Teacher Alert

During my student days I have always witnessed a variety of teachers and their teaching pattern. Dance is an art that needs a deep study to learn and a deeper study to teach, I feel. And that requires a comfortable bond between a student and teacher. While we teachers always discuss about the different kinds of students there are equal number of teachers who showcase different qualities (yeah right!! ) Here are some points not only a new dance instructor showcases but some of the well experienced teachers too.


 Punctuality: Yes, we are teachers. We are an example to our students and not some big shot to arrive at our own classes late every single day. You cant expect your student to be punctual if you yourself dont have that discipline. A teacher has a bigger responsibility to conduct a session that not only teaches given topic but to inspire every student he/she comes across. Some of the teachers do believe that students must enter the class before the teacher and welcome the later upon arriving, while some of the teachers enjoy welcoming the students. Again as I said in my earlier blog,every institute has different set of rules.

Shut Up is the word most of the teachers are willing to use / sometimes actually use while teaching. Now being a teacher I can understand the urge, if you have nasty students. But again, students look up to us as their mentors (at least some of them do) And using harsh words like stupid, idiot etc may lower their confidence level. Though if there is point where you have to be extremely strict at one moment, find another moment in a class to crack a joke just to make them laugh/ relaxed. A tensed student and irritated teacher can never make a successful session. A combination of strictness and friendly approach is always beneficial for both student and teacher.

It is true that a student is someone who is still in the process of learning that particular dance style or a move but there is no harm in taking some suggestion from them once in a while. It may or may not be regarding dance only, it can be about costume, or favourite soundtracks, accessories, hair do and so on. Finally the decision is going to be yours but a little involvement can make things better. Also it is helpful to consult your seniors if you are a new bee in the business or on apprenticeship. Bottom line is a healthy discussion with your Teachers and your Students can be fruitful.

Be the leader that creates leaders. This is something that I have experienced with great pain. Couple of my own teachers never wanted us (their good students and dancers) to become teachers or free lancing professional  dancers. Of course they must be having their own reasons for the same. I on the other hand believe in promoting the talent that my students already possess, and just try to sharpen their skills more. After all if you are not being the right guide they will find another. You inspire your students and see the change in them. They will have respect and love towards you, by seeing a true leader or guru in you.

There are always ifs and buts and two sides to a story. Many of us have different set of ideologies. And we all want to be better teachers as we grow old. Having a little more understanding towards our student might give us a better outlook towards this teacher student relationship.

But then why am I sharing all this with you? Dance is not something just to talk about. Dance is to dance. So get up and dance and you will know the reason behind my smile :D (haha..) Trust me, dancing will surely make you happier.

Keep smiling and keep dancing

Pay attention, Students !!

And I am back to blogging. Though I wanted to blog first about how teachers manage and maintain their dance establishments, I just thought it might be better if I focus first on the students. I have often come across various kind of students for different dance styles, just like any other teacher, and have tried to vary my teaching pattern according to students. It is essential to understand that each student is different. While at personal training it is very easy to build a rapport with a student, it gets kinda tricky in a general batch. Yet the teaching part comes much later, and there are certain things that need to be followed when it comes to discipline. And no one is excused in this case, neither a student nor a teacher. Following are the points that are mostly for adults, and well, for minors too.

Rules and regulations again may vary from an institution to other. But every teacher expects her disciple to be disciplined in certain manner, for instance, being alert ; in the class (at least). You are making your teacher angry if you constantly text during the class or take unnecessary breaks or just yawn because you cant control it. It aint a lecture where you are just a listener and the teacher is a speaker. Its DANCE. It requires equal involvement from a teacher and his students. You ain't reading something; sitting in a bean bag; at your home, you are at a dance class- A place where You are paying big amount to learn something new and exciting. It was Your choice to learn it and no one is forcing you. On the other hand an alert student makes teachers happy. They ask questions regarding a particular move or music variation in the track and that brings excitement in the class as well as to the teacher.

