This morning I started skimming through my list of bookmarked blogs. First stop was to Krista Scott-Dixon's website stumptuous.com.
A piece under Rants caught my attention.
Inspiring. Funny. Kick A**. I'll give a warning about language, even though I personally love Krista's salty way of putting things.
Enjoy! The House That Stumptuous Built.
Okay, here's my take on it if you want to hang around for just a bit more;
Even though the article was mainly addressing fitness training, her line "Deep kindness is braver than bashing and berating", damn near brought me to tears. I've long viewed dance instruction, whether approached from a fitness, recreational or artistic angle as a direct line to one's soft and chewy center. Most don't think twice about the action of taking three steps forward, but call it a dance step...sometimes a totally different reaction. If you know anything about the world of dance (especially classical technique), or even if you don't, you probably know that there are some pretty abusive methods employed by a lot of teachers. These methods are just as unnecessary in a dance studio as they are anywhere else.
As to fitness training, I can totally relate to building up the nerve to enter the mancave section of my gym. Even after six months of regularly going in there to do pull-ups and dead lifts I still have days when I feel insecure and lonely, "Nobody talks to me", "I'm pretty sure I looked like a complete dumb ass with that barbell".
So when I start to feel those clouds of self-doubt rolling in, I will recite passages of stumptuous's beautiful rant. And if I suddenly get the urge to take the, in my opinion unintelligent, uncreative and just plain lazy, low road of "bashing and berating" my dance students, I will grab myself by the scruff of neck and remember there is a higher and far better road.
Enjoy the dance that is life!
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