Sunday, April 20, 2014

Ballet Etiquette and teaching Conundrums

So, I was recently chastised in class by one of the other students. Now, granted, this person is apparently also a ballet teacher. But in this class she was a student. Not an assistant or a student teacher. A student. Because that is what you are when you are taking a class taught by someone else. Regardless of your own position, you are now equal to every other person at the barre. Okay. Obviously I am experiencing some major feels about this.
So, anyway. It was a minor etiquette correction, but one that I had never encountered in almost three years at this studio. In honest fact the correction is sensible and good to know, and I will try to abide by it in the future. If my ACTUAL teacher had said it I would have just taken it the way it was intended, I'm sure. I mean, etiquette stuff... especially ballet etiquette... it can be kind of counter-intuitive and in any case it is obscure and weird and you have no way of knowing it until you are told.
Maybe it is my own experience as a student teacher in college, or maybe it is just my intense social anxiety and shyness. But it just didn't seem like it was her place to correct me on anything while attending a class taught by someone else. Like... isn't it kind of rude to the actual teacher?
GRUMP GRUMP GRUMP.
What say you, ballet friends? Has this ever happened to you? Did it make you mad? MEAN MAD. Or did you duck-back it off like it was no problem? Is it totally awkward and weird or am I just overreacting because I am emotionally over-sensitive and probably also a little bit crazy? The jury is out.

8 comments:

  1. Hmm... A bit rude manuver, IMHO. But now I'm left wondering what the etiquet-thing was! 'cos its probably something I don't know either. Until I'm told ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I unintentionally broke formation as part of a group moving across the floor. I think we were doing saute arabesques? I have a longer stride than the other girls I was dancing with so I sort of got ahead of them. It wasn't choreography, just straight technique across the floor, so I didn't realize it was a big deal. Especially since it happens All The Time. *shrug*

      Delete
    2. Ok, as I thought, totally new news to me too! :D

      Delete
  2. I feel your view is right. Even if she is a teacher, and she's trying to keep your best interest in mind. You are in a level playing field, it's not for her to say. If you were in her classroom yes, or if you had asked for her advice.
    Sometimes though I know people aren't even aware, like you said, so if no one else is pointing it out to them and even the Teacher continues to neglect it I have in cases helped my fellow students. ONLY because they trusted me and I have known them for a long time. Sometimes though when I do this I feel I'm stuck in limbo between helping someone and over stepping my bounds. Usually though the girls that I help are appreciative and come to me frequently for advice and help. Usually though it was I who engaged them in correction first with out them asking- which again isn't my place. My Mentor though saw potential in me through these actions and she's not discouraged by the advice I give. She hopes I'll continue on her technique/training as she passes it to me. I am recently more conservative about the advice I give as a parent recently complained while all of us "girls" including myself were complaining about technique in a large group and said I had no place chastising a fellow student- even though we were all bemoaning our poor technique.

    I think usually it is meant in the best interest of the receiver. I can also see how it comes off offensive or even is. I think the best thing is to value it, if the person is correcting you as something as simply you didn't point your foot all the way- they really should be focusing on themselves. If it's something that helps correct overall placement and the possibility of enabling you to do better as well do it safely. It is a kind token. If they continued to correct me in a class outside their own, then I'd be like "hey! Your corrections are great, I'm sure you have a wonderful class, are they open for me to take? Otherwise I'd like to please focus on the corrections and instructions I receive from the teacher in this class, thanks!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good points. For the record I had never seen this woman before.
      When I was in college I got my job as a student teacher by helping out the other people in my classes. I am pretty doubtful that I just seized the day and offered that advice on my own, though?
      I don't know, I'm still just kind of grumpy about it. Mostly because it was embarrassing. I really hate being embarrassed in front of people.

      Delete
  3. Was it a "you're doing it wrong, you suck at this, get out of my way" or was it more of a "if you do it this way, you'll get more height" sort of thing? I can see a teacher having trouble turning it off, but I also think I would lose focus on my own dancing if I constantly was obsessing over the mistakes or differences of others.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There wasn't much personalization to the comment. First she yelled it at me "SUCH-AND-SUCH!" and then when we were across the floor she stopped me, held up a hand gesture in case I was too stupid to understand it orally, and said "you have to do such-and-such" and then she turned away.
      It was all very strange.

      Delete
    2. I would say it's a larger breach of etiquette to correct a classmate if you're not the teacher for that class. If she had offered it as a helpful suggestion, ie "Just say you know, it's traditional to do it this way..." that would be one thing, but the way she did it just sounds rude. Unless it was an issue of safety, but it doesn't seem like it was.

      Delete