Dance Life Magazine Online

A collection of articles, thought-provoking commentary, classroom tips and strategies, smart business concepts, advice, and more. As always, Rhee Gold and his team will offer content to challenge the dance education field to hold each other and every student in high regard.

Swing The Pendulum Back

by Rhee Gold A while ago I held a seminar for teachers and studio owners at a dance convention that included a competition. These awesome people were teachers for all the right reasons-everyone was excited about learning new approaches for the classroom and business. At one point, a conversation started up about dance competitions and the importance of age-appropriate music and costuming, and of giving students movement that they were ready for instead of tricks or flashy steps. Everyone agreed-these were the standards that they lived by and that they wanted to see all dance educators practice. Most of the…

Rhee Gold On My Mind

She Just Can’t Stop Herself

“You’re an artistic genius! How do you come up with an idea like that?” “Motivated to be different” is the motto of the teacher who choreographed the piece that everyone is raving about. She’s the one who doesn’t want to be like anyone else or follow the current trends in choreography. Tricks like grabbing a leg and yanking it behind the head (often, unfortunately, with a turned-in supporting leg) are nowhere to be found in her art. The even bigger feats like fouetté turns or multiple jumps are not in her choreographic vocabulary. Yet she continues to awe audiences, judges,…

Rhee Gold On My Mind

Mary, Took the Common Bond Message to Heart

Is the teacher who produces phenomenal ballerinas more credible than the teacher who produces the best hip-hop dancers? Is the teacher in small-town America less passionate than the teacher in big-city America? My thought is that all dance teachers pass on the gifts of dance in the most appropriate way for them. They share a common goal and I don’t judge how they do it. I always encourage teachers to get together to share the life with those who best understand it (even if the other teacher happens to be in the same town). One studio owner friend, whom I will…

Rhee Gold On My Mind You Never Know

You Never Know

At my seminars, I always tell the attendees that it isn’t the number of their students who move on to professional careers or awards they have won that determine their success as teachers. Instead, it’s the impact they have on the average student in their classrooms. Teachers are most effective when they recognize that all children deserve to feel special, whether or not they are the most talented. I have always believed that it’s possible to instill a passion for the art of dance in every child, regardless of the level of dance achieved. Almost 40 years ago, I taught…

I Have Often Wondered

by Rhee Gold I have often wondered why we (dance teachers) can be friends with teachers and school owners who teach in another state or quite a distance from where we do, but if the teacher or school happens to be in the same town, then they are often considered the enemy? What is hard to understand is that the teacher up the street possesses the same passion that we do. We actually have more in common with them than we do the teacher who happens to do their thing quite a distance from us. Just a thought . ….

It’s About Life Lessons

Not all children will develop into professional dancers. One of our primary goals is to teach life lessons and skills that offer children the best chance for success. Dance education encompasses far more than technique and the steps the children learn. I believe the discipline of dance training gives young people a better understanding of commitment through learning, experiencing the spirit of teamwork, and discovering what they can accomplish through hard work. Our goal is to educate the minds, bodies, and souls of our students, teaching them the skills needed for a successful life, whether or not they stay involved…

Games for Preschool Classes

by Karen White When it comes to teaching preschoolers, you can never have too many tricks up your sleeve. Here are three games to help refocus little ones’ attention. 1. The Fairies and the Sleeping Dolls Split the class in two. Give half the students “magic” wands (you can use substitutes like pencils)—these are the fairies. Place the other half randomly around the room, standing in first position with arms in first, head tilted and eyes closed. These are the sleeping dolls. To the sounds of a lullaby or gentle ballet music, have the fairies tiptoe randomly from one doll…

Fun Fact: Hip-Hop Style

Fun facts for teachers and students

Expected Daughters to Take Over

I am pooped and feel like quitting this business. It seems the studio is growing faster than I can keep up with, and I am exhausted with trying to keep it organized like my customers are used to. I am seriously considering selling it all and walking away.

Dancewear Store?

Dear Rhee, I have owned a school with more than 400 students for 21 years. Until last summer there was a dancewear store about 10 miles away, where my students and those from many area schools purchased their dancewear. For the last few months I have been ordering my students’ shoes and dancewear from various wholesalers, and I have been making a nice profit from these sales. Last week the space next door to my school became available for rent and the landlord offered me a very reasonable rate. The location would be perfect for a dancewear store. I figure…