Discipline is inherent in dance training and can sometimes be difficult to instill, especially with young dancers. Very often there is resistance in one form or another by students who perhaps do not receive much, if any, discipline in their homes. It is common today for parents to shy away from giving their children any form of discipline for a variety of reasons. As a result, it is very important for discipline in classes to be presented in a palatable form without alienating the students.
With very young students it is important to establish from the beginning exactly who is in charge. This can be done in a very pleasant way by letting the students, even at the age of three, understand what type of behavior you are expecting from them and by rewarding good behavior. As we know children need and want boundaries and very often feel confused when they receive vague or indecisive messages from their teacher. Keeping classes upbeat and having a kind but firm tone in your voice will help them to understand that when they are in your class they need to pay attention and listen and that all will go terrifically!
Giving dancers definite places in classes is always helpful and those positions can be rotated whenever you feel it is a good time to do so, but if the dancers know where they are expected to sit or stand in their classes it gives them a sense of confidence which can then be built into self-esteem and self-discipline. With the very little dancers, giving them a reward for good behavior could be an extra sticker or a little prize that sets them apart from the other dancers. You might be surprised by how quickly the other dancers start to get the idea that it is worth being a little disciplined.
As the dancers grow into pre-teens, this presents a whole new set of problems with discipline. Raising your voice, I have found, is only effective if you have exhausted ever other resource that you can come up with to get the desired result. However, if used sparingly, it can work as your students will not be used to that tone in your voice and will understand that something definitely needs to be fixed with their behavior. In my experience, pre-teens are generally very emotional due to all the changes taking place in their bodies and very often have perception issues. Sometimes you will find that one of your students will have taken a correction or just a general comment given in class the wrong way and run home to their parents in a flood of tears, certain that they are being targeted in a negative way. When a parent calls me to discuss these types of issues I will always explain to them what really took place in the classroom and suggest that they come in with their child just so that we can all get a clearer picture of how to move forward. At times the parent does not want to do this as the child’s feelings can change from day to day and that is okay, too.
When a child is obviously feeling very insecure I will always try to build them up in one way or another in class in front of their peers. It might be something as small as commenting on how well groomed they come to class or how they have improved the use of their feet or ports de bras, just something to make them smile and feel good about themselves. I am a firm believer that you get further with kindness than by being a tyrant, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot present yourself with authority to your students. On the whole, our students want our approval desperately and by understanding that, it really does make it easier to find ways to instill discipline and more importantly self-discipline in our students.
Teenagers are probably the most complex students to try to discipline. It really does help if you have trained teenagers for a number of years because then they usually understand what is expected of them. Having said that, teens still often become rebellious against any type of discipline, just because they are of that age. At the beginning of the year I like to do two things, first of all let them know clearly what my expectations are for them for the year and secondly, have them write down not only what their expectations are, but also to see how much our joint expectations run in a parallel line. Where this really helps is when halfway through the year they start to get away from the planned track and become difficult in class or obnoxious in their behavior—I can sit down calmly with them and go over those joint expectations and they can see for themselves what needs to be fixed. By treating them on a slightly more adult level they usually respond more positively.
Another approach I use to re-focus my teen dancers when I find that their behavior in class is not what it needs to be, is to ask them all to leave the classroom, get themselves in a line and then enter the room again running like dancers to their places. This is a very simple technique, but one that I have found really works to make them take a moment to stop and think about what they are supposed to be doing.
Sometimes it is necessary to take a definite stand on a particular issue and not back down. This is not always easy or popular, but as I tell my students in these situations, I am not there to win a popularity contest. I am there to help them grow as dancers and people and they may not love me in the moment, but hopefully will in the long run. At least that makes them laugh and then they are automatically more receptive to what I am trying to get across to them.
Finally, humor is really the most important tool that you can use with students between the ages of 3 and 18. I know that we all have days when either we want to walk out of the studio and tell them all to go home or when the students simply try our patience beyond endurance. Introducing a touch of humor will not only make it easier to communicate with the students, it will also bring your blood pressure way down and give you time to let your brain function with more clarity and less emotion.
Few of our students will ever become professional dancers, but the life skills of becoming a responsible, disciplined person will definitely help them wherever they choose to go with their lives.
