A New Year, A New Me

By Diane Gudat

A dance teacher’s revolutionary resolutions

I have never made New Year’s resolutions.

As a dance teacher, I’ve never really found the time. At this time of year I am usually ordering recital costumes from the 40 books that carpet every surface in my home. But at the risk of having a few naked dancers in this year’s show, I will take a moment to think about my plans for 2007.

1  I will clean out my hat closet.

I will give the ones that do not fit right to someone else. How many hats can one person wear at a time anyway?

I know I look good in the Teacher hat, and I feel pretty comfortable in the Choreographer hat. I like the Mom hat, and the Wife hat has always worked for me. But the Accountant and Housekeeper hats pinch a little, and the Scheduler hat looks a bit like a dunce cap on me. They need to go! I also would like to give away the Talk to the Parents hat, but I’m afraid I will have to settle for wearing one in a smaller size for now.

I am going to try to stick to the things I do well and find trained professionals or willing parents and staff to do the rest. As hard as it is to accept, I know I am not the only person in the world who can do something right. I am also going to throw my husband’s “I’m With Stupid” hat away!

While I am at it, I am going get rid of all the coffee cups with inspirational dance quotes on them. Seeing them is just too much pressure first thing in the morning. I am almost positive that the authors of such quotes never taught Tuesday evening advanced jazz and then Wednesday morning preschool classes!  

2  I will burn my Wonder Woman costume.

Wearing it every day under my dancewear was always uncomfortable, and the magic lasso creates an unsightly bulge around my hips that recently has been mistaken for middle-age weight gain. You cannot be super all the time, even with the right outfit. You cannot save every situation, and flying from one event to another can wear you out. You cannot go for days without sleep and then try to rescue an entire recital. Maybe I will keep the cape for those tough days, but I am sending notice to the Hall of Justice to call me only for extreme superhero emergencies. It is OK to have a bad day—and sometimes bad days have you!

3  I will borrow some shoes from my students.

I will walk around in them from time to time. It would be good to know how I look from the other side of the slippers. It is important to remember that some of them would give anything to wear my shoes someday and that the little things I do mean a lot. Maybe I’ll buy a pair of patent leather tap shoes. I hear they reflect up.

4  I will get backstage passes to see some of the stars who live in my house.

I am beginning to realize that they are there for a limited engagement only and that if I want to stay on their VIP list, they have to recognize my face. They are doing some amazing things with their lives, and it would be great to have front row seats. I plan to surprise my family with my undivided interest from time to time. It might scare them a little at first, but the looks on their stunned faces will make for a wonderful family photo for next year’s holiday cards. Well, to be honest, because of the Holiday Show at the studio and the company Christmas party, I have not sent cards for several years and have been feeling very guilty about it. I do not plan to send cards, but I do plan to stop feeling guilty about it!

5  I will empty the trash cans at the studio on a regular basis.

Once I have thrown a problem away, I will not try to drag it out of the dumpster again. It always looks worse that way.

I will toss out the bad days and frame the good ones. That’s right! I have always saved the “thank you” and the “I appreciate you” letters and e-mails from students, and I intend to display a framed one in the lobby, rotating them monthly. One of my teachers hung a framed “Greatest Teacher in the World” certificate that was given to her by a 4-year-old over her stereo. I have always envied her for that. I have a hand-colored picture that depicts me as an angel with a beard in a brown robe flying over a rainbow. I think the artist had me confused with someone else, but what deserves a frame more than that?

6  I will do exercises to increase the length of my right arm.

I will use this newfound stretch to pat myself squarely on the back more often. I will also use it to remove the occasional “Kick Me” sign that somehow appears there. It may even help me hold my notes out far enough to read them without my glasses.

It’s time I learned how to reward myself for a job well done. Maybe I’ll leave my cell phone off for an entire day, or sleep in one morning a week. I’m definitely going to buy myself a new shirt that does not have a dance logo on it, and I just might watch a non-dance–related movie in the middle of the day while eating chocolate. Or I’ll take myself to lunch and order dessert first. I have a friend who buys herself an expensive piece of jewelry for every national title her students win. I would have to lower the requirements, but I like that idea!

The best thing and worst thing about the new year is that you never know what is around the corner. A dance studio holds new surprises and challenges every day. So the smartest thing dance teachers can do to make it sanely through another year is to resolve to stay connected with and supportive of each other. We can’t predict what 2007 will bring, but we can link brains and try to wade through it together. So, I’ll see you at a convention or a workshop next year. Hopefully they won’t pass out free hats or inspirational coffee cups!