Thread: "That's ALL you teach??" WTH?

I received a bizarre phone call yesterday, and it's not the first one -- just the rudest.

Person asks me if this is "my company name" and I say "yes, are you calling about classes?"

Apparently the person on the phone was conversing with another person in the room and finally they got around to asking me if I taught hip-hop.

?

I say, no I teach Middle Eastern dance. They say "it says on the internet that you teach hip-hop." (The internet says no such thing. I spent an hour looking.) Anyway, I reiterate that no I do not teach hip-hop.

The person asks again what I teach and I again tell her. She then says "what else." I say "what else what?" She says "what else do you teach?" I say I specialize in modern Egyptian dance and contemporary American Oriental dance " and she says "yeah but do you teach zumba or salsa or something? There's some woman that teaches all that. Don't you know her?"

I say, "no I prefer to specialize in one area, so that I know I do one thing well."

She says "So belly dance is ALL you teach?" apparently disbelieving that I don't also teach lion-taming, fire-eating, yodeling and baton twirling. She's also becoming very upset that I won't look in the phone book for her for someone who does teach all this crap. (We actually don't have a phone book, preferring to save trees and just use the internet.) She gets very huffy with me and hangs up when I direct her to a gymnastics studio with the only REPUTABLE hip-hop classes in town.

WTH??

Yes, it's all I teach. I don't pretend to be an expert on 50 different dance forms like some of the fitness instructors turned dance teachers in this community. I don't teach Zumba and don't advertise I teach Zumba Bellydance, Salsa, Merengue, Cha-Cha, Samba, African dance, and whatever other "specialities" these Zumba people claim to have.

This isn't the first call like this, and I'm sure it won't be the last. The ballet studio where I teach does not offer jazz, Irish, tap, or hiphop except as part of their summer intensive. They do one thing (well Ballet and Modern -- 2 things) very well and not 8 things half-ass. That's the model I subscribe to.

Why is it so hard for the general public to understand this?

Do they ask their child's violin teacher "You mean you don't also teach trumpet and drum?" ? Do they ask the soccer coach if he doesn't also teach horseback riding lessons?

It's bad enough that I have to market AROUND all the crappy "zumba belly dance" in the area -- now I'm somehow a freak because "all" I teach is belly dance? Is the public really that shallow and ignorant of what it means to be a "professional" or a "trained teacher?" Jeesh.

/vent

I actually do teach yoga, which I think is a bit of a cliche in itself since bellydance and yoga sort of fit together in the whole "being connected with your inner goddess" stereotype

But a lot of people expect me to teach Zumba now, because of the whole "shake your booty" aspect to Zumba. And because it's soooo darn easy to become a "certified" Zumba instructor, and everyone and their mothers (literally!) is one, lots of people ask me why I haven't already.

People can't be expected to know what they don't know. It sounds like this particular customer lacked the social skills to understand that the conversation should have ended with the words, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood" or perhaps, "My mistake, it seems I have mixed up your phone number with my notes on a different dance teacher," instead of engaging you in a showcase debate for their ignorance.

Part of the problem is that a lot of people out there genuinely don't know better. Maybe they click by a TV show like SYTYCD and see dancers doing lots of diverse dance styles, without realizing that these contestants are an elite group capable of an unusual feat, as opposed to random people doing something that comes easily to everybody. Maybe their "knowledge" comes from an association with one of those multi-interest butterflies floating around out there ("But Mabel in Accounting took country line dancing, hip-hop, ballroom, belly dancing, Zumba, and pole dancing at a local studio..."). Most outsiders have no idea what goes on in our classes or what our training involves, and if it's any consolation, Celtic dancers probably get the occasional crackpot call asking if they teach Bollywood, too.

There's no excuse for rudeness, but I'm not sure the assumption that a dance teacher would specialize in more than one style is so far-fetched. Most Classically-trained instructors I know teach the ballet/modern/jazz trifecta, at least, and sometimes tap as well. Ballroom instructors usually teach most or all of the dance forms in their genre (e.g. cha-cha, rumba, salsa, paso, etc. if they specialize in Latin or waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, etc. if they specialize in Smooth).

