Break the Cycle, Start Anew
"You'll never dance past high school."
"You're too short to succeed as a dancer."
"You shouldn't even try out for that company. You're not good enough."
Growing up, my dance world was a place of negativity, criticism and an impossible search for perfection. Dance became not only my talent, but also my identity. What began as intrinsic motivation to conquer challenges and wear sparkly costumes turned into extrinsic motivations lead by others expectations of my success. Eventually, I reached a point where I was so convinced I would not succeed, that I gave up trying. Dancers are supposed to be strong, physically and mentally. And in my eyes, I had failed. The struggles and pressures of performance brought me to a breaking point until I realized that I needed to change my perspective. Simply being a dancer was not enough. I had not lost my passion for dance or my joy for performance; I had just redirected my focus elsewhere and I needed to return to a place of peace. Dance is still my passion, but it no longer defines me.
It took me many years and struggles in order to come to this conclusion, and in talking to others; I realize that I am not alone in my search for perfection. Dance requires the individual to be both physically and mentally active while also remaining emotionally vulnerable. One must develop a unique ability to separate technical criticism from personal evaluation, an idea that is common to both performing arts and athletics. Recognizing that there would come a day when I can no longer dance the way I can now, I redirected my passion for performance towards dance education. This was where I felt that I could really make a difference. Through the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program at Michigan State University, I hope to deepen my knowledge of education in ways that will allow me to create a dance environment filled with positivity, feedback and a development of individual talent.
I began this journey determined to be the dance teacher I never had.
As I near the end of this program, I am satisfied to realize that my goals remain the same. I still long to develop students who possess a passion for dance while maintaining a love and respect for themselves. I aim to create a classroom environment that emphasizes personal freedom, choice, self-determination and growth. Dance education, when focused on such principles, centers on how the concepts of passion, trust and relationship can lead to development and learning. Striving for excellence while still valuing personal ability, I hope to encourage athletes and dancers alike to aim for their best without pushing for unattainable perfection.
I have always yearned to share my passion for dance in a way that motivates, inspires and empowers my students to make the discoveries I was forced to make on my own. With the courses through this program and the knowledge gained through attaining a certificate in Sport Coaching and Leadership, I am now better equipped as a teacher and educator to do just that. I find myself better qualified and prepared to reach these goals through the discovery of new opportunities for encouragement and enrichment of my students and myself. My goal is to break the cycle of negativity, criticism and an impossible search for perfection and start anew as a teacher and leader focused on positivity, feedback and the development of individual talent. Satisfaction fuels desire and interest ignites joy as students develop behaviors and discover motivations that drive them to learn.
