Everything I Learned about Life, I Learned in Dance Class

by Abby Lee Miller

  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.

  Jazz. This is America’s true folk dance. The term jazz was first applied to a style of music and dance during World War I. Jazz as a dance form, however, originates from the vernacular dances of Africans. This dance form developed alongside jazz music in New Orleans in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance. Jazz continues to evolve with the changing musical styles of our time. The dance style is heavily influenced by today’s fad dances. Other elements of jazz dance are less common and are the stylizations of their respective choreographers. One such example is the inverted limbs and hunched-over posture of Bob Fosse.

  Lyrical. This is a style of dance created from the fusion of ballet and jazz dance techniques. It is expressive, simultaneously subtle and dynamic, focused on conveying musicality and storytelling. Choreography is commonly set to popular music, with dramatic vocals as well as rich instrumentation expressing deep personal emotions.

  Acrobatics. Acrobatics is the art of doing slow, controlled stunts using the flexibility of the back, legs, and shoulders. The fundamentals include backbends, handstands, elbow stands, chin stands, limbers, and walkovers on both the right and left. As students advance, they add variations of these basics, and when ready, they will begin aerial work to execute each trick without hands.

  Gymnastics. Gymnastics is a sport requiring physical strength, agility, coordination, and balance. Movements are executed with a straight back using power and speed. Competitive artistic gymnastics is the best known of the gymnastic sports. It typically involves the women’s events of uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise, and vault. We only work on floor tumbling—from beginner rolls, cartwheels, round-offs, all the way through the more advanced front and back handsprings, tucks, layouts, and twists. Gymnastics evolved from exercises used by the ancient Greeks that included skills for mounting and dismounting a horse, and from circus performance skills.

  Contortion. This is a form of extreme acrobatics for dancers born with natural flexibility. We refer to them as “closebenders.” If your child is a candidate, he/she will learn additional variations of splits, chin stands, and elbow stands, and a whole vocabulary of amazing tricks.

  Hip-hop. A dance fad that is here to stay, this high-energy, athletic, popular dance style originated on the streets in the late eighties with break dancing. There are no rules! Hip-hop has come full circle, incorporating capoeira, martial arts, jazz, and modern dance. In the professional world, dancers must have hip-hop in their repertoire.

  Tap. Tap is the only form of dance that incorporates sound. Elementary steps and basic rhythms are taught first, then more intricate patterns and fancier footwork. From Gene Kelly of yesterday to Savion Glover of today, tap remains a driving force in the entertainment field.

  Character. Character dance focuses on stylized dance genres that are instantly associated with different recognizable characters such as sailors, cowboys, flappers, and animals. Steps performed include the can-can, hoedown, Charleston, and cakewalk. Character education is vital to any dancer planning to pursue a career in the performing arts.

  Musical theater. This is vital training for those students who want to go on to perform on Broadway. A dancer also needs to sing and act. A successful, employable professional is called a “triple threat”! Theater skills, vocal projection, staging, and learning the lyrics to Broadway musicals are all key skills in musical theater.

  Partnering. This skill is important when performing in professional productions, where a male dancer will be expected to lead, lift,
turn, throw, and catch a female counterpart. The ability to partner safely and confidently is key. Equally, the female dancer must support herself and share in the timing, energy, and cohesive flow from one exciting lift to another.

  INSIDE YOUR DANCE BAG

  Your dance bag should contain everything you’ll need to survive when you’re at a dance class or competition. Make sure your dance bag includes . . .

  Ballet slippers

  Pointe shoes

  Black leotard and pink tights

  Warm-up sweats or knitties

  Colored leotard or dancewear

  Band-Aids

  Blister bandages

  New-Skin liquid bandage

  Lots of toe tape

  Needle and thread

  Scissors

  Nail clippers

  Thera-Band

  Water bottle

  Snacks (usually chewy bars or apples)

  Icy Hot or Bengay

  Clear nail polish (for runs in tights)

  iPod/phone/headphones

  Character skirt, character shoes, black tights, jazz shoes

  All other dance shoes

  * * *

  ABBY’S ULTIMATE ADVICE

  Three Key Points to Remember

  1.Help your kid find his/her passion. Try new things until something strikes a chord. What is your child good at and excited by, and how can she get even better?

  2.Nurture that passion. As a parent, it’s your obligation to help your child grow into the best person he can be. Don’t assume you know everything, because you don’t! Enlist the help of professionals.

  3.Not every pro is on the up-and-up. Do some digging. Ask around. Observe teachers in action. Check credentials. If you don’t like what you see, find someone else. Your child deserves nothing less than the best.

  * * *

  FIRST POSITION

  CROISÉ DEVANT

  All’s Fair in Dance and War

  If you really want to fly, harness your power to your passion.

  —Oprah Winfrey

  SOME CHILDREN ARE JUST SPECIAL. On my show, that’s Maddie Ziegler. And I am sick and tired of everyone whining about Maddie. “Maddie has the prettiest outfits!” “Maddie gets the most attention!” “Maddie’s always at the top of the pyramid!” Well, guess what? Maddie’s an exemplary student. She is punctual, prepared, and passionate about the art of dance. And her example is great for her peers. Instead of condemning the top kid—the winner, the champion—your child should be learning from her! Do what she does well, just the way she does it.

