it only takes one

The other night at the studio I was subbing a jazz class. The kids in the class were middle school aged (most of them had alot of ability), they weren't beginners. I was stoked to teach them. I decided to teach them a combination, and to take a break from working on their skill set (which they do every week). So, instead of being drilled on leaps and turns- I thought I would give them a fun, but challenging, alternative. I love putting my choreographing on other dancers. I love sharing my style, movement, and energy. I grasped my infamous cut off sweatpants made into shorts and began with the first 8 count, hoping for the best. It was hard, I'm not going to lie, but I knew everyone in the room could do it. As time progressed, and after doing what they had learned so far with the music, I asked them if they had any questions. Whenever I'm teaching I constantly say "does anyone have any questions? anyone? anyone at all?". I love to be asked things- that means the dancers are engaged. So when I asked them this time if they had any questions a girl finally spoke up, "When is this over?" then her friend added. "yeah, how much longer?". I just replied with- everyone go and get some water. I was terrified I was doing someting wrong, maybe the combination was way too hard or way too boring. As the rolled eyes left the room, they all went to go and grab some water. All except this one dancer. This one dancer is extremely talented for her age. She didn't leave to get water. She stayed infront of the mirror doing this one section of the combination over and over again, trying to make it just right. She's a perfectionist, much like myself. With the majority of the kids wanting to run out the door, I was starting to feel discouraged. I thought to myself- Damn it Tony, you're going to make this worth while. Why are you feeling discouraged? Look over there, there is a dancer who is so wrapped up in your choreography she can't think of anything else. I proceded to the final 8 count. It turned into me and the talented young dancer exploring the musicality of the combination and digging into the dynamics of it. It didn't matter if the room was full of 500, 50, or 5 interested dancers, having just ONE made it all worth while. To see your work touch someone's artistic abiltiy, and to see them become competely invlovled is inspirational. I was stressing out over the wrong reasons. It wasn't important how many dancers wanted to be there. Having the oppurtunity to put out my art, yes choreography is a form of art, and having one dancer take it in, it made it all worth while.

from that dancer guy to you,
Tony