Bad day at Dance class ... vent

[Maridw]

Had a really bad night at dance tonight all due to one person who hasn't been coming to class everynight that we have class. (E).

E told JL that she knew the three dances that she is in. One of the dances we haven't even finished - Lyrical. One of the dances she moved into a wrong line.

E showed up to class with her 16 month old. Had no one to watch her while she danced and expected an 8 year old to watch her and play with her. J, the baby, didn't want to play, she wanted to be in the dance room and be able to wander the dance room while we danced, which was out of the question.

B - the owner, told E which line she is supposed to be in and E started in about how she was moved again. B turned and told Everyone, that since not everyone has been her for every class, we have had to do some shifting and this is way things are going to be - NO MORE CHANGES!

We get to the next number and she tries to go into my spot on the line we move into. I told her no. She tried to say that that was her spot. I told her flat out that I had always behind behind Z. The only time she might have been behind her was when I missed two classes. When we went to do the dance again, her baby started acting up and so B went and picked her up and held her so she could see mom. She still kept screaming and when B picked up her sippy cup, she screamed MINE.

Thank fully we had come up with a solution if we take her out, which B did tonight, because she walked out and didn't come back. We also have a solution for the Lyrical that she thinks she knows, but it hasn't been completed. We have got some one who has filled in for other posts, so we had to teach her the other part and she is filling in great. So now instead of being in 3 dances like she thinks she is. She might end up in 1 number.

We will see if she shows up for class tomorrow, Thursday and Saturday. I seriously doubt that she will show up. She does know the opening number, but that is the only number she does know.

I seriously felt like Gibbs head slapping her tonight.!!!

Thank you for letting me vent. B & I usually vent to each other because we are best friends / like sisters. We know we can talk to each other and we usually agree on things like this.

Hopefully things will be better tomorrow night!?!?!

 

[Stacerita]

How iritating and frustrating. Sorry she is messing up the dances and missing rehersals. Did she really think it was ok to bring her baby? What a moron.

 

[Sleepy]

My son's school is starting to kick people out of the performance due to missed classes. It is not fair to everyone else when one person is chronically absent. They miss choreography changes. They don't have a clue as to what is going on when they finally decided to return.

Taking a baby to class? If her child is the reason she is missing classes, maybe she should consider waiting until the child is older before taking up an extra curricular activity.

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[Disney Doll]

Realistically, this is an issue for the instructor to handle. If E is old enough to have a baby, she's old enough to understand "It's not fair to everyone else who comes to practice to have you come once in a while and be disruptive. I understand you have children and other responsibilties right now, so perhaps dance class should be put on the back burner for you for a while, and then come back when you can make the time commitment to it".

 

[HighClass]

How old are you guys? Why does she have a baby?
(Sorry_picturing high school girls in dance class)

 

[Sleepy]

How old are you guys? Why does she have a baby?
(Sorry_picturing high school girls in dance class)

I was thinking they were adults.

ETA: Just checked the tag. I think they are adults.

 

[kafitty]

UGH, so aggravating, i totally understand...in a college dance performance this last semester, a girl doesn't show up for two weeks, doesn't say a word to anyone, and then expects to be let back into an incredibly intricate ballet piece with lots of partner/group work in the dance....ummmmm noo sorry we can't just change everything for you!! try being here!!

...i'm leaving out why she was gone, which i only just found out myself, because it kind of makes me look like a jerk for being insensitive, but trust me - i'm in a place to judge, and she deserved it.

 

[Darsa]

Wow... my DD could totally relate; her partner in one of her numbers has missed a total of 8 classes during this past season; not necessarily bad, but this particular number only had 14 practices scheduled!

I hope it works out for you; I think it's terrible that people care so little about the instructor and the other members of the class like that.

 

[Maridw]

This is our Advanced Teen/Adult class. We have from 17 yo and up. I am the oldest in the class after the instructor. Erin is in her twenties. (decided to give up on keeping the names out - she doesn't get on the boards, so I know I am okay).

Erin was dancing before she had her daughter Julia and when she first started coming back after she had the baby, Bobbie (owner/instructor) told her to bring her Pack n Play. She wouldn't do that because Julia thought of it as a prison.

In October we had the line up for Candyman and have tweaked it a little but very little. I have always been behind Zekayla in this one line. The only time Erin could have been behind her was when I had to missed 3 classes due to a business trip. We had the line up for the Opening number in January and have done some tweaking to that. But I wrote these line ups down when we set it up and it has been in the book since that time.

