I was walking down the corridor of my studio the other day after teaching a class and this man who I know is the the father of one of my students stopped me and said, 'It's all about confidence!' I was a little taken aback as you know what it is like when you have just finished teaching one class and are rushing to start the next one, so I stopped and let him continue on, 'Watching the faces of all of these children as they pass me is an incredible experience because I see that you teach dance but what you are really teaching them is confidence!' Now this gentleman is the father of one of our very young students and he is certainly not someone who is around the studio very much to observe what is going on, so it made me stop and think because although I know, as do all dance teachers and studio owners that we certainly do instill confidence in our students, I thought it was interesting that he really caught on to the essence of what we do and why it is so important for young people.

In the dictionary the definition of confidence is: Self assurance, poise, self belief and self reliance. Each one of these is necessary to have if you are truly a confident person and what better way to develop these qualities through dance. Teachers, especially those that are new to it are not always aware of the importance of helping their students to gain strength mentally as well as physically and this is evident when the corrections become negative or the emphasis is solely put on the technique so that only the body is prepared without giving enough preparation to the brain. When really young students enter the doors of our studios they are just at the beginning stages of both physical and mental development but as we know once they start to get older there are various plateaus that they arrive at where their needs change. At each stage it is important to help them with understanding not only who they are but what makes them good or interesting as a person. Very often it is by overcoming the fear of doing something that helps to build confidence. I especially like this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, 'We gain strength and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face – We must do that which we think we cannot.'  This applies to dance in so many ways. Students of dance of any age have fear of falling, fear of hurting themselves, fear of humiliation or being laughed at and just simply fear of being inadequate in their technique or performance. On top of that they have fear of not doing well at school, fear of not being able to cope and fear of not measuring up to their peers. That's a lot of fear!! Just as confidence is contagious, so too is fear. 

When my dancers are struggling with a particular step or even style and I see that deer in headlights look in their eyes I know that it is important to step in and show them that they are capable and my method is to have them take a moment to assess what tools they have in their possession that are going to help them face that fear and overcome it so that they feel assured of themselves and are developing their self reliance and belief in themselves. Once I am able to get them to focus in on what is usually simple adjustments that they need to make technically to get the desired result, I am then able to show them that the power is in their hands. Once they feel that little bit of confidence it is easier to build upon it as they have had a taste of how it feels to be in control of themselves and most people like that feeling.  I often ask my students why they think that I am demanding of them or why I ask them to do things they are convinced that they are incapable of doing and my answer is generally the same…..'Because you can!'  Once I convince them of that and they start thinking in a positive way and the steps or combinations that they were struggling with suddenly become doable, I remind them that I only ask them to do the things that I know they can handle, they just have to believe me and more importantly, believe in themselves. Another quote from an unknown person that I am fond of is, 'It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you are.'

Although we deal on a daily basis with individual students it is really by working as part of a team that helps our students grow as people and dancers. Training with a team is always a bonding experience but especially in dance because dance is in itself very self revealing and what better way to bear your soul than to express yourself through choreography but in a controlled and positive atmosphere as part of a team. Solos are fun and sometimes great but what a terrific sense of accomplishment there is in working as part of a group but moving as one. What better way to build poise, and reliance not only on self but on others too! I have truly seen my dancers blossom and flourish after really understanding what it is to work in a group and not only has their dancing risen to new levels but they start to really feel good about themselves and their contribution to making a success. This quote by Joe Paterno really sums up the benefits of working with a group or team: When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality.' '

So thinking back to that father's comments it made me realize again what a huge responsibility we have to these young people who pass through our classes and what a lasting impression we can really have not only in their dance but who they become as people. There are less and less places for young people to be able to do something creative that is going to benefit them for a lifetime so cheers to all of you out there who contribute to these student's lives on a daily basis and who help to prepare them mentally and physically for a lifetime of successes.