Another thing a student needs to follow is being punctual. While accidents and emergencies can occur at any point of time, and one is always excused for the same, an irregular or unpunctual student may really get a teacher angry. 'Sorry I was partying last night' , 'I cant wake up that early', 'Oh I forgot', 'It was my anniversary', 'Its my kids birthday', 'We are going for a movie' !! These are very few excuses from the long list which I have heard. Tell me that if you are taking an off from your office too. I am not saying I have never missed a class. Once a year may be. I have attended the classes even when I had fever, but that's because of my super interest in dance. But the silly excuses now a days i hear are hilarious, from not so young adults !! One of my teachers used to say to the late comers, "Don't give excuses and don't say sorry. You are the one who's missing out on everything. I feel sorry for YOU (with a sarcastic look)" A punctual student is always naturally one of the favorites of the teachers. He/She enters the class rather early, practices the previously taught step or a routine, helps or seeks help from other students.


The term that a students must never say in the class is "I cant do it", specially when you are still learning the technique. While some of the moves are actually difficult or sometimes a particular technique is difficult for a student to grasp quickly, one must believe that nothing is impossible. Almost all of us are blessed with one same body. No one has bone less back/spine to do a body wave or 4 hands to do a handstand. If your teacher can do it so can you. He/She has been doing it for more than a decade or two and you have just started it. A confident student would rather try the step / move, until its somewhere closer to that of his teacher. If your teacher doesn't see you trying, he wouldn't even bother to pay attention to you. There is a big NO NO in teacher's guidebook for spoon feeding.

The (over) smarty pants : Someone who displays intelligence in an (over) annoying way. These are the kind of students who come with a lot of baggage and try to act smart every now and then. While you must have learnt a particular dance style from another teacher, it is not necessary that you have known everything about it and its your chance to show it off to your new teacher. Every person teaches you something new. We believe, even every student teaches us something new. Hence it is your chance to be a good example of a down to earth or a normal student. Be a blank slate when you are a student and you will be able to learn everything. I know everything attitude will just boost up your ego, not knowledge. And all the teachers love interactive sessions. There is also a better way to show your knowledge to your teacher in discussing or asking genuine questions about a particular technique. "No, but i was taught like this before" or "Oh how nicely you showed, my previous teacher was so bad" are equally wrong ways.

These are some basic etiquette and rules that a student should follow to not only be in good books of ones teacher, but most importantly to be a better student, a better person altogether.

But then why am I sharing all this to you. Dancing is not just to talk about. Dancing is to dance. So get up and dance and you'll know the reason behind my smile: D (haha...) Trust me, dancing will surely make you happier.

Why you have to keep smiling and dancing?

So.. the wedding is over, and we have successfully completed one year too. So I think its about time I start posting my articles about the beautiful world of dance and dancers. A dancer has to dance his/her way to the glory with a smile. People say 'Dance like no one is watching.' Agreed, but I, personally, would love to see a beautiful dance. After all its a performing art. My motto is - 'Dance like everyone would love to watch.'

My students performing laavni (indian folk dance)

It is so important how one presents him /herself while performing, be it physically or musically. It does not matter how you dance at a discotheque or in your bathroom. Nobody is judging you there because no one is looking at you (hopefully). But once you are on stage or on a social dancing floor you must have the composure of a dancer, even if you are not a great dancer. A teacher will always emphasize on your posture while dancing, follow it blindly. Unless you practice it in class, you wont have it on stage. Nobody wants to see a dull face with sluggish body posture. 

Dancing is all about emoting with face and expressing with the whole body. Here are some simple but important  dos and donts for the "first time" performers- timid and shy ones.