Even in our field, many instructors specialize in one or more Oriental styles plus one or more folkloric styles. What's really odd about the conversation you describe is that the caller expected you to be able to teach a dance style completely unrelated to your advertised specialty. Unless performers like Shakira and Beyoncé have people thinking that there's some kind of intrinsic relationship between hip hop and bellydance now.

See that's weird to me -- I come from a ballet school where they taught ballet. THAT'S IT! At the apprentice and company level we also had Modern dance classes, because it was pretty much expected that regional companies around here would perform Modern-infused or contemporary ballets. But this was a professional school and not the "something to do after school" kind of dance school -- and I'm not slamming those. They have their place.

If we had jazz or tap classes, it was as a special summer class, or maybe one semester. I took tap classes a state away because I did enjoy it, but none of the tap instructors ever had other dance training except MAYBE if they were working as professional choreographers.

Good point about ballroom teachers though -- I know next to nothing about that syllabus. But none of the ballroom teachers around here teach jazz or tap or ballet or zumba. It's pretty much Foxtrot, Waltz, and whatever Latin dance.

Come to think of it, even the Salsa teacher I went to for a brief time ONLY taught salsa. I wonder if the multi-specialization this is regional?

Don't worry about it. People have no idea what it takes to be a bellydancer. I get the same thing all the time. "Yes, running a business is my full time job. That's all I do."

I wonder if other professions get the same thing too. "What, baking, is that all you do? No BBQ? No kebabs? No plumbing or fire management?"

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

Don't worry about it. People have no idea what it takes to be a bellydancer. I get the same thing all the time. "Yes, running a business is my full time job. That's all I do."

I wonder if other professions get the same thing too. "What, baking, is that all you do? No BBQ? No kebabs? No plumbing or fire management?"

Yes, it happens in other professions too. I own a natural parenting/baby store. I am constantly amazed at what that seems to mean to some people.

*My* local ballet studio teaches ballet, modern *and* pilates- up with the times, eh? I have thought about getting my pilates certification because it does help with my dance training.

I do get tired of the clueless calls- no, I don't teach burlesque, hip hop or hula- but no one has ever been that rude about it! I think part of the confusion in my case is that I am at a studio with independent instructors, who all have their contact info on the studio website since the studio does not deal with our registrations, etc. Still, NO ONE at the studio teaches hip hop or burlesque just now. I'd be tempted to believe she just wasn't listening completely- I've seen this done way too often, the "I'm too busy talking to my friends to pay attention to the call I'm making" syndrome, thus needing to clarify a million times. Really stinks when I am waiting in line to order lunch and the person in front of me can't be bothered to pay attention to what she is ordering, since she is on the phone *and* talking to her friends at the same time.

Originally Posted by aziyade

Is the public really that shallow and ignorant of what it means to be a "professional" or a "trained teacher?" Jeesh.

Yes.

Darn! And I was about to ask my teacher if she taught lion taming!

yeah, we have 1 "acadamy " here as well. they teach EVERYTHING including voice and pep and cheer...and american tribal fusion.
there are yoga studios that offer a watered down belly dance and pole. most all that teach point teach tap and p & c. mine and 3 flamenco studios are the only ones that do only 1 thing.
here, a print book is still used .i think they just go down the row .i always refer ...sorta stop them in their tracks.
try saying "we teach middle eastern dance and culture"...sorta takes the rudness away

Originally Posted by zorba

Darn! And I was about to ask my teacher if she taught lion taming!

she tamed you ! ?

Originally Posted by zamora

she tamed you ! ?

That's debatable.

One of the reasons I don't have a phone number on my website is to avoid stupid callers. I have worked in customer service long enough to know that many people don't read - they just call and ask the stupid questions that would have been answered if only they had read my info properly.

Still I regularly get requests for performing at parties in California / Canada even though I wrote very clearly on my website that I live in Switzerland! Well, pay for my flight?

And it's always amazing how some people can't take No for an answer. Like if you insist long enough, I am going to change my mind and suddenly offer XY classes?

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by meissoun

I have worked in customer service long enough to know that many people don't read - they just call and ask the stupid questions that would have been answered if only they had read my info properly.

Ain't THAT the truth!!

