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On My Mind
Words From the Publisher
Antidote for the Mid-Year Mood Swing
“Pull up your bootstraps; you’re a pro!” Those were the words
that my mother often said to me when I’d start to panic. I’d
flail my arms, veins popping out of my neck, and think the
situation at hand was more than I could take.
Each year as the “stress season” for dance teachers approaches
I can feel it coming, because the emails from anxious teachers
start pouring into my inbox. Many tell me that they’ve had
enough, asking, “How do I sell my school?” or moaning, “If I
have to deal with one more complaining parent, I’m going to
have a breakdown.”
Ironically, some of these emails are from the same teachers
who start off the year excited to get back into the classroom
and see the kids. They tell me how lucky they are because they
love their jobs. So what’s all the stress about? I call it the
“mid-year mood swing,” and I’ve discovered that it is usually
brought on by
non-dance problems. A good example is the teacher who writes
because the auditorium she had booked for her school’s
year-end performance is no longer available. Most readers
might agree that this constitutes a disaster; after all, the
school owner had informed everyone involved when and where the
show was going to be. What could be worse than that? The
answer is: her attitude.
This teacher explains that her faculty, students, and their
parents are upset and she doesn’t know what to do about it.
But what she doesn’t realize is that they are in a panic
because she—their leader—is. If she had taken the attitude
that this problem was a setback that she was going to handle
as best she could, without wasting time panicking and
spreading her hysteria, the situation might not have proved so
stressful.
About a week later I discovered that this teacher’s mood swing
had shifted to the very positive side. She had booked a
bigger, better auditorium for the same dates and times. Now
delighted, she writes, “I always wanted to use this space but
felt it was out of my reach. And now I’ve discovered that it
costs less than my previous location!” All of a sudden this
disastrous situation has become a blessing in disguise. Once
again she loves owning a dance school and can’t wait to share
the great news with her terrified associates and clients.
How much better the situation would have been if she hadn’t
told everyone about her worries but instead had picked up the
phone to start searching for alternative facilities. All that
panic could have been avoided if she had stayed calm and had
the confidence to realize that there is a solution to every
problem—and that sometimes what’s perceived as a disaster
means that a change for the better is coming.
I know how that teacher felt. I’ve been there. As a reformed
“panic person” (who slips back into that mode every once in a
while), I’ve discovered that what I think is a disaster only
becomes one because I choose to interpret it that way. It is
up to us how we will react to any given situation. So I say to
all of you, “Pull up your bootstraps—you’re a pro!”
To counter this stressful time of year, this issue is packed
with articles that will inspire and inform you. Find out what
gives Mia Michaels such a presence (besides her height!). Then
check out practical articles that will help you manage and
build your business, along with personal stories about dance
heroes and what it’s like to grow up with a dance-teacher
parent. In the world of higher-ed dance education, we explore
DMA’s comprehensive certification programs, and we turn to
ballet academies to find out how they handle a difficult
situation: talented students whose bodies threaten their
dreams of a career in classical ballet.
If, after all that, you’re still feeling like you want to pack
it in and quit, read the first installment of our new
mini-series, the “60-Years-and-Up Club.” It will make you a
believer in perseverance. Enjoy!
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