Dare To Discipline

By Rhee Gold 

The role & value of discipline in dance schools

Goldrush readers have inquired about my attitude toward discipline in the dance school environment. I think dance and discipline go hand in hand. The nature of dance is such that it takes self-discipline to master the technique—and without doing that, approaching artistry is out of the question. By demanding certain standards of behavior in the classroom, teachers lay the foundation for students to learn self-discipline. And it’s an essential component of teaching a successful class. But you must make it clear that you will accept nothing less. If you expect it, then it will come. If you’re afraid to enforce discipline, then you won’t get it.

Do you think the students of today want discipline?

I think the problem is that they are not used to it. Often there is a lack of discipline in public schools because they’re afraid of lawsuits or screaming parents. The discipline problem lies with parents who don’t realize that their child isn’t perfect and that it’s OK that they’re not. A part of growing up is testing the boundaries, learning who they are, and being shown what’s cool to do and what’s not. It’s not that students don’t want discipline; they just need to be shown what it is. They need someone to tell them how it is and that nothing else will be tolerated. Then when they test those boundaries and discover that they can’t cross them, they end up respecting the rules and the teacher who enforces them.

What should I do when a parent says something like “I bring my child to your school for fun, not discipline?”

I would explain that I want every child to have fun, but that I also consider it my responsibility to teach life lessons that will last long after the dance lessons are over. One of those lessons is discipline. Often these parents come to me years later, frustrated because they’re having discipline problems at home. If parents take the attitude that everything is supposed to be fun, the child grows up with no understanding of what hard work can accomplish or that some of the things we have to do to achieve our goals are not always pleasant or fun. These kids don’t understand life’s boundaries, so they’re lost—and when reality hits, it’s not pleasant for anyone involved. Bottom line for me is that if you don’t believe in discipline, then my class isn’t the right place for your child.

How can schools be better at discipline?

You must enforce your policies. If a certain number of classes are required in order to participate in some program and the student isn’t doing it, then they can’t stay in the program. When you don’t enforce the policy with the first student who breeches it, the rest of the students will expect the same treatment. The same goes for mandatory rehearsals; if a student misses them, then they’re not a part of that performance. What does the word “mandatory” mean? No questions, no excuses.

Teachers set the example. If they aren’t disciplined themselves, how can they expect it from their students? If you require your students to be at class five minutes before it starts, then you should be there early, too. Nothing undermines discipline more than teachers who don’t follow their own policies.

So why do some teachers hold back when it comes to discipline or enforcing their policies?

The majority of those who hold back are afraid that they’ll lose students; or maybe the students who missed the rehearsals are their strongest dancers and they don’t want to exclude them from a performance. They believe that they need those students, so they come up with a justification for the infringement. They think the excuse they make will satisfy the other students and parents who are wondering why they don’t enforce their policies. But it will give them only temporary relief, because they know they’re not enforcing the rules.

Why do you say “temporary relief?”

Because eventually those students will miss more rehearsals, and then other students in the group will do the same. So, in due time, when the teacher is miserable because half the group is missing the week before a performance, she’ll be able to backtrack to discover that her problems started when she let that first student miss rehearsal without consequences.

How do you handle the child who is disruptive in class, comes to class late, or shows up out of dress code? In other words, she’s there, but she’s not playing by the rules.

I approach this in a couple of ways; first I simply walk up to the disruptive child and give him or her that look. It’s the same one your mother would give you, and you knew exactly what she was thinking without her saying a word. For me this is very effective. However, if it isn’t, then I would explain to the child that I don’t think this is a good dance day for her and ask her to sit and watch. In extreme cases I would ask the students to leave class, but sometimes they consider that a reward, so I prefer that they stay in the room with me.

Late students, especially the advanced ones, should not be allowed to take class. If the child doesn’t get a proper warm-up and then gets injured, the teacher is responsible. Students who are only a couple of minutes late might just get “the look,” but after the class is well into the warm-up or barre, I can’t accept the liability.

For dress code infractions, I would have a bunch of not-so-attractive leotards that forgetful or noncompliant students can wear for the class. That usually works!

What do you say to the parent who says, “I paid for that class— why did you make my child sit out?”

Good question, because I do hear it from the parents! My response would be, “Yes, you did pay for that class, but so did the parents of the other 14 children in your daughter’s class. It is my responsibility to give the entire group my full attention, and your daughter was distracting me as well as her classmates.” I might add, “Your child can make the class up anytime, but today was not a good dance day for her.”

What can teachers do to improve their use of discipline?

Gain more confidence in who you are and why you do what you do. If you’ve been at this a long time, you know how you want to run your school or classroom; you know that that your policies are in place for the sake of all the students and because you hold dance in the highest regard. Stand up for yourself without fear. Losing a student because you believe in your policies and yourself will gain you so much respect from your clientele that their positive word of mouth will replace the lost student tenfold.