Dos:

1. Make a check list for performance from eye liner to shoes. Reach on time at the venue. Rehearse the routine if necessary.
2. Keep your costume and props ready with you. Eat one hour before the performance. Eat right, eat light. Hydrate yourself.
3. You know the music, you know the routine. Execute it. Use the whole stage if performing solo, or if in a group, use your dancing area without  coming in others way
4. Keep smiling. Your first dance is never going to be a serious/emotional ballet. Because you are not ready for it yet. It has to be a fun dance. Enjoy it. SMILE !!!
5. Look at the audience. Try to connect with them. Engage them to look at you only, amongst the whole dancing group. Its a skill, but you will eventually get there.



Belly Dancing at a workshop by my students

6. Keep the poise, posture intact. You might not be as graceful as your teacher or senior, but you are on stage, its your time to show off.

Donts:

1. Do not over rehearse on the day of performance. It will be exhausting and you won't be able to give your 100% on stage.
2. Do not overeat. You don't wanna puke on stage or feel stuffed and heavy.
3. Do not stop dancing and show it on your face if you forget a step or two or the whole routine. Keep grooving, look here n there a lil and pick up the steps.
4. Have a healthy chat with co dancers. Don't be scared and isolate yourself. While performing, do not cover other dancers or hide behind them. Do not look down and frown.
5. Do not play with your props, costume or face. You want that intact throughout the performance without having pieces of props or black eyes.
6. Do not blame your partner, teacher, organizers etc. for anything. You are always responsible for your own good or bad.

Following these rules will not only improve your confidence but your performance level too. After crossing these hurdles you will have a clean performance one day, flawless, hassle free. Then you can think of having a higher level course and may be performing professionally too. Rules may get tougher, routine may get difficult, but dancing will always remain beautiful. All you need is a little discipline, faith in what you are doing and patience.

But again, why am I sharing all this? Dance is not something just to talk about. Dance is to dance. So get up and dance and you'll know the reason behind my smile: D (haha...) Trust me, dancing will surely make you happier.

Keep smiling and keep dancing

Dance with me, Make me sway ....

When marimba rhythms start to play,
Dance with me, make me sway,
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore,
Hold me close, sway me more…                             

                            -Michael Bublé

Wow..!!! What beautiful lines by Michael Bublé and sung by pussycat dolls in the movie 'Shall We Dance!!' Have you watched it? Or Dirty dancing, Strictly ballroom? If you haven't, you must watch 'em all, especially if you want to learn ballroom dancing. Well, at least that’s how it all started with me. 

To begin with, honestly, I had no idea about ballroom dancing when I joined "India's one of the finest Ballroom Studio" approximately 5 years back, to learn 'this style.' I made a blunder by enrolling myself for 'Salsa', not knowing that it isn’t a ballroom dance style. On the first day of the course, we were given brief information of the partner dancing patterns, styles, origins, social dancing, etc. Though a blunder, I continued learning salsa (club dance) for a while as I was enjoying it, but my aim was to learn ballroom dancing, and hence, I started the beginners' course of ballroom, simultaneously. 

Oh, ballroom is totally a different world. Be it peppy music of quickstep, cha cha and  jive, or smooth graceful movements in waltz and rumba, or the strong gestures of paso doble and tango, once you get the hang of it, it becomes your addiction, passion. Unlike individual or group dancing, ballroom dancing is more exciting because you have only one partner, you always need to maintain rapport, the intimacy, the passion, the pace between the two of you, and  yours should  be the most handsome dancing couple on the dance floor … or at least you have to pretend so. ;-) It’s a romantic love affaire after all, most of the times!! A man and a lady dancing together… wow… but each dance style has a different mood. ;-)