  I knew that Maddie was something special the first time she walked into my studio. She was adorable; that face was cupcakelike. Her mom introduced herself as Melissa, and her dad didn’t need an introduction. I recognized him immediately from my old high school days. He graduated from Penn Hills High School in 1982, and I graduated many, many, many years later (wink). The two looked like a perfect couple with a very sweet, well-behaved, and curious—but still somewhat shy—little girl who was destined to dance. Maddie was only four, but already knew she wanted to take tap and hip-hop. She told me right off the bat she did not want to take ballet or acrobatics. Now, who lets their four-year-old decide how to spend their money? Luckily, at the Abby Lee Dance Company all preschool students are required to take a combination lesson that includes ballet for posture and body alignment, tap for rhythm and timing, and tumbling to build upper body strength and increase flexibility.

  Maddie immediately started classes once a week, but Melissa was gung ho and added another day at our satellite studio. Maddie took to all genres of dance, and my staff was abuzz about this smart and talented munchkin. We don’t have hip-hop classes for our four- and five-year-old students because there is not that much interest. But Maddie was bright enough to take the mini-hip-hop class with the six- to eight-year-olds, and she was still the smartest kid in the class—picking up the choreography faster than anyone else.

  Then Melissa asked if Maddie could just stay another half hour to take the jazz class too! I worried about her ability to get onstage and remember the routines during our annual dance concert, but Maddie made me eat my words. Not only did she retain the choreography, she shone onstage—and continues to shine week after week on national television. So should you be jealous of her? Go right ahead.

  We all know life isn’t fair. When I say, “All’s fair in dance and war,” I mean that you pull out all the stops—all the time. You do whatever it takes to win. You dig down deep inside and push yourself to the limit. It also means to be cautious and careful, and know that the people out there whom you’re competing against—whether it’s in a competition-type setting or in a Broadway show audition—they’re going to be nasty, mean, and cruel and you need to be ready for that. The world is not the happiest place. Even getting a job for Disney can be cutthroat.

  You can’t do this without being prepared. To be prepared, education comes first and foremost. I don’t mean learning by the book, I mean getting smart about everything that’s going to affect you. This means knowing all about your craft of dancing, and about the choreographer who’s hiring the dancers via the casting agency that’s writing his/her paycheck. Be knowledgeable going into that situation. If it’s a competition, then know everything you possibly can about the people who are judging. What are their backgrounds? Read their bios and find out as much as you can about what they like in a dancer and what they don’t like. You should also know everything you can about the facility where you’ll be dancing. Is there a stage? What’s the flooring on the stage? Is it wood, or marley, or something else?

  Dance is not like school. In the dance studio, I always tell my students to copy their (successful) neighbors. Go ahead and steal from them—you’re not going to get detention for doing it. In fact, you may just go to the head of the class. This applies to any activity outside of an academic test. If your child is playing chess competitively, and her teammate has a killer seven-step checkmate move, she should memorize it too. That teammate with the sharper moves will help her dig deeper and motivate herself. If your youngster is the strongest one in her class, studio, or gym, it’s time to raise the barre. If you don’t, you’ll both be in for a rude awakening when she heads out to a bigger competition, whether in life, school, or work.

  Anything you can learn about what you’re doing and what you want to achieve is going to help you in the long run. Who else is going out for the job? What are their talents? What do they have that you don’t? All’s fair in love and war, and all’s fair in dance and war. The more you can find out before you walk into the competition—or up onto the stage—the better.

  Now don’t get me wrong. Even though I state that all’s fair, I do believe that teachers and coaches have to abide by rules of conduct and behavior on behalf of their students, since a child’s ability to understand ethical behavior is limited. I’m not talking about extreme situations like what happened between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. I’m talking about how I’ve seen kids head over to the corner of the studio or stage, throw baby powder on the floor, and stick their feet in it so they can turn faster. When I see something like this happen, I’ve got to give kudos to the kid for being smart enough to have thought of the old baby powder trick and actually followed through with it. But ethically, it’s up to me to stop my students from doing things like this.

  When I see something like this happening in a competition, I go right to the people running it and tell them what I saw. And you know that when I do, I’m no shrinking violet—I’m not shy about it one little bit. Not only that, but I always tell my kids that if they see foul play and they don’t tell me so we can go to the officials, then they shouldn’t complain when that kid beats them and they’re standing onstage in second place. They had a voice and the power to do something, but they chose not to. I have found that other people aren’t so quick to tattle, because “someone won’t like them.”

  When it comes to mean and potenti
ally hateful people, I always tell my kids to be the very best they can be—be better than they are. By being tough on my kids now, I am preparing them for the worst, in dance and in life. As a teacher, I can yell at my students and tell them this, that, and the other thing, I can be mean and nasty, but I never want to hear some other dance teacher talking about my kids negatively. I want to make sure that my students can handle anything. If someone is going to tell one of my kids she’s fat, or bowlegged, or has horrible posture, tell a girl she’s not pretty, or tell a boy he’s dancing like a girl, I want to make them so tough and strong that nothing will ever ruffle their feathers—nothing!

  Kids who have gone on to dance with the Radio City Rockettes, and kids who have gone on to college dance teams, have told me that they have seen a coach or choreographer yelling at the girl next to them and the girl starts to cry, and they’re looking at her like “Are you crazy? This is nothing! I was trained by Abby Lee Miller!” Nobody is going to embarrass them and upset them more than I am. I’ll do it first, and I’ll do it right! But I correct and humiliate them in a private lesson inside my studio. I know just how to push a kid’s buttons to get the results I want. I would never do it to them at an audition in front of eight hundred of their peers. All the preparation is done ahead of time to make them tough in any situation.