In every newsletter I send out, AND on the class page is a FAQ of what to wear, the location, etc. Yet every session I get questions asking what to wear and where we are located.

Originally Posted by meissoun

One of the reasons I don't have a phone number on my website is to avoid stupid callers. I have worked in customer service long enough to know that many people don't read - they just call and ask the stupid questions that would have been answered if only they had read my info properly.
MEISSOUN

You would think the fact that they had to dial a bunch of extra numbers before they reached you would have been their first clue you might not be local, LOL! I agree though, many don't read and they don't listen either. I work in a docs office, and we have the occasional patient who blasts the doctor (who has to then come out to look like he is doing something about it to get the patient back on track with their medical problem) because "we called at 8 this morning to let you know we were coming to our appointment and we had questions, and all we got was an answering machine message!" . Thanks, that is because we aren't OPEN until 9 and closed on the weekends. It says so in the message on the answering machine. It also instructs them to phone the hospital if it is an emergency and not leave a message, but people do anyway (16++ hours lag in treatment of your stroke won't hurt while you wait for someone to get the message, right??). I guess docs should be in their offices 24/7 and their staff should be available to take calls all that time as well.

Originally Posted by meissoun

Still I regularly get requests for performing at parties in California / Canada even though I wrote very clearly on my website that I live in Switzerland! Well, pay for my flight?

Yea, I have the problem too. No, I'm *NOT* going to drive 7 hours for a 20 minute gig. I'm not going to fly to the east coast either!

Ugh!!! People never cease to amaze me!

Originally Posted by zorba

Yea, I have the problem too. No, I'm *NOT* going to drive 7 hours for a 20 minute gig. I'm not going to fly to the east coast either!

Oh, Zorba, I would.
They're just paying flight, accommodations and about 3 or 4 times my regular rate.
And a bunch of you are absolutely right about people not reading before calling. It happens more with classes than with gigs for me, but still. They're literally ON the page and then they call me to tell them the address. It's baffling.

Originally Posted by meissoun

One of the reasons I don't have a phone number on my website is to avoid stupid callers. I have worked in customer service long enough to know that many people don't read - they just call and ask the stupid questions that would have been answered if only they had read my info properly.

Still I regularly get requests for performing at parties in California / Canada even though I wrote very clearly on my website that I live in Switzerland!

Yeah, I get calls from people all over the US asking what my rates would be to dance at a birthday 500 miles or more away from me. When I politely explain that I live in Iowa and perhaps they'd prefer to hire someone more local, they ask who I'd recommend in their own town. Um, I don't know each and every dancer in the US!

If I'm feeling helpful, I may steer them to my teacher & performer directory. But no good deed goes unpunished - if I say, "Check the teacher/performer directory on my web site - it lists dancers all over the world," then the next request is for me to stay on the phone with them while they pull up my web site on their computer and read it to them, page by page: "Look for ____. Click on it. Now look for ___. Click on it." Depending on my mood and how nice they were to me at the beginning of the conversation, I MIGHT be patient and help. But usually after telling them what to click on at the top of my site, I get impatient and tell them I have another call coming in, but I'm confident they'll figure it out from there.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

If I'm feeling helpful, I may steer them to my teacher & performer directory. But no good deed goes unpunished - if I say, "Check the teacher/performer directory on my web site - it lists dancers all over the world," then the next request is for me to stay on the phone with them while they pull up my web site on their computer and read it to them, page by page: "Look for ____. Click on it. Now look for ___. Click on it." Depending on my mood and how nice they were to me at the beginning of the conversation, I MIGHT be patient and help. But usually after telling them what to click on at the top of my site, I get impatient and tell them I have another call coming in, but I'm confident they'll figure it out from there.

I know people do this, but I really don't understand why! I am SO the opposite! I get really annoyed when people (usually trying to sell me something since I own a retail boutique) try to guide me through their website. I seriously don't have time for this! You already told me where to find the info, if I'm interested, I will look for it, if not, annoying the bajeebers out of a busy lady is not going to help your cause!

Anyway... our local restauranteer IS perfectly willing to fly up out of state talent for special events, but can't see his way to paying local dancers more than $50 per set. Whatever- I do not particularly miss dancing there, even if it is where I cut my teeth in restaurant dancing.