Since January Erin has missed quite a few classes. Since the lyrical is a lot of partner work we really have to have the bodies in class to choreograph it. There have been lots of nights when we have had only half the class. Those that missed are ones that can pick it up very easily. Erin has only been to one class when we worked on the lyrical and she complained the entire night about how she has to move on one part and how she couldn't tell which line she was in on the "V" because they were running together. Bobbie told her that we would have more room at the auditorium and to deal with it like everyone else is.

This is the same person who went to dance convention, took her baby and didn't bring any diapers or formula for her. Then left Bobbie's mom to watch her while she was in class. I paid for one of her meals before I found out about the diapers, because I knew things were tight for her. But Bobbie and another friend also paid for meals for her. She should have gone as an observer instead of a student for convention since it was a third of the price. One of the mothers went and got diapers and formula, and she never even gave her a thank you or paid her back.

Again thank you for letting me vent.

 

[Stacerita]

This is our Advanced Teen/Adult class. We have from 17 yo and up. I am the oldest in the class after the instructor. Erin is in her twenties. (decided to give up on keeping the names out - she doesn't get on the boards, so I know I am okay).

Erin was dancing before she had her daughter Julia and when she first started coming back after she had the baby, Bobbie (owner/instructor) told her to bring her Pack n Play. She wouldn't do that because Julia thought of it as a prison.

In October we had the line up for Candyman and have tweaked it a little but very little. I have always been behind Zekayla in this one line. The only time Erin could have been behind her was when I had to missed 3 classes due to a business trip. We had the line up for the Opening number in January and have done some tweaking to that. But I wrote these line ups down when we set it up and it has been in the book since that time.

Since January Erin has missed quite a few classes. Since the lyrical is a lot of partner work we really have to have the bodies in class to choreograph it. There have been lots of nights when we have had only half the class. Those that missed are ones that can pick it up very easily. Erin has only been to one class when we worked on the lyrical and she complained the entire night about how she has to move on one part and how she couldn't tell which line she was in on the "V" because they were running together. Bobbie told her that we would have more room at the auditorium and to deal with it like everyone else is.

This is the same person who went to dance convention, took her baby and didn't bring any diapers or formula for her. Then left Bobbie's mom to watch her while she was in class. I paid for one of her meals before I found out about the diapers, because I knew things were tight for her. But Bobbie and another friend also paid for meals for her. She should have gone as an observer instead of a student for convention since it was a third of the price. One of the mothers went and got diapers and formula, and she never even gave her a thank you or paid her back.

Again thank you for letting me vent.

Sounds to me like she doesn't want to grow up. I am guessing she is early 20's, single, and had always wanted to be a dancer. But got pregnant unexpectedly, and doesn't want to grow up and be a mom instead of a dancer. She's selfish if you ask me. And who doesn't bring their baby diapers and formula??? And then expects someone else to feed her and pay her way. ACK! Best thing would be for her to quit and raise her baby.

 

[Rora]

Ugh, I feel your pain. I used to danced until college and I remember how frustrating that would be. People don't show up for class, don't know what they're doing, get mad when they are moved, and then get fussy because they think they're being picked on.

 

[minkydog]

This girl sounds like a selfish piece of work. You instructor needs to deal with her before the recital. What did she think a 16 month old would do in an active dance class? That sounds like an injury just waiting to happen.

 

[Maridw]

She is married, but separated from her husband, who left before the baby was born. Still she has totally been taking advantage of her "oh whoa is me" story.

She did show up for class on Tuesday without the baby. She stayed and learned the rest of the lyrical. We are still having a couple of the Juniors learn the lyrical just in case. She has been put back into Candyman - I am not the only one who wasn't thrilled with this idea. When we were going over the lyrical there was one section that she just stood there each time we did it and then go into her position. Finally one of the other girls said that she needs to follow the others and not just stand there. We had done it 4 times and so she should have gotten the idea of what she was to do, especially since Bobbie explained what we were doing for a couple of the other girls.

I am going to have trouble holding my tongue if she doesn't start attending regularly. I love Bobbie as a sister, but sometimes she says one thing and then does something else. She should have held her ground and told Erin that since she hadn't been attending that she had been taken out of the dance.

Thankfully only a few more weeks until recital. I will just have to double up on my Celexa on those days. Wish me luck that I can keep it together until then.

 

[Stacerita]

Id have trouble holding my tongue too.

 

[swald91]

As a dance instructor myself..I have to say it is a very difficult situation when you depend on your dancers not only to be practicing & know their routines but to show up for the group. If I choreograph a dance & it is done with 6 girls it is tough to just kick out the dancer w/ poor attendance, etc. Sometimes they are not easy to replace so close to the performance. It stinks for everyone involved-the teacher is also put in a tough position...we just can't make these dancers come to class! Hopefully it will all fall in place for your group.