The origin of Labor Day….a national holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September, honoring the achievements of American workers. The labor movement in the late 1800″s deserved this recognition. It is also code for, the end of summer! I know it is not fun to talk about. Hmmm, I will have to ask a historian friend of mine, was it strategic that Labor Day is exactly when many of us are going back to school, dance, and in essence, real life!?!! As we start the new school year, our expectations are high, and then the real work begins. It takes dedication, drive, and discipline to surge forward, and hopefully, make it a year that will be productive and memorable. Also, we just shared a summer of dance with no pesky distractions. No overwhelming homework, no school obligations, just an opportunity to focus exclusively on our dance training. It can be a special time of growth, maturity, and progress. I cherish summertime with my students. So, as we start this new dance year, let’s keep that momentum going.

I am not a psychologist. I am not a scientist. I am one committed dance teacher who has been observing students for a very long time. All the debates that go on today about how education has changed, I see it, even in our dance studio. How students learn, how they behave, the role of the parents, it is right there in front of me day in and day out. I am fascinated by the stories of my teacher friends, and completely concur with their theories and concerns. We face the same dilemmas in dance education. My sister and I are wholly devoted to our students, and we work tirelessly to reach them and keep them motivated. We daily straddle the world of old school versus new school methods. We don’t compromise our principles. We hope there is trust that when it comes to a child’s dance education, we have their best interests at heart. After all, we have the unique perspective of witnessing, first hand, a student’s moment to moment, week to week, year long progress. Dance is a repetitious art form. There is a reason for that. I repeatedly tell my students, there are no shortcuts. Going faster isn’t always better.

People talk about STEM continuously. There is also an acronym called STEAM….science, technology, engineering, ARTS, and mathematics. I will let the experts with the highly skilled knowledge and intelligence speak to the research and findings. But all I do know is, I clearly prefer STEAM over STEM. It is proven that an arts education is beneficial to a child’s development. It is not one or the other, it compliments, it enhances. I see evidence every day that dance contributes to problem solving, spatial awareness, teamwork, collaboration, and presentation. Students have offered that their prior experience with the use of improvisation has aided in their ability to successfully complete an interview. Imagery, utilizing the example of drawing and creating a picture, has been a valuable tool in their creative process. Finally, when I inquire of my students, why do they enjoy studying dance, it comes down to the basics. It is a brilliant form of exercise. It builds confidence. It helps with memorization skills. It increases an ability to concentrate on a task. It is a necessary stress reliever in the course of a jam-packed day of academic overload. Quite simply, it brings them joy. Why in the world would anyone want the arts removed from education?

You cannot google a triple pirouette. What does it mean? It’s not just the catchy title of my blog. (well, I think it’s catchy!) Obviously, it’s a metaphor. Our lives have become ridiculously fast paced. The young person plus the computer equals instant gratification. Instant answers. Immediate results. Well, that’s not dance. One beautifully executed pirouette takes time and practice. The double pirouette comes with increased skill and more practice. The triple…..imagine what it takes to conquer that, resulting in mind-blowing satisfaction.

Yes, September is upon us. It is truly the start of a new school year. We have moved into a brand new studio space!! It has been a labor of love, a true adrenalin rush. What an opportunity to rejuvenate!! My forever wish for my dear students….be goal oriented, communicate, don’t try to rush the process. Make a discovery! It is amazing how much more our bodies can do for us when we ask them. Happy Labor Day!!