Thread: Funny/strange student issues

So as not to threadjack Eshe's serious thread about having to kick out a student, let's share our crazy-making teacher moments here.

I had a student take off her shirt once and tried to take class in her bra and slacks. There were at least a dozen other women in the room, all fully clothed, where did she get the idea that was ok?

Another yoga teacher told me about a student once who started writhing and running her hands all over her body during Savasana (relaxation/guided meditation, all the students are lying down with their eyes closed at this time). When the student started circling her nipples with her fingertips, the teacher abruptly ended the class and then went to the desk (it was a YMCA) and told the front desk people NOT to let that woman back in her class.

LOL! That's horrible! Darn I just posted my crazy moments in eshe's thread. Sorry for the highjack I guess =)

Oh. My. Goodness.

Where do people COME from?????

Eewwwwww!!!!!

People who have flatuence problems and think it is ok to relieve their gas in the middle of class for a laugh (one of the drunk ones I told not to come back) seriously. What the hell are people thinking??????? Oh ya, they're not!

Side note Lauren:

Why is it OK to dance in a fancy bra but NOT OK to practice in a bra with a room full of the same sex?

Adding, I have NEVER gone to class in a bra myself, just curious!!!!!!

Onward fellow dancers, onward.

i've had students dance in bra's too, well covering ones, kind a almost more like a sportbra. i dont mind. the other students ddidnt seem to either.

(i dont like it when they're in flimsy turkish style completely see through skirts though, weird how that one does slightly offend my sensibilities and the bra doesnt).

weird things: a girl that showed up at a woman's only hafla, wearing high heels, (everyone else was bare foot) very flimsy costume, and started doing "sexy dance" quite far removed from bellydance. made everyone very uncomfortable and she was asked to take of the shoes ('for safety'), she refused, and we asked her to leave

i saw a student in a workshop once, basically wearing a hipscarf on top of her knickers. i didnt understand nobody told her off.

students showing up for their first bellydance lesson in cheap turkish airport specials, with their boobs half falling out of them

students bringing a kind of hipscarf/small piece of fabric instead of a proper sized veil to a veil class, and then COMPLAIN to me they cant do the moves/tricks properly with THEIR veil, but REFUSE to use my loaners. even look offended at the suggestion that their veil might not be suitable for what i'm trying to teach them, and instead kind of give the suggestion that i'm not explaining it well enough. neven mind that i started the class with telling them that different kind of veils lend themselves for different kind of dancing, and then there is a certain "minimum" size to be able to do certain things.

i'm sure i'll think of many more

Originally Posted by Michelle75

Side note Lauren:

Why is it OK to dance in a fancy bra but NOT OK to practice in a bra with a room full of the same sex?

Adding, I have NEVER gone to class in a bra myself, just curious!!!!!!

Onward fellow dancers, onward.

Yes... I was thinking that. I do have one student who wears a cabaret bra in class... not my choice, but I'm not that anal I'm gonna ask her to don what is the current vogue of 'sensible' class wear. She's in class to have fun and express herself and she does no one else any harm.

I was planning a VERY informal student recital. I was NOT trying to synchronize costumes, and the instruction I gave them was that they could wear the same sort of stuff they wore to class, but maybe add a bit of bling. I demanded that everyone who wanted to be in the recital had to wear their intended performance garb to class the week before.

One student showed up wearing a sheer chiffon circle skirt with NOTHING (not even underwear) under it. Needless to say, I educated her that this attire was not suitable for either class or the recital. When she showed up for the recital the following week, she was much more appropriately clad.

Originally Posted by Michelle75

Side note Lauren:

Why is it OK to dance in a fancy bra but NOT OK to practice in a bra with a room full of the same sex?

Adding, I have NEVER gone to class in a bra myself, just curious!!!!!!

Onward fellow dancers, onward.

I guess for the same reason people don't take ice skating classes in their underwear, even though many of the pro costumes show panty-like leotard bottoms.

There's a difference between underwear and outerwear. Between panties and dance trunks. Between lingerie bras and bra-like costume tops. I don't perform in lingerie.

I think it feeds stereotypes I'm trying to fight against, about this dance being related to the bedroom, to stripping, to seducing the opposite sex.

I do sometimes dance in a sports bra in class. I'm not the only one, either. However, it's more like a little top than like lingerie. I wouldn't wear just an ordinary bra in class or in any other public or semi-public place.

Originally Posted by Michelle75

Side note Lauren:

Why is it OK to dance in a fancy bra but NOT OK to practice in a bra with a room full of the same sex?

Adding, I have NEVER gone to class in a bra myself, just curious!!!!!!

Onward fellow dancers, onward.

The sports bras I've seen/worn in class are the same ones people wear in aerobics classes. They're generally considered suitable for public wear in an exercise environment, even if they're not something you'd wear out to lunch.

Like bike shorts.

I'll share my very first baby belly question that threw my teacher for a loop. I'll NEVER forget the look on her face.

We were all in our circle learning belly rolls, and I was off in michelle la la land, really focusing on what was happening inside my body, when I did my rolls.
I THOUGHT I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, but it came out loud instead; unbeknownst to me.

"I think I'm squeezing my vagina when I do a belly roll. Is that suppose to happen."

I continue belly rolling for awhile, and finally notice everyone is looking at me. I stop and see the teacher has a horrid look on her face. She tilts her head very calmly said,
"Well Michelle, I've never paid that much attention, but I think your right, your vaginal muscles do get involved".

My face turned a bazillion shades of red.

