The Impact of a Dance Teacher

Dec 27

It’s the year 2002, at the peak of my eighth grade year. My dance teachers were blossoming into idols. Who needed Britney Spears or Destiny’s Child when you had Ms. Jasmine, Ms. Jessica and Ms. Karen. Dance was the highlight of my existence at this time of my life. It was during a ballet class when my teacher, Ms. Jasmine, discussed the importance of a thinking dancer, and the nutrition that you put into your body effected your thought process. Thus, teaching us that “almonds are brainfood.” When I went home that night, I had to call my friend, Sarah, on my blue translucent phone, to discuss the most random moments of my day. This was when I shared the new fun fact that, “almonds are brainfood.” Sarah stored that information in her fun fact library and went about her day.

A week later it was honor band auditions. Sarah and I both played woodwind instruments, so our auditions were timed fairly close. I remember waiting outside the classroom door to see how the audition went. When Sarah came outside of the room, the first thing that came out of her mouth was, “I just told the judge that almonds are brainfood.” Her nerves got the best of her and the only thing she could think to share was the fun fact that Ms. Jasmine shared with her dance students. To this day, almonds are a balanced part of my nutrition to keep my brain full of fun facts.

This is such a fun way to capture the impact of a dance teacher. Your dance teacher is a mentor. When a child, pre teen, teen or adult enters a dance class, the instructor brings such a strong connection to expressing yourself to your core. The studio allows a safe space to grow and develop into the person you would like to see in yourself. Not only do the technical discussions stick with you, but the fun facts are stored in your memories for years to come. Those fun facts may even spread amongst others. Being a dance instructor is such an important role, and I am passionate in celebrating anyone that is willing to take upon this pivotal role.

Throughout college I started studying in a different ballet studio that provided a more intense ballet curriculum to help support my technique. Low and behold, who did I see again, Ms. Jasmine. At this stage I was able to observe Ms. Jasmine’s teaching technique, and her impact continued to grow in my dancing career. A decade later and Ms. Jasmine opened her own dance studio, and I was able to teach within her beautiful studio, Bluebirds Ballet Academy. Along the way we have performed and seen each other blossom into mentors for others. I am forever grateful for the impact of Ms. Jasmine. This first blog post is to portray that you never know how your impact will inspire and educate others. Things work in mysterious ways, and I am grateful to be a part of the dance world that is located in Lafayette, LA.