Resolved: To Keep My Resolutions

New Year- New Opportunities

I usually start [working on] my resolutions at the beginning of our new school year [in September]. One this year was to paint all the studio dance rooms. I sent out a letter to my company members’ parents looking fNew year–new opportunities. How will you challenge yourself? or help. Ten parents expressed interest. I have three very large rooms with fifteen-foot ceilings! It took two and one-half days, twelve-foot rolling scaffolding, more paint rollers than I care to think about, and forty gallons of paint. Each room received two coats of ceiling paint, new colored walls with contrasting trim, and, to top it off, a parent who manages a local hardware store got the paint donated by his distributor. To all the parents that helped, we gave a full month tuition credits. I’m so thankful. I’ll be thinking about next year. —Luis Pabon, Luis Pabon Dance Center, Norwich, Connecticut

My 2005 resolution is to dance with Tony Danza.
—Rosie Radiator, San Francisco Tap Center, San Francisco, California

Well, most of all I have made a commitment to myself that I will strive to keep first and foremost in my thoughts the reason why we dance. Too often product becomes more important than process! I want the people I teach to know, understand, and embrace this—dance is language, dance is joy. Regardless of our extensions, pirouettes, and so forth, it is our ability to move and affect people that make us beautiful. I feel that this has been somewhat lost in the crazy world of competition, auditions etc. It is wonderful to challenge ourselves to be better at all times, but that is just it. We can be no better or worse than we allow ourselves to be; in competition and in love with OURSELVES as dancers; that is always our ultimate challenge. —Mary Kate Felber, Master Teacher, New York City

I hope to get my filing in better order. I hate filing and need to just stop and do it daily. If filing were set to music, I would have no problem. —Melba Huber, Melba’s Inc., McAllen, Texas

I think my resolution is to put dance in better perspective as compared to my regular life. Sometimes we get so focused on it that it blurs out the simpler things around us. I’m finding that if I take a little more time for myself, I bring a better person to the studio. It’s a hard lesson and a hard habit to break, but I’m giving it a try. —Diane Gudat, Dance Company Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

My goal in 2005 is to increase the membership of Dance Masters by at least another couple of hundred teachers. It always amazes me that after 121 years, there are still people out there who don’t know what we are about or why they should be joining. We are making a real campaign to get the word out about our programs: posters going out, advertising in the dance periodicals, and, of course, our website, which has current information and our history. —Robert Mann, National Executive Secretary, Dance Masters of America, Bayside, New York

Two years ago, I made a resolution to read at least one biography a year, and to follow it up by watching any musicals, movies, and performances that pertain to that person. As a young teacher listening to my older peers, I found myself not knowing enough about who came before us, and who it was that made an impact on our art form. I suppose my resolution was ignited by my own embarrassment and frustration, but whatever the motivation it has made me a better teacher. I have since learned more about Tommy Tune, Bob Fosse, and Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly’s biography sits on my bedside table next in line. In my teen tap classes we have viewed snippets of Fred Astaire’s movies, and when Fosse was in town (several of my students went) we talked about Fosse’s life and his style. So I suppose this year’s resolution is to continue the previous one and to think of new ways to incorporate that information into the classroom. —Patty Brearly, dance teacher, Warwick, Rhode Island

The Goldrush Magazine. Subscribe now!