the culture of South America.

1. As a dance teacher, how do you prepare your students for the professional world of dance? In many ways. Starting from a very young age, students are taught the discipline of dance by wearing the proper uniform, wearing hair correctly, learning the basic steps in ballet, which are the building blocks of a professional career. They are also the building blocks of life - learning to arrive on time, being respectful of teachers, classmates and oneself. As students grow older, their lessons are more advanced, and we add in learning how to audition and present oneself onstage.

2. As a teen, did you ever feel pressured in your classes and performances? There was always pressure. Particularly in the way a dancer would appear. The norm at the time was for dancers to be extremely skinny, and that is where I felt the most pressure. I LOVED (actually lived for) my classes and rehearsals and enjoyed most teachers/choreographers. But I put pressure on myself to be perfect. How did you overcome these trials? Some of them were difficult to overcome and I would say that I am still working towards them. But other trials became easier as I became older and more mature and had a better understanding of life and the perspective that comes with age.

3. Why did you choose to become a teacher? It was the logical next step. I had been told in college that I should pursue teaching. I was not only a performer but I was a technician. I didn’t actually set out to be a teacher, but it was the thing I could do to pay the bills while performing. Good thing I stuck with it because I think I am okay at it! Did your own teacher(s) influence you to follow in their footsteps? Yes. I was influenced by several teachers - Kathleen Everett, Meli Kaye, Lisa Fusillo, Fernando Schaffenburg all greatly influenced me to teach

4. How does your teaching style differ from your past teachers’ style? At first a teacher teaches like their teachers. Then they develop their own style, based on those teachers. Mine is definitely a combination of the above teacher’s influences.

5. How do you feel dance influences your mental health? (Positive, Negative, or Both?) Dance has influenced me both positively and negatively over the 51 years I have danced. However, over time you learn to take the good with the bad and resist the more negative aspects of the art form.

6. Was there ever a time in your life where you wanted to quit dance, either as a teacher or student? If so, why didn’t you? Of course! Because I am human. But I am not a quitter - so I didn’t!!

7. Do you believe dance can positively affect careers outside of the dance world? Absolutely. And there is empirical data to prove that. And in my own life I have seen it and have been told it by so many former students. One of the most telling pieces of data is how many doctors, lawyers, scientists, are former dancers. The building blocks to those careers many times begin in the discipline of dance

8. When hosting auditions (or even choreographing a dance), do you take a dancer’s confidence into consideration? I do yes. I would assume others do as well. A dancer who struggles with confidence can struggle in elevated classes or in perfecting choreography. However I try to work with dancers who have this issue to help them overcome. How does this impact your decision of where to place them? It depends on where their confidence level is.

9. How do you believe dance impacts your self-image? It does affect my self image. As I mentioned above, I lived through the period of time that dancers were expected to be a skeleton. Luckily the aesthetic has changed over time and dancers now are expected to be and look athletic - a much healthy way to be.Have you ever had issues with self-confidence and/or body positivity? Yes, and there is a physical backlash from trying to be so thin, even in my older age

10. If you had a time machine and you could go back to any part of your life, what would you say to your past-self? Stop worrying - everything really is going to be okay. What age would you visit? I can think of several ages that I would like to return to, but only if I could return with the knowledge I have now. I would not want to go back to any age and just repeat the past!

For Mentorship, we had a project where we had to choose something we're passionate about and then create a presentation on it. I chose dance, specifically ballet, and how it affects mental health. The first main part of this project was interviewing someone that works within the area you're studying. I was able to interview a couple of my ballet teachers so that I could get a variety of answers.

We then composed a final speech that discussed information on the area of study. You can read this speech below:

What sport were you put into as a child? Was it baseball? How about swimming? Well, mine was soccer, and I absolutely sucked at it. I’m not sure I ever made a goal. In fact, most of the time I spent on the field was picking flowers and making wishes with dandelions. After years of wasting saturday afternoons, my mother decided to switch me into another sport- dance.

I started off in ‘beginning ballet’, and I’ve been dancing ever since. Last month, I was accepted into the highest level of company at my dance school, but that also brought a lot of pressure, before and after auditions. Ballet, and any type of dance, is tricky. While you are in the audience, watching a sugar plum fairy bouree her way across the stage, I’m on the stage, praying for my toe’s recovery. However, dance doesn’t just induce physical pain, it also causes mental scarring. Perfectionism within the dance world has been linked to depression, anxiety, anorexia, bulimia, and suicide. According to a study conducted by the Norweigan School of Sport Sciences, “International studies reveal high prevalence of eating disorders (ED) and mental health issues amongst professional dancers, and the Norwegian National Ballet's house previously reported a lifetime prevalence of ED by 50% amongst female ballet dancers.” The sad fact is that most of my own classmates will struggle with eating disorders, as well as forms of depression, OCD, and anxiety, for their entire life.

According to Decatur School of Ballet’s President and Owner, Leslie Gourley, her childhood was filled with harsh teachers and bad mental health. Gourley states, “There was always pressure. Particularly in the way a dancer would appear. The norm at the time was for dancers to be extremely skinny, and that is where I felt the most pressure.” However, she continues to advocate for the positive side of the dance industry stating that, “Starting from a very young age, students are taught the discipline of dance by wearing the proper uniform, wearing hair correctly, learning the basic steps in ballet, which are the building blocks of a professional career. They are also the building blocks of life - learning to arrive on time, being respectful of teachers, classmates and oneself. As students grow older, their lessons are more advanced, and we add in learning how to audition and present oneself onstage.”

Although you must be proactive when going into any sport, the risks of going into an artform, such as ballet or the musical arts, can become overwhelming and even deadly. The extreme pressure most dancers face may lead to eating disorders, mental disorders, and lifetime injuries. However, if you can find a way to balance your life, with a therapist - both for mental and physical health - you can make it far in the dance world while also learning some valuable life lessons along the way.

(We haven't done much in this class besides small assignments, but I will upload a video of my final on Tuesday!!)