I am wrapping up my 2 year teaching at CAP 21. I have the gift of introducing hip hop to this group of musical theater students. I learned two things today:

Choreography is a difficult and unique skillset.
Encouragement and permission is essential for stepping out of comfort zones.

To address #1, I realized that when I gave them the task to make up a four 8-counts, it took some time and encourgement for them to warm up to the idea that they were capable of such a task. For many of these students, this is their first time exploring this style. Most of them enter in a place of timidness, and their growth in loosening up and trusting their body is so inspiring to witness. But creating a shape, in time to the music, with ones body— its a more difficult task than I thought. It was a moment of realizing and empowering myself in the specialty and mastery of my skillset at a choreographer. If we count my 98 degrees dance to “Because of You” when I was 10 years old, that makes over 20 years of making up dances! It’s amazing to step back and acknowledge.

For #2, it is my biggest mission when I teach to make sure my students know that there is no such thing as wrong. There is only style, preference, and commitment. Moving our bodies is so intimate and personal. And time and time again, I find myself working with a beginner population, where they are timid, unsure, and feel uncool. (One of my rules in class: If you feel weird, you are doing it right.) I notice a pattern in my beginners like there is a level of self-embodiment that sits at the threshold of immense growth. For instance, when I demonstrate and dance with them, they look great and seem to know what they are doing, but then when I stop dancing, they forget everything and feel overly self-conscious. Today, I gave my students permission to dance in whatever they wanted. I challenged one of my students to make up a locking-inspired solo, and while at first he was very lost and overwhelmed, I was floored at the embodiment he exuded at the end of 30 minutes. It empowered me to empower him. Who knows where this could lead, or not. But the look on his face after he showed me his choreography taught me that I was probably one of the only people who ever encouraged him and believed in him in that way.

Teaching is so special. I learn so much every day.

Makes me think of the quote: Behind every great artist is a teacher who believed in them first.

teaching thoughts