Before I proceed further, one should go through following information, so that there won't be any scope for blunder. ;-) International ballroom dancing (competitive ballroom dancing) is mainly divided into two parts with 5 dance styles each, in it:

a) Standard Ballroom Dancing	b) Latin American Ballroom Dancing
- Waltz	- Rumba
- Viennese Waltz	- Samba
- Foxtrot	- Cha cha cha
- Quickstep	- Jive
- Tango	- Paso Doble

www.stepupindia.in

First rule of ballroom dancing is that the man leads and his partner (the lady) follows. Though the connection is made with the close or open holds of hands with upper body, it has to be like the tension of a spring which can be attained with the centre of the body / pelvis. The word ballroom has been derived from the Latin word ballare which denotes dancing and ballroom is a specious room designed for such type of dances. Dancesport is another name for ballroom dancing in competitions. While the Quickstep and Jive are known for being energizing yet exhausting dance styles, Rumba and Waltz are the slowest yet graceful ones. In 'standard ballroom dances' the lady wears long flowing gowns and man wears coattails, waistcoats and white bow ties while in 'Latin-American ballroom dances' women wear kind of skimpy glittering costumes (short skirts) and men wear tight fitting ones, (ahhem..) as the goal is to emphasise on dancer's leg movements. But of course the beauty of it is in its footwear. "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels." -Faith Whittlesey.

Ballroom dancing helps us connect with our partner. It is simple to understand but a little tough to execute the trick of 'lead and follow.'  One must learn some or all styles of ballroom dancing as it not only makes you a disciplined dancer but also helps you to understand the music, counting the beats and the technique.

But again, why am I sharing all this? Dance is not something just to talk about. Dance is to dance. So get up and dance and you'll know the reason behind my smile: D (haha...) Trust me, dancing will surely make you happier.

Keep smiling and keep dancing

Will dancing make me slimmer?

Learning dance has always been one joy ride for me but teaching on the other hand has shown me some scarily weird sides of my students. Now, what students ask during sessions or how they behave is totally a different topic and will soon write an article about it. But, before joining the dance class people come up with some stupid and sometimes annoyingly pathetic questions like …

-   I have never danced before, but I want to perform 'gracefully' at New Year's party [which is just 5 days away]… Can u help me with it?

-   I have tried many things to lose weight but nothing helped. Will dancing make me slimmer?

And so on…

Let's talk practically.

a)  Grace is a god's gift. (End of discussion)… wait… what if we try hard, practice a lot… grrr … i repeat , Grace is a god's gift . (End of discussion)

b)  Oooohh, and will dancing make u slim…??? Ummm … let me think…. NO…!!! Dancing never made ME slim, how will it then make YOU slim…!!!??? 

Isn't it a very disappointing and rude answer? (Hahahahahaa… devilish laugh) Well… Truth is always bitter. 

Let's have a reality check. When you come to me to learn dance, I have no clue whether you do any other physical activity such as sports, gym, and aerobics, as I am not a fitness trainer. I have no clue about your daily routine. Similarly, I also don’t know what you eat, how and when, as I am not a nutritionist. Post dance class you must be hogging on junk food. Who knows? [ I have done that manyyyy times :( ]

There are many dance academies who claim that they can make you lose some weight with dancing. Well, thumbs up to them. I think one has to be very particular and disciplined about ones fitness and eating habits. To be able to dance you have to have a fit and healthy body as well as mind. This keeps you away from thinking about anything but dance.

When people ask me if they'll lose weight by joining my dance class, I say, NO. This simple 'NO' is always demoralizing for them. I ask them to join a gym or aerobics class and keep control on food intake, for the simple reason that 'I am a Dance teacher,' neither a fitness instructor nor a nutritionist. I teach dance, how to dance, what to dance, and blah blah blah. Dance is first and foremost an art form. It's an insult to me and to my art if you ask such silly questions as the purpose of it is to emote, express and entertain. AND NOT TO LOSE YOUR WEIGHT.

But, it is also true that with proper workout tips and healthy diet, you may lose some weight with dance, as dancing is a vigorous physical activity. But that shouldn't be your motive if you are going for dance lessons. Dance is a beautiful art form. Learn it; for it is an art which will mesmerize you, enrich you; not as a tool to make u slimmer. I hope to see more 'dance enthusiast and less fitness freaks' in future, not just in my dance class but at every passionate dance teacher's doorstep.

