Everything I Learned About Life, I Learned in Dance Class (3 page)

Maryen Lorrain Miller
began teaching dance in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1944. Maryen built a successful reputation in Florida as an active member of every major dance organization and a friend to all. Now her great name graces the Reign Dance Productions building, as her knowledge, curriculum, and love live on in the teaching, learning, and succeeding of everyone who enters her school. In the last weeks of life, Maryen dictated her favorite stories.

Maryen Lorrain Miller, July 6, 1927–February 8, 2014

WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A DANCER

Although people think of dancers as being tall and leggy like a Rockette, Broadway performers come in all shapes and sizes, as do the dancers you see in videos or in a concert world tour. What I look for in a dancer is excellent posture; a long leg in which the length from the hip to the knee is equal to the length from the knee to the ankle; natural turnout through the hip socket; a tight, closed rib cage; flexibility in the back, legs, and shoulders; and strength in the center core.

Flaws in a dancer’s body that send up a red flag: pigeon-toed feet, swayback, rounded shoulders, extended rib cage, heavy head, extended chin. A dancer wears a leotard and her hair in a bun so that a teacher can see if she has scoliosis of the spine and make sure her head is properly aligned with her shoulders and tailbone.

A dancer’s foot should have a high arch, a high instep, and be capable of being hyperextended beyond its normal position. Usually the ball of the foot is wide and the heel is very narrow. That makes it difficult to buy normal street shoes, but excellent for pointe shoe fittings.

You never want anything radical like a crazy haircut or strange outlandish hair color or tattoos or piercings. If someone hiring you for a job wants you to look like that, then they’ll imagine you looking like that and they’ll make sure that it’s done with makeup and temporary hair dye or a wig. You want to keep your options open. You want people to be able to look at you doing many different parts.

When you have those beautiful long limbs and that fluidity in your body and the flexibility, usually you make a gorgeous dancer, but you also need the passion, the determination, the parental support, and the musicality. Sometimes a kid who has flat feet and no flexibility, and is awkward yet has the passion and the parental support, ends up being the one who makes it, when the kid who had it all threw it away.

I’ve seen many incredible dancers with remarkable, God-given talent walk right out the door never to dance again and their parents don’t care. That makes me sick—what a waste of talent!

FIND YOUR PASSION

So where do you start? Well, it’s never too early to identify where your talents lie. Some kids are born with tons of interests and hobbies while others struggle to find one. But this I promise you: everyone can be good at
something
, whether it’s hitting a ball with a bat, painting a still life, or tapping your toes. The younger you are, the more you should explore different avenues. Sitting around playing video games or chatting on Facebook is not going to inspire your mind and soul (unless you aspire to be a video game designer or a social media entrepreneur!). Take a class; try something new. Open your mind to the possibilities. And plan on working hard.

One of my alums, Allie Meixner, showed up on my doorstep when she was just three. She was cute as a button with a sparkle in her eye. Besides being absolutely gorgeous, she had that special quality that draws people in. However, she walked with the same arm and the same foot simultaneously, which was quite awkward! “Oh, boy,” I thought, “this kid might be a model someday, but she is never going to be a dancer!” Allie proved me wrong. She had a passion for dance and an amazing work ethic. She wanted to succeed more than anything else in the world. That kid had to work her booty off to get to where she is today, but she never took no for an answer.

Competition is healthy—it pushes each dancer to get better and better. I think back to all the besties who were really each other’s toughest competition. There were Mark and Michelle, Katie and Kacy, Semhar and Rachel, and Koree and Allie. Who’s Koree? The dancer Allie should thank in her will. There were lots of pretty girls in Allie’s competition group, but the one stunner was her duet partner, Koree Kurkowski. Koree had the look, the legs, and the oh-so-wonderful feet. She was strong and physical and things came easily for her. Koree also never wore the same leotard twice!

When I put her in competition for the Junior Miss Dance title, she earned first runner-up honors, but that year they allowed the winner and the runners-up in each age division to go on to compete at the National Finals. So that summer, Koree had the opportunity to travel with me to the prestigious Nationals in Anaheim, California, and experience all the fun and life lessons with the rest of my regional title winners.

That’s all it took—one kid with one opportunity—to make another kid jealous, or should I be politically correct and say to “inspire” another child? Back home in Pittsburgh, Allie was on a mission to be the best. She got up before school to work out with her mom, and she made her dad drive her to the studio an extra day each week to be a class demonstrator. She added voice lessons to her schedule. Allie went on to earn the titles Petite, Junior, Teen, and Miss Dance of Pennsylvania for the Dance Masters of America, as well as the auspicious National Preteen, Teen, and Senior Miss Dance titles for Dance Educators of America.

When you look like Allie and dance like Allie, you are destined to be the leading lady! Her first professional job out of high school, after passing up a lucrative contract to work in Japan for Tokyo Disneyland, was the national tour of the musical
Contact
, playing the coveted role of Girl in the Yellow Dress.

Dear Abby:

My daughter is jealous of another girl on her dance team. She says she’s prettier, better, and gets all the best parts and numbers. How can I smooth things out between them?

It’s not your job as a mom to get in the middle of girl fights. Learn that first of all. Second, how about a minimakeover? If the other kid is prettier, get your kid the right haircut, the highlights, and a brand-new leotard. Do whatever it takes, including private lessons. If you end up giving that studio some extra income, your kid’s going to get recognized. Also, your child will become a better dancer—maybe leaving her classmate in the dust.

Abby

START YOUNG

It’s a proven fact that kids who find a passion early in life learn faster than older kids. Most children begin to dance at the age of three, or maybe as early as two and a half if they are really smart, and four if they cling to their mother’s leg.

