Thread: What Do You Require Of Your Students For a Show?

I'm having a little issue with a student of mine right now. We have a showcase coming up, where three of them are doing short solos. I made it as clear as I could that I need to see what each of them is working on for her solo. Two of them have made the time to show me. The third disappeared from class for a few weeks in a row, and now, the show is happening in a few days, and we still haven't met so that she can show me her solo. I understand that there is a lot happening in her life at the moment, and I don't expect anyone to drop everything for what amounts, for most, to a hobby. But I feel that I can't put someone on stage without seeing their bit first. I told her that the very last day I can meet with her is 3 days before the show, but that I still feel that that cuts it close. I don't want her to not be in the show - she's a great student, she's enthusiastic and she works very hard. I'm very proud of her, and want her to get up there and strut her stuff.

But as I said to her, I have to do this for my teachers; I can't just assure them that I'm working hard, and show up the day of the performance. I need to be present to whatever extent I can be. I gently offered the possibility that maybe now is not a good time for her to be trying to perform a solo, and we can easily do it in another show, but she feels that this is unfair to her. From my perspective, it's unfair to the others to expect them to fulfill a requirement, and then let someone else off the hook for it. Am I being too much of a hard-ass?

Edited to add: I'm pretty new to this; I've been teaching for 3 years, and this is the second time I'm doing a show with my regular students. It's the first time they're doing solos with me.

I don't think it's an unfair request to at least see what your student is performing. Coaching is always a good thing, particularly if you yourself are the more experienced performer. There are always so many things to consider when performing, not just the dance technique and content side of it. There is hair, costume, make up etc. How stage aware is she? Is this on stage or off stage? What lighting? Will lighting complement her costuming, etc. It goes on and on. There must be communication in events like this...always. And there should be one rule for all. Period.

Be a hard ass. Just like with kids - you have to set expectations and boundaries. And look at it the "Dr Phil" way: letting her off the hook doesn't 'help' her, it just makes you feel better b/c you can avoid the conflict/drama.

One thing I've found with students/coworkers/ staff over the years is this: if you just state something and then have the demeanor that "yup, there it is, no more discussion"...people don't push it.

Example: Fire extinguisher training.
Me: time to go to training.
Other person: Oh , I'm busy, can I blow it off?
Me: Nice try.
Other: Well, I need to finish this, can I show up in 30 min?
Me: (smile, snort). Nope, let's go. Company requirement.
Other: (grumble, grumble, get's up and goes)

What I mean is that if both the verbal & nonverbal cues are - "this is the way it is, no option at all", we accept it. For a teacher - it's like a miracle...no arguing!

And I agree with you that letting her off the hook is unfair - you'll lose her respect AND that of the other dancers, which is a really uncomfortable place for you to be.

Stick to your guns. As you said, you are already cutting it way close trying to meet with her a mere 3 days before the show. If there is something that really needs improvement, she already will have virtually no time to incorporate suggestions you make, much less make major changes or improvements.

It is your show; you are in control. If you let one person slack, the floodgates open and your problems will multiply the next time. You will have more people pushing your lines and more grey areas to deal with.

So, if she doesn't meet with you, cut her from the show. And tell her next time she has to meet with you at least twice, starting at least two weeks before the show (or whatever time frame you think is best). It will set the proper precedent.

You might also consider setting rules with regard to missing classes and performing. If someone misses class for several weeks in a row and then shows up a few days before a show, should they really be allowed to be in the show at all?

I agree. I think you've done a great job -- you've been clear, you've been more than fair, you've made allowances.

I agree with you, 3 days IS cutting it close, especially if you were to discover that despite her best intentions, she's making some aggregious errors (her choreo is to the Call for Prayer, she's doing Betty Boop Melaya to a deeply sad Om Kalthoum song, etc). No, it's not terribly likely, but it could happen, and there wouldn't be time to fix it.

You've set your boundary. 3 days before the show or her solo isn't in it. Just like in good parenting, you have to be follow through on what you've said if you want ANY of your students to respect and honor your requests in the future.

You don't have to be mean. You can be very sympathetic. 'I'm sorry it didn't work out this time, I know you were terribly busy. There'll be another show and you've got a good head start on your solo now. I'm looking forward to seeing it when the time comes!'

I have trouble doing the 'tough love' bit, but it helps to remember that my students don't WANT to go onstage and make fools of themselves, and they depend on me to help them set the standard and achieve their very best.

Are non-teachers allowed to post in here?

As a student, I agree - keep to your rule. This makes it as fair as possible and keeps the grumbling down.

