Teaching Styles that Inspire Me

     If someone had told me a year ago that I was going to discover dancing to be one of the biggest parts of my life in the near future, I would not have believed them. However, in March of 2014, I walked into the first dance class of my life, completely unaware of what was about to change me forever. I remember that dance initially brought me down as I watched myself struggle with different moves and techniques that seemed to be simple to most people. However, after being discouraged, I tried to improve myself week after week to reach my goals. And faster than I had realized, I fell in love with dancing!

         To me, trying to describe why I love dancing so much is a bit like describing what water tastes like. I just love it. I feel fortunate and blessed to have discovered it and to be able to appreciate it for the beauty that it is. The way it makes me feel free. The way it makes me forget about everything else my mind was previously racing through- worry, stress, school- these all seem to disappear. The music almost illuminates the body and gives it a new spark to move. I feel like I am flying and like I am in my very own personal happy place. I love the way dance can tell stories and express a plethora of emotions without having an audible voice. The expression of dance that is conveyed in a performance can be even louder than words. Someone once said, “Dance can give the inarticulate a voice.” There could not be anything more true. I believe that dance has the power to stir up emotions of sadness, excitement, happiness, nostalgia, and empathy- just with music and movement! One of my favorite components of dance is being able to play characters. You can perform in the essence of a personality that is a polar-opposite of your own. You have the opportunity to be someone completely outside of yourself without anyone being able to judge you for it. More than anything, though, dance has brought me a lot of self-confidence. Having a hobby and something I could be proud of significantly improved my self-image and self-esteem. I felt like I could do more, be more, and succeed at more. There is not a single day where I do not think about dance or do physically dance! Whether it’s mentally performing old or current routines or simply tapping my feet to music- dance is in me when I hear a beat.   

         When I found out that I had a chance to be a Teacher's Assistant- in a dance class- it seemed almost too good to be true! The opportunity was like most of my favorite things in life being wrapped together like a present and being handed to me. Inspiring and helping other people has always seemed like one of the most exhilarating and rewarding feelings to experience. This has even worked its way into my future goals- a psychologist/therapist for adolescents and young adults. I want to be able to sit down, listen, and really understand and help people who struggle with issues in their personal lives. I think any teenager knows life is not all rainbows and sunshine with all the added pressures we have to face. So, the goal of helping was clearly there- along with the joy of dance!

         I know from personal experiences just how much dance can inspire. Whether it be from an instructor I danced with in the past who really connected with me and helped me grow, or from being able to be in the Inspire Performance Company, I always found dance gave me numerous ways to grow as a person- physically and mentally. While in the Inspire Performance Company, I was inspired not only by Amna's dance skills and ability to finish choreography in a time crunch, but also by the dancers my age I got to perform with. I met amazing people and I am blessed to now know many of them as friends. Whether it be with their sweet and infectious personalities that radiated happiness, or their dancing abilities that left me shocked, I found myself challenging myself to try and be similar to the incredible people around me. I wanted to make people smile and feel better about themselves around me- to be encouraged and inspired.

         More than anything, I find being on stage a surprisingly enjoyable experience. While I am not the person who loves to stand in front of large crowds and perform, dancing on stage has the ability to almost block out the audience and just be absorbed in the performance. I long for the chance to perform and experience the feeling of doing what I loved most. The adrenaline rushes through me and I still get nervous. But right before going on stage, my comforting group members and I motivate each other and assure each other that we will all do a wonderful job on stage. And that's it. I know my girls are with me and we're all in this together. All that's left to do is dance our hearts out!

         Lastly, I do believe that teaching styles greatly affect students and their passion/capabilities for the subject they are learning. I have noticed in school that teachers often pick favorite students for no good reason. This tends to dishearten students that have been working hard and do deserve recognition but do not receive it. The same can be said for a dancer's education. If a student has showed observable effort in improving themselves (anything from learning/knowing all the choreography to polishing their moves or having improved flexibility), they should be recognized by the instructor. If the student goes unnoticed, the student might feel as if their best is not good enough. And although the student should not stop trying after that, a little encouragement and recognition only helps! I think all students have had a desire inside to impress their instructors or to somehow inform them that they have been trying hard. As a TA, I hope I am able to see the dancers that really have gone the extra mile to become better dancers and are outstandingly consistent in pushing themselves.

         I hope there are many more people out there who have found, are finding, or will find the same happiness dance brings me through dance or one of their personal passions. As one of the biggest parts of my life now, dance never fails to astound me or push me to limits I was never able to break in the past. I hope to break through even further, and to keep reaching to improve myself as a person and dancer. But most of all- to dance to inspire!

         

~Written by Avleen Walia; Student and Teacher's Assistant at Amna Dance