Doesn’t every little girl twirl around the living room, or walk on her tippy toes, or rock back and forth with the music? Yes, all kids do. Does this mean she is going to be the next prima ballerina or Broadway star? No. But I’m a firm believer that every child should dance—boys too! Dance teaches developmental and social skills that will last a lifetime: how to take turns, listen to others, form a circle, and get in a straight line. Dance introduces musicality and physical exercise. You can start dance classes much earlier than sports or school, and this is often the very first bond of a teacher-student relationship. We have the advantage of getting kids first—before they start soccer practice, student council, or Girl Scouts.

I say enroll your toddler in a dance class and give it at least two months. If he/she is still kicking and screaming and disrupting the class, then you know your child is
not
ready for formal instruction. If he/she can’t wait to get there each week, then you made the right decision.

Dear Abby:

My daughter says her dance teacher picks on her. She always criticizes her and points out her mistakes. I think I should talk to the teacher about it and get her off my kid’s back. What do you think?

I think you should send that teacher a thank-you note. Obviously, your child has some potential. And the teacher is on her back for a reason. When a child comes home and says the teacher doesn’t even know her name and never corrects her, consider that a wake-up call. Hint, hint—the teacher doesn’t care because the kid doesn’t have it.

Abby

PICKING THE RIGHT DANCE TEACHER

No two dance teachers are alike. Some are warm and fuzzy; some are strict and militant; others are clueless and crazy (sound like anyone you know?). For every excellent instructor out there, there is a charlatan, taking your money without providing your child any decent training. Be smart. You are paying for an education, so make sure you get one! Investigate your dance teacher and choose one just the way you would choose your pediatrician. You’re going to be trusting these people with your kid’s life.

In the United States, dance teachers do not need a license. This is true for all sorts of professionals you might need, from SAT tutors to violin instructors to basketball coaches. You’re going to have to vet them yourself. Google the studio online and check out the reviews. Are customers happy and satisfied? Or do they describe the place as filthy, sloppy, and a waste of time and money? Ask friends who have enrolled their kids there. Some studios will let you take a sample class, arrange a tour, and meet with a teacher to get a feel for what’s expected. The more you know, the better off you’ll be.

Dance is a hands-on art form. This person may be touching your child from the age of three to eighteen. Remember, at the beginning children don’t need to excel or be the best in the class—they just need to
love
it! At our studio, children’s love for the art of dance (or for whatever they are doing) is what matters! And of course, are you coming back next year?

WHAT MAKES A GOOD/BAD DANCE TEACHER?

The Good Teacher . . .

• Continues his/her own education. Dance is an evolving art. Every month there is a new jump, a new stunt, a new turn. Just like a hairdresser, you need to stay on top of your craft.

• Has the right connections. What pull does the dance teacher have to get your kid that coveted audition?

• Has a well-kept studio. Is it spacious? Is the ceiling high? Does it have Equity-approved floors? Is there a water fountain in the bathroom? All of those things go into choosing the right studio.

• Is focused. Is he/she present for the day-to-day operations? Devoted to the students and able to show your kid the attention he deserves?

• Sees problems and how to fix them. He/she should be able to look at your child and instantly see what is wrong. You don’t need another person to pat your kid on the back and tell her how cute she is. You need someone who is going to give it to her straight.

The Bad Teacher . . .

• Is not affiliated with any certified organization such as Dance Educators of America or Dance Masters of America and is not certified by the United Sports Governing Foundation for safety of any acrobatics or gymnastics taught in the studio.

• Has a poor track record. No professionals have come out of the studio.

• Plays favorites. Only pays attention to one or two students (either because they’re talented or because their moms spend big bucks on lessons) and ignores everyone else.

• Has a crappy facility. The studio looks shabby and dirty. When was the last time someone washed down those gym mats?

• Lacks enthusiasm. This is a dance studio—not a sweatshop. Does it feel like fun when you walk in the door? Are kids smiling and happy to be there?

GOTTA DANCE!

There are dozens of different dance classes out there for kids, all of which benefit body and mind. Dance helps build and maintain balance, coordination, self-discipline, and physical strength. Plus, it’s a great way to express emotions (when kids are having a hard time using their words). Why not let your kid try . . .

Ballet.
Ballet requires years of training to learn and master, and much practice to retain proficiency. It has been taught in ballet schools around the world for hundreds of years, and these have historically used their own cultures to transform the art. Ballet is the basis of many types of dance; therefore a good strong foundation is most important. Stylistic variations have emerged and evolved since the Italian Renaissance. Early variations are primarily associated with geographic origin. Examples of this are Russian ballet (including Vaganova), French ballet, and Italian ballet (including Cecchetti). Later variations include contemporary ballet and neoclassical ballet. Perhaps the most widely known and performed ballet style is late-romantic ballet, which is a classical style that focuses on female dancers; features pointe work, and flowing and precise movements; and often presents the female dancers in traditional, short white French tutus.

En pointe
means “on the tip” and is a part of classical ballet technique. Pointe is the advancement of ballet class to performing in hard, boxed pointe shoes. The technique developed from the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylphlike and has evolved to enable dancers to dance on the tips of their toes for extended periods of time. Girls are usually between the ages of nine and twelve years old when they progress to pointe shoes. Most students are ready for pointe when they can hold their turnout from the hips while performing center combinations, hold a proper ballet position (straight back, good turnout, etc.), pull up correctly in the legs, and balance securely in relevé (when a dancer moves from a flat foot to her toes), because dancing en pointe requires one to use the entire body, including the legs, back, and abdominal muscles.

Contemporary.
Contemporary dance explores the creative, artistic soul through a strong foundation in ballet and jazz technique. Emphasis is on moving in and out of traditional parallel jazz techniques while picking up on new, subtle movement challenges. This style of dance is constantly changing and evolving with trends in contemporary movement.