Tap Class Confusion or Complaints? Stop Them BEFORE they Start!

 

August 10, 2022

 

Zoom in on this post screen shot...

 

There are just waaaaaay too many stories like this one, aren't there? 🤦🏾‍♀️

This is a story fresh from the community of Tap teachers I’m working with inside my Tap Teachers’ Lounge online training program. 

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THE BACKGROUND LOW-DOWN

"L "is a new Tap teacher at this studio.

She has inherited students with ineffective Tap technique, so she is focusing on rhythm & rudiment fundamentals, as we are in the Lounge.  

And within a few weeks of the start of the season, here is a very negative response. It’s only one parent, but you know how loud that small minority of negative responses can be. 

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A LESSON IN DISGUISE?

Now, sometimes in dance teacher groups we might advise that, at this point, it’s simplest to maintain our boundaries by showing this parent the door. (I don’t know this parent, so that might be the best response.), and I get that…

 

BUT!

 

What if this “you won’t last long here” warning, was a valuable lesson in a snarky disguise?? 

 

What if we could establish boundaries and our professional presence in another way?  

🤔 🤔 🤔

 

I have been loud on this megaphone lately, and I’m gonna keep at it:

 

It is SO valuable to be proactive and responsive

to our Tap students and families,

instead of being REACTIVE.

 

💥 I want to use this kind of post as a reminder that it is up to YOU to 

 

• *EXPAND* your students’/families’ visions of what Tap dance is;

 

• Proactively explain in detail the foundations of your Tap program (history, techniques, etc), the “levels” of your programming, and your specific pedagogy;

 

• Introduce yourself as a professional Tap dance educator, speaking to the ways that you successfully bring out the best in students; 

 

• Explain and demonstrate the value of learning how to be a strong STUDENT of dance, and all the values that are entailed in this endeavor. 

 

Because when in doubt, students/families fill in the gaps they have in information with their own view of Tap dance & dance study, which can lead to misunderstandings like this one.

 

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STOP CONFUSION BEFORE IT STARTS - YOUR 1st OPPORTUNITY OF THE SEASON! 

 

NOW, perhaps you have one of these opportunities coming up soon:

 

1. An Open House

2. A “first day of class”

 

If those dates have passed, there’s still nothing wrong with slowing down to do some explanations in class, in an email, a social media post or 2 or 3!

💥 BTW - If you're looking for a useful visual aid for your Open House / Studio Lobby, that can also give you some ideas of what you can say to your students & families when introducing your Tap program, then 

Click here to get a FREE "Benefits of Tap Dance" Poster and 👏🏽use it 👏🏽 use it 👏🏽 use it!! 

 

Once you take this proactive approach, rinse & repeat these ideas in ways large and small. 

 

For the sake of your sanity and to set everyone up with clear expectations that lead to great success,

take advantage of the “Open House” or “First/Second/Third Day of class”

to lay the groundwork for your Tap program.

 

 

Go get ‘em!!

 

Remember to grab my

FREE “Benefits of Tap Dance” poster 

Today!!!