But again, why am I sharing all this? Dance is not something just to talk about. Dance is to dance. So get up and dance and you'll know the reason behind my smile: D (haha...) Trust me, dancing will surely make you happier.

Keep smiling and keep dancing

She .. Me .. and Shimmy ....

 Dancing has always been a wonderful, joyful part of my life. Dancing makes me feel more energetic, vibrant, happy, full of life and most importantly 'complete.' Well, anything that is related to dance inspires me, my teachers, students, the artists, performers, choreography, stage craft, costumes, props. Everything…!!! Life of a dancer is so colorful, from outside as well as inside. Dancing is such an enriching experience. The graceful movements, the sharp looks, colorful costumes and props, great music and filling up the space with ones own pace… And all this I experienced when I first met my "Belly Dance teacher"… Oh yes. I was entering into a different world all together...

It was around 5 years back, when I was completely into jazz, hip hop, ballroom dancing, salsa and of course classical dancing, where I had, then thought that I have learnt all important dance styles. I was just concentrating on my teaching part. I had almost then decided that with these dance styles I can call myself 'a versatile dancer' and then… One fine day, a close friend introduced me to this beautiful German lady… vibrant, tall with chiseled body, sparkling smile and most importantly a professional belly dancer - teacher. She had come to India to learn few Indian dances and mainly bollywood dancing. She had attended few dance lessons at some 'Leading dance schools of India/Mumbai ' but wasn’t happy with it. So my friend arranged for our meeting.

 Zeyna - My belly dance Teacher

www.zeyna.com

She seemed totally enthu about learning Indian dance styles and her face lit up with a smile when I ensured that I can help her with it. Then we proceeded to money matters, i.e. my fees. With having brief info about her belly dancing which I got from my friend, I immediately exclaimed, " I wont be charging you for it… just teach me belly dancing !!"  To which she agreed happily. Wow…!!! What made me say that??? No fees…!!! ???

I could sense my hunger for learning a new dance style, yet again. This lady in her late twenties had come from Zurich to Mumbai to learn different Indian dance styles. What an idiot i was !! [Yes, a complete idiot to think that I am 'versatile enough' to know those 'few' dance styles!!!] It's never enough. Thankfully, I understood it at a very early stage / age. And then, our dance sessions started the very next day of our meeting. She was completely in awe of our folk and classical dances and I got a chance to learn Raqs Sharqi aka Belly Dance and many things related to it, which otherwise was not even in my THEN "to-do list"

www.zeyna.com

A dance form like belly dancing needs utmost control on your body and at the same time you need to be very graceful. Though it can be stylized by any individual, there are some techniques that you need to master to perform or teach. Some of my favorite steps are Snake arms, undulations, choo choo, grapevine, Egyptian twist and of course the Shimmy. And the shimmy looks awesome with Kuchi coin belts aka belly dance belts. The costumes are bright, colorful and enhance belly, chest and hip portion mostly with kuchi coins. The props like veils, swords, finger cymbals add extra spark in the performance. Though it is mostly popular with girls performing it, there are some countries where they promote male belly dancers too…!!

It is strange that despite knowing this beautiful, graceful dance style for centuries, we, the Indians, never accepted it as a respectable dance style which can be taught and performed publicly. But, thanks to the Colombian pop star-singer, whose song and video, in which she belly danced, got very popular worldwide and finally this dance style was appreciated and accepted in most parts of India.

Learning belly dance not only made me more open minded but also enriched me as an artist. This 'barter exchange' of dance styles proved to be one of the best things that happened to us. She started teaching Indian styles in her dance school at Zurich and I started teaching belly dancing here, in India.

But again, why am I sharing all this? Dance is not something just to talk about. Dance is to dance. So get up and dance and you'll know the reason behind my smile: D (haha...) Trust me, dancing will surely make you happier.

Keep smiling and keep dancing 

A Student and a Teacher within me !!!