There can be exceptions made to a rule, but in this scenario I think an exception would be a student who has performed with/for you before, enough that you feel confident in their ability to perform/choose wisely in music/costume/etc (or they have recently performed the same number which you have seen).

This does not sound like the case, so no bending for her!

The students who followed your rules will resent you for letting this third woman off the hook. You need to stick to your guns.
Besides, what if she shows up and leaves her good taste at home? I have had that happen and it is NOT pretty. This is YOUR show and YOUR name.

Originally Posted by yaalini

There can be exceptions made to a rule, but in this scenario I think an exception would be a student who has performed with/for you before, enough that you feel confident in their ability to perform/choose wisely in music/costume/etc (or they have recently performed the same number which you have seen).

Yeah, I was thinking of that too. If you've never seen her solo before, its a good idea. I've done the "tape my solo and post it for teacher and classmates to see method" when we just ran out of time in class.

Originally Posted by yaalini

Are non-teachers allowed to post in here?

As a student, I agree - keep to your rule. This makes it as fair as possible and keeps the grumbling down.

There can be exceptions made to a rule, but in this scenario I think an exception would be a student who has performed with/for you before, enough that you feel confident in their ability to perform/choose wisely in music/costume/etc (or they have recently performed the same number which you have seen).

This does not sound like the case, so no bending for her!

I think students opinions here are most valid. As a student, you give the perspective of how you'd feel if a fellow student swung the lead. Parameters regarding this matter make people feel secure and safe and enables them to have the confidence not to feel 'put on' or voiceless.

Not only should you stick to your guns, but when she does show it to you, she needs to know that if it is not ready, not good, or inappropriate you will cut her from the show. It's not fair to your other soloists who have done what they needed to.

In our entire group, only the instructors are exempt from previews our solos. However, we always do allow the director to preview it out of respect for her AND to get feedback.

If she flounces off, don't give in. Remind her that she had X number of weeks to do this and she choose not to get everything in order. If she maintains her life is too busy, then she doesn't need to be doing a solo.

I'm not a teacher but speaking as a student, I would expect her to follow the same rules as everyone else. If I am abiding by the rules and someone else doesn't, then where is the motivation for me to comply the next time.

Even if I have danced with my teacher before, I would still expect that I would need to preview my solo with her unless it is the exact same solo, same music and same costume.

I agree about sticking to rules.
I would say it depends on the nature of the show..is it for the BD ommunity, the GP?
Is it a relaxed informal more like a hafla or a theatre showcase of the best you have on offer.Let 's face it here in the UK all sorts turn up to haflas.
But I think you do have to consider the needs of your students as well
How good a student has she been? How devastating will it be to her to be denied the opportunity?
You need to talk with her about her situation and how this has affected her preparation and yes I think you have been very accomodating so far but make it plain you sympathise and if she is not well prepared enough, you can assure her that she will have other chances.

Yeah what everybody else says!!
You MUST follow through with your rules!
Before I had rules I had a student who on a few occasions did not show up for rehearsal before a show. Although those were group choreographies, still it is not fair that the others could make it and took the time and she didn't and I still let her perform. I realized how stressful this was for the other students and how completely unfair. Why was I being loyal to the one that did not respect rehearsals? I finally talked to her about it and her response was that she didn't see how missing rehearsal effects anyone. Well, I realized then that I had to let her go and would not allow her back into the troupe (which the other students thanked me for doing). I was not hard-ass enough in the beginning, but now I have learned and set rules that I put in writing and make them sign and agree to and follow very strictly. Remember you are in a leadership position and you have to have the same rules and consequences for everyone, or you will not have any respect from your students.

She's too busy to show you her routine? Her routine can't be longer than 5 min, can it? Can't she show up before class or stay a little after to show you? If she's so busy that she can't meet with you for about hour or less, what makes you think she has been practicing enough to be good enough to perform in a show?

As a student and having had unfair bosses, I'd be upset with you if you let her perform and wonder why she was so special that the rules didn't apply to her.

You're also really opening yourself up to people trying to undermine your leadership. If you're willing to make an exception for this girl, other people are going to try that (and more). I'd save yourself the headache and just tell her no.

Ha! We just had a very similar discussion less than an hour ago after rehearsal. Our instructor was afraid she was being a hard-ass about a few people not being ready for an upcoming show. She was lamenting after the rehearsal to a couple of us and we told her she needed to stick to her guns and be a hard-ass if necessary. One person said "your not our friend, you're our instructor and if you have to act like one, we need that and expect. And we'll still respect you" And yes, she really is our friend too but we know when we need to draw that line between friendship and teaching.

