No swansong required!
The needs of the student, or the glory of the teacher !
Today’s communities and governments propel as much confusion as inadequate education, and sadly to say this has developed a worldwide spread virus. The priorities have taken a different direction and spirituality, religion, politics or even family are now intertwined with so many commercial and media-oriented ingredients that at the end of the day, even smart kids are drowning in an overload of (often) realities based on lies by those who chose to rule with the goal to divide the society. The world of the performing arts has not been spared from this phenomenon.
It seems more and more that schools believe choreography, with countless hours/day of rehearsals, takes precedence over academic teaching and the syllabus, void of the understanding of the body, and literature, music, visits to museums and art in general needed to form a real artist not just a dancer with perfect lines and superficial, TV-styled emotions. It is true that many teachers didn't enjoy a fulfilling professional career, and frustrated through their often too brief careers are obliging the students to spend hours learning mostly unnecessary (often bad) choreography to their own glory, reaching no heaven for no one!
Generations of amazing dancers grew from lesser good conditions, on hard floors (now fortunately that has indeed greatly improved) and in small studios with "old schoolteachers" who inspired and taught us more than any TikTokking-like media could ever propose. While kids are fascinated, mind controlled into dreaming and copying what they believe others do so well, often in great quantities (as in forever turning on one leg on in impossible acrobatic positions), they are not nurtured towards a deeper understanding. This grows from a relationship, a human rapport with the teacher who is there to answer questions and guide. Yet today most of them prefer to repeat the same daily class, often text messaging even when the kids are in class. (Below: Marinsky ballet legends from the St Peterburg Vaganova Academy, Irina Kolpakova - Rudolph Nureyev in “Giselle” )
Does any of those teachers guide, explain that a brain has hemispheres? That one part of the brain controls muscle functions & speech, reading, writing, learning and yes, thought and emotions. While the right hemisphere controls the muscles on the left side of the body, the left controls the muscles on the right. And each one needs a nourishing environment and a general upbringing towards the authentic self, for dancers and for each human being.
If we call ourselves educators, what we instruct must serve youth for decades to come and not only limited to the stage career. It must build the intellect, the knowledge of countless subjects that make up, yes, life itself. Our guidance must bring confidence and show that the soul isn’t some programmed entity. It contains the option to change our destiny. Before such a major event in all human life can take place, changing one’s fate, one’s fortune and future no matter how brilliant or difficult it may appear, youth must recognize who he or she truly is.
Knowing the “authentic Self” can no longer be a subject for philosophers and professors with doctor’s degrees or a fancy term in alternative speech. The manipulation of the mind has since 1953, with the birth of world television “programming”, prompted billions to wander off the path of illumination while big pharma sponsored the programs channeled to distract. To find the light and to recognize darkness in all its shades, will paint a different view of what can become that authentic self.
So, if you call yourself a teacher do not pretend and walk that talk!