That's priceless. I had a student who used to blurt out similar comments every once in a while. Unlike you, I think her goal was to shock some of the more conservative ladies in class and to lighten the mood. Nobody complained though and some of the "quiet" ones began to "give it right back" after a while. It ended up bringing some of the ladies closer together...kinda like a bonding/hazing experience. I usually stayed out of it unless I thought someone crossed the line and then I would put a stop to it.

She's no longer taking classes and I can tell the other ladies miss the playful banter. I know that I do. ,f::

Originally Posted by Michelle75

I'll share my very first baby belly question that threw my teacher for a loop. I'll NEVER forget the look on her face.

We were all in our circle learning belly rolls, and I was off in michelle la la land, really focusing on what was happening inside my body, when I did my rolls.
I THOUGHT I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, but it came out loud instead; unbeknownst to me.

"I think I'm squeezing my vagina when I do a belly roll. Is that suppose to happen."

I continue belly rolling for awhile, and finally notice everyone is looking at me. I stop and see the teacher has a horrid look on her face. She tilts her head very calmly said,
"Well Michelle, I've never paid that much attention, but I think your right, your vaginal muscles do get involved".

My face turned a bazillion shades of red.

During troupe practice we have worn our regular bras but only when it was really hot, and we practice in each other's homes. (sports bras hurt me anyway) We don't recommend lingerie bras for classes we teach, but sports bras are sometimes worn. We try to be as professional as possible for class but just around each other, we don't really care.

I can understand the bra thing, that's something you just don't do. It's called class etiquette. The sports bra is okay but only if it looks more like a yoga top than a bra. Even if you are with a bunch of women, you don't know who will show up and look in the door to the room - maybe a cleaning man who has a fetish? ;)

Originally Posted by Michelle75

I'll share my very first baby belly question that threw my teacher for a loop. I'll NEVER forget the look on her face.

We were all in our circle learning belly rolls, and I was off in michelle la la land, really focusing on what was happening inside my body, when I did my rolls.
I THOUGHT I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, but it came out loud instead; unbeknownst to me.

"I think I'm squeezing my vagina when I do a belly roll. Is that suppose to happen."

I continue belly rolling for awhile, and finally notice everyone is looking at me. I stop and see the teacher has a horrid look on her face. She tilts her head very calmly said,
"Well Michelle, I've never paid that much attention, but I think your right, your vaginal muscles do get involved".

My face turned a bazillion shades of red.

LOL. ..l;,..l;,..l;,

Seriously, sitting here in a cubicle at work, and folks are prairie dogging to find out why I was laughing.

Raise your hand if you just did a belly roll with a funny look on your face. ,f::

On the subject of wearing bras to class...

Sports bras are DESIGNED to be worn as outer garments for jogging, yoga, etc. Because they're DESIGNED that way, I see no problem with wearing one to a belly dance class.

Lingerie bras are DESIGNED to be used as undergarments. Therefore, they should not be viewed as appropriate classroom garments (unless used for the intended purpose of underwear) or youtube performance attire.

Swimsuit bra tops are DESIGNED to be worn as outer garments. Though I'd probably steer a student against wearing one to class because most don't offer much support when doing shimmies and such.

If a troupe who is accustomed to dancing together decides to rehearse in their underwear in the privacy of someone's home, I see no problem with it if they're comfortable enough with each other to do it. I see this as being quite different from a classroom situation, because 1) If you're experienced enough to be in a troupe, you're probably experienced enough to have matured past the "seducing the Sultan" stereotype so your decision is based on comfort rather than sexual fantasy, and 2) In classes (especially those at the beginner level), students don't know each other very well yet, and those who aren't accustomed to gym locker rooms are often self-conscious about being in the presence of undressed strangers. Troupes, in contrast, are probably already accustomed to sharing a dressing room, not only with each other but also with strangers.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Raise your hand if you just did a belly roll with a funny look on your face. ,f::

I take it there was no squeezing involved..w.:

Originally Posted by jasani

I can understand the bra thing, that's something you just don't do. It's called class etiquette. The sports bra is okay but only if it looks more like a yoga top than a bra. Even if you are with a bunch of women, you don't know who will show up and look in the door to the room - maybe a cleaning man who has a fetish? ;)

ugh, that happened when I was teaching last semester....guy was taking cell phone pics through the studio door window. And then I told him off...and he got the death eye from 20 of us

I guess this is out of the question then...

Originally Posted by kharis_UK

I guess this is out of the question then...

ooooh........ is that a Sahar?????.w.:

Originally Posted by kharis_UK

I guess this is out of the question then...

OH my goodness!!! ..c::

That's what that cleaning man is thinking of anyway...no need to help him out, ladies. :P

I once had a teacher change pants in front of me. She wasn't wearing underwear of any kind, so I got to see more of her than I had wanted.

It was also the first time I had met her

I once had a student explain to her friend in the middle of class that a proper undulation is the same movement you do when your are having "good" sex.
Half of the class roared with laughter the other half looked totally bewildered.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Raise your hand if you just did a belly roll with a funny look on your face. ,f::

*raises hand*

Originally Posted by DeborahDances

*raises hand*

ditto! ..l;,

Originally Posted by kharis_UK

I guess this is out of the question then...

Hasn't Dina worn something similar?

I once had a student explain to her friend in the middle of class that a proper undulation is the same movement you do when your are having "good" sex.
Half of the class roared with laughter the other half looked totally bewildered.

Our lot once ended up having the same 50:50 split following an odd conversation about the 'appropriate grip' for twirling a cane.

Certain comparisons were made with other things that one might choose to 'grip'...