My teacher has a similar rule and I think it's valid. It's her showcase - she wants to see the solos before we perform. Actually, we show them twice - once for critique in class, and once at the dress rehearsal to make sure our costumes don't have any pending malfunctions. It's valid - she is putting her name on the show, inviting people, getting the venue - she wants to make sure that it shows the best of her students. Beginners do perform - and they have fitting costumes and "stage presence" no matter what their skill level.

She also requires that we wear nailpolish and makeup for her shows. This was good because it taught us the importance of being well-groomed (always having your nails and makeup done) if/when you become a professional dancer. Other recital requirements are a cover-up - again, it creates a good habit for the future professional, and to get there 2 hours before the show.

It is important that the teacher enforces any rule equally for everyone. Otherwise, your rule is worth nothing. People will know that they can try to get around it - or feel it's unfair when you enforce it on them and not someone else.

My instructor won't let us perform in the student haflas without attending classes regularly, being present at rehearsals (for group pieces), showing her our solos at least once, and attending the dress rehearsal. It's totally fair to make students play by the rules!

Sort of off-topic, but related...We had a hiccup at the spring student show last May. One of the uber-beginners approached myself (I was the student producer) and the stage manager about throwing in a solo that nobody had seen. We told her it wasn't acceptable, but she went to our teacher and whined/begged to do it. Our teacher was too stressed with important day-of-show things, so the uber-beginner pestered her until she got her way. It was AWFUL. She borrowed another dancer's veil and wriggled around (in street clothes) to a modern rock song. We were all mortified. ..c::

Sorry to digress--back to topic. As a student, I think that baaad things can happen when solos aren't screened!

Thanks, everyone. I was actually very firm with her. I just wanted to be nice about it, and sometimes I can get a little hazy on the line between nice and too nice. But I wanted to be nice, because she's a dedicated, enthusiastic student, and I understand that sometimes, as one of my illustration teachers once said to me, "Life gets in the way". As I said, I had already gently suggested, more than once, that perhaps if things are overwhelming, now might not be the best time to try to also take on the responsibility of doing a solo, but she wanted to do it, and didn't start disappearing until recently. I don't think she's being irresponsible, I just think she's new, and hasn't yet learned and internalized all those unwritten rules (some of which I had actually written, but not all of them). Hopefully this will be a learning experience for her. She understood that Monday is the last day she can show me what she's doing, so all's well that ends well.

I know you have had other student input, but I just wanted to reinforce that you really need to stand your ground. As a student, I would do that exact bad behavior, but because my dance/paper/whatever wasn't "perfect." Whatever your student's issues are, as many have said, you really will be doing the best by standing by your standards.

Why haven't you written all your rules and passed them out, especially in a beginner setting?

That's kind of frustrating, to be aware of unwritten rules and being held to them when you may not remember them and can't refer to anything (this is life in general, not necessarily class only - I have unwritten rules at work that drive me crazy).

I am a meany, but it shows in how good my students are ( yes I am bragging just a bit) not only do i expect they to come up with new costumes, but they MUST have professional makeup for haflas and student shows. On top of that I start 12 weeks out with a sign in sheet they are required to attend 10 of the 12 classes, if they dont they have to make up on another night, or private lessons, and YES i charge them (bhuz has taught me well) I have learned that If I am not a meany I regret it later. not only that, once I have set the rules they dont argue AT ALL........It is also strange, but doing that made the non comitters commit and the "comitted" ones back out, you really find out what people are made of when you require written documentation of their actions.......

Originally Posted by annwyn

I am a meany, but it shows in how good my students are ( yes I am bragging just a bit) not only do i expect they to come up with new costumes, but they MUST have professional makeup for haflas and student shows. On top of that I start 12 weeks out with a sign in sheet they are required to attend 10 of the 12 classes, if they dont they have to make up on another night, or private lessons, and YES i charge them (bhuz has taught me well) I have learned that If I am not a meany I regret it later. not only that, once I have set the rules they dont argue AT ALL........It is also strange, but doing that made the non comitters commit and the "comitted" ones back out, you really find out what people are made of when you require written documentation of their actions.......

Wow! Kudos to you!

Deborah

Originally Posted by SandraDances

The students who followed your rules will resent you for letting this third woman off the hook. You need to stick to your guns.
Besides, what if she shows up and leaves her good taste at home? I have had that happen and it is NOT pretty. This is YOUR show and YOUR name.

I totally agree.
I've seen girls showing up for shows when they didn't practice with the rest of us, and I was a little pissed. I don't feel it's fair that we (the rest of the dancers) attended 4-5 rehersals and she never did.