The Next Generation

During my final year of ballet training at The School of American Ballet, I was privileged enough to assist the children's younger devisions. I got to help the teacher correct the children as well as teach them how to do new steps. I have never learned so much about patience and understanding than I did during that year.

At first, it was hard for me to move on from a student if they weren't doing a step correctly. I would keep trying to make them do it until they got it right. Most of the time the kids would learn a new ballet position and by the next class they would completely forget it. However, I realized that it takes time to get things right, especially when you're only six years old. I think the reason why I got so frustrated was because I knew that these students were the next generation that will be dancing in The New York City Ballet. I felt obligated to make sure that these dancers execute the specific technique correctly. After learning to be patient with the young dancers, I feel proud to see so many of them graduate through the levels onto higher divisions. 

Having the experience of teaching and dancing with The New York City Ballet and The School of American Ballet, other small dance schools now ask me to guest teach during the summer. I am always so happy to guest teach during my layoff because it is a great way for me to stay in shape without over exerting myself. When I teach, I don't have to do a full class myself, but I still get to move around and show certain steps. Teaching has also taught me things about my dancing that I didn't know before. I am much more aware of my bad habits because I see them in other dancers when I teach. Correcting another dancer that has a bad habit that I also have helps me visualize how to also fix it. It is easy to spot things that are wrong on other people, but now I apply the corrections I give to other dancers to my own dancing. It is fulfilling to teach and learn at the same time.