Our daughter Bryna is getting married in April. For this reason, she asked us to take dance lessons. Apparently, she doesn’t want the father-daughter dance to look like two kids at a Jr. High Dance. The junior high sway has been working for her father and me for 24+ years so I’m not sure what the problem is, but hey, we’re game.
I cannot tell you how far out of my comfort zone I have to go to take dance lessons. I remember going to dance at Miss Fletcher’s studio in the 2nd grade. Let me tell you, as a six year old I knew this was not my calling. The night of the recital they had a mother helping to get us ready and when she placed me in the front row, I assured her she had me confused with the petite Kim in the class. Sure enough, Miss Fletcher took one look and switched us.
Off we went last Friday night, to Guys and Dolls Dance Studio in Jamestown with this memory in my head and a glass of wine from dinner counter-acting the nervousness. When we met the instructor, Laura Cimino, I thought “this woman is OUT THERE.” She was hugely enthusiastic, used her mic to speak to six of us, and kind of goofy acting.
You know what else she was? A genius. Just like Todd Whitaker advised in the tapes we watched with our new teachers yesterday afternoon, this dance instructor made it ‘cool to care’. She was fun and bubbly and I got over myself quickly. Had she been a “Black Swan” kind of perfect dancer in a tight little leotard, I would have felt like a big klutz and my insecurity would have over-shadowed everything else, making it much harder for me to learn.
We go back tonight and I’m really looking forward to it. I know (at least she made me believe) that I didn’t completely stink at it, so I’m confident I can learn something. I’m game to try. She’s so enthusiastic and ‘out there’ about her topic, that she’s got me buying in.
Which is exactly what our best classroom teachers do every day! They make it cool to care about school, they make kids feel safe, they act goofy and fun and empower their kids who may be feeling just as insecure and inept in the classroom as I felt entering that dance studio. They help kids get over themselves and discover the joy of learning. Pure genius.
The more outside of our comfort zone we get, the more we learn about ourselves…
I’m proud of you for doing this for your daughter. My daughter has taught several couples some “up to date” steps for various weddings at her dance studio. Seems they all have felt the same feelings as you so you are not alone!!!
As for “teaching out of the box”, I remember when my son was first teaching he dressed up in a long black coat, had on thick black glasses, fake teeth and the coat was covered with words that he used during a lesson. The kids just loved it and it sure kept their attention. That is what “teaching” is all about, making it interesting!!! Have a great lesson tonight, I see Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appearing at Bryna’s wedding!!!