When I first began dancing in my elementary
school days, there was always a teacher and an assistant teacher at every
weekly class. As young girls, we viewed the teacher as a stricter, professional
adult, however, the assistant was always a high school girl that came across as
more relatable, the kind of person who looks so mature, but acts goofy and fun
at the same time. So when the time came to plan for my senior project, I
instantly thought of becoming an assistant teacher at a local dance studio, so I
could have the opportunity to reach out to young dancers the way my assistant
teachers did with me. Consequently, for my project, I will be volunteering at
Expressions Dance Studio this upcoming school year. I will work with less
experienced dancers and give them instruction on how to improve upon their
abilities, motivating them to strive for success with their style, technique,
and performance. Additionally, I plan to choreograph a piece for the dancers
which will be an educational experience for me as I have never formally devised
a dance for anyone besides myself before. Furthermore, after cleaning the dance
during classes and at rehearsals, the girls will perform in the Expressions
annual year-end recital for their friends and family. At this performance I
will assist in helping it run smoothly by volunteering backstage, both
organizing the dancers and helping with technical functions.
This project
is a going to include a large sacrifice of time on my part, probably upwards of
fifty hours, but I’m willing to go along with that in order to be a mentor to these
young dancers. Throughout my dance career, I have always valued the few coaches
and teachers I have come into contact with that genuinely wanted to get to know
me as a person. If I am able to pass that on to the girls I work with, that
will be a significant reward. I have, unfortunately, experienced a great deal
of disappointment throughout my years of dancing simply because of the competitive
nature of dance. Yet, these obstacles have not been detrimental to my
self-esteem simply because of the quality guidance I received early on. My ultimate
goal for this project to instill a love of dance in these girls that is strong
enough to overpower any negativity that may come their way and keep them
dancing for many years to come.