"So one fine day I decided to become a professional choreographer. Were my mom and dad happy after knowing this?" Of course!! They had expected this. They are the ones who actually encouraged me and are supporting me till date. The whole family is of artists including my brother. But even if they weren't artists, they would have supported me. (Love and understanding!!! 2 most important things I have learnt from them.)

And the rest is history… I started dancing, by taking my hobby, my passion a little seriously. I remember; my high school and junior college days were fantastic. There was no tension at all of earning my bread and butter. I was like a free bird - school / college and then dance class. That was my life and I was completely enjoying it. The love and respect for my art was immensely high and was day by day increasing. I had completed 5 years of intense training in Bharat-natyam and passed my Visharad with flying colours. I was lucky to get good teachers but may be not lucky enough to have their blessings afterwards. A misunderstanding and ego led to a bad ending between my teachers and me.

A horrible time again, I was one of the most looked upon dancers from my class, a good and obedient student and a crazy dance lover. But then I was, indirectly, not allowed to attend any class of other dance styles, if I was to continue with Bharat-natyam "there." And I never felt then or even now that I was / am just a Bharat-natyam dancer. It was one style I continued learning for 5 years, it was my base, a very strong base. But on the other hand I had no exposure to any of the western / even classical dance styles. And to top it all I was not allowed to teach. (HUH… can you imagine!!) I strongly oppose such "inhuman" rules… (haha…)  Arre, how was I then supposed to become a choreographer???

Anyway, destiny had some different plans for me. And … I will call this episode as 'Blessing in disguise.' I was freed from a prison, I felt. I was a free bird yet again. I started teaching not only bharatnatyam but bollywood and folk dancing too. I had started earning. Was that my point of concern? Was that my motive, to earn money? No, I was teaching just to know the joy of 'sharing your knowledge'. I was learning the process of how to teach. And trust me; it is an on-going process. Each student is different from the other. Though the matter remains almost the same, the process is different, unusual, and sometimes funny. 

 

 with my students at Actor Prepares

But only teaching is never enough. One has to keep learning. [They say once a teacher, always a teacher. I say different…!! Once a student, always be a student] :P … Especially learning an art form is an ongoing process. You are never too wise to know each and everything about an art. It keeps revolving around, gets better, finer, and deeper if you are really willing to pursue it.  Hence, I started learning again. And dancing, trust me, is so overpowering that I decided to learn as many dance styles as possible at least to a level where, if asked, I must be able to showcase it 'pro-phah-ly', and if possible; master it. So I started with Jazz, Indo-jazz, Hip-hop, Salsa, Standard ballroom, Latin-American Ballroom, Belly Dancing, Folk, and today I am proud to say that I have learnt over 25 dance styles in toto from some amazing and some weird teachers in last 19 years…! Whoa...! [ I know ;-)] and I am teaching most of these dance styles too.

So… am I like 'jack of all trades, and master of none'? Well, I feel that I am a master of all trades and master-blaster of classical dance. [hahaha…] I will tell you how. For instance, a chef has to learn to prepare all kinds of delicacies 'perfectly' and the base i.e. "Cooking" remains same, similarly, I have chosen choreographing as my profession so there is a need to learn various dance styles, but the base i.e. "Dance" remains same. But just like in chef's heart there is special place for his favourite dish, classical dancing will always remain special for me. And the latest addition to the list is Kathak- again an Indian classical dance form, again very beautiful and a graceful one. And may be I can say now that, after having so many 'Teachers,' finally I have also found a true 'Guru' in my Kathak teacher and a friend too.

Here, few questions arise. Is that really easy to learn one or more dance styles? Is it tough to learn 10 styles of ballroom dances or 2 styles of Indian classical dances and still manage to remember the differences, similarities, and theories? I'll let you know about this and more, but some other time.

But again, why am I sharing all this? Dance is not something just to talk about. Dance is to dance. So get up and dance and you'll know the reason behind my smile: D (haha...) Trust me, dancing will surely make you happier.

Keep smiling and keep dancing