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Why do they do this?


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Okay, I'm not sure this is where to post this -- or even if I should, but last evening I attended an "end of year" performance of a non-preprofessional school. My son-in-law had been asked to guest to support their "ballerina".

Now to be fair, I have gone to a number of smaller studio "Dolly Dinkle" type recitals in the past, and I have always enjoyed them for what they were. Wonderful children dancing for the love of dance. But this! The owner -"artistic director" took on a classic, advertised it as such, charged a fairly substantial amount per ticket, and proceded to destroy it. (It actually looked like a corps of Jan's on the Brady Bunch trying to dance!) I have no problem with studios doing their own choreography to established ballets so children can perform them, but at least do something that is within their reach!

These poor children. Obviously there was more emphasis put on producing the recital than on teaching them correct placement and movement. It was all arms and legs kicking and flailing about. I was surprised no one got hurt!

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Doris, this is a very appropriate place to post this issue. I hope it draws a range of responses -- from audience members as well as teachers and students -- and parents!

I've seen the same recital once or twice, I think :) How it's advertised and how it's priced makes a difference to me, too. If it's Dolly Dinkle Academy Spring Recital, please come -- that's one thing. If it's La Grand Ballet du D. Dinkle in Swan Lake -- that's another.

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Doris R, can you be a bit more specific without totally giving away the true identity of the offending school/performance? And when you say your son in law was asked to "guest" - does this mean that he is a professional dancer and partnered someone in the performance?

Before I can officially pass judgment;), I need to have more details! What were the age ranges, what was the ballet, how much did the tickets cost, why did you go, and how specifically was it advertised that was so misleading?

Were the tickets $25 or more? Did they have it in a theater that required technical assistance and a stage manager, etc.?

Do you think that the majority of the audience was made up of parents and their dutiful friends and relatives?

Let's face it, ballets are often performed horribly by all sorts of studios. schools and, yes, even - companies!! :):( But there must have been something really annoying about this one for you, so if you care to elaborate, please do. :)

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BW -- to respond to your questions, yes, my son-in-law is a professional dancer. This year he's done several of these guestings with "youthful companies", partnering their "ballerina."

The performance was held in a local high school auditorium, as many regional companies sometimes perform. The tickets were not $25, but were $15, and in that particular area that was considered to be high. This seems to be a large organization and the ages of the children looked to be from primary elementary school through high school and some young adults.

I know the children did their best, and for that I appalud them. What I do have a problem with is that they were sent out there so unprepared. The choreography looked like they were making it up as they went along, and even the "advanced" girls couldn't hold placement. Their arms were swinging loosely, their legs were not turned out, and their facial expressions were flat. The only clue that it was actually staged was that they were all doing the same thing at approximately the same time.

Yes, the audience I'm sure was made up primarily of parents and friends, but its a real disservice to these people to think their children are learning ballet, and to the art if this is what they think ballet is! I was warned ahead of time from my daughter that it was going to be bad, and she's very fair about young dancers. Why did I go? I like going to children's performances -- they are usually so enthusiastic and are the future of dance, unfortunately these little one are not going to be taking us there unless they find some real training.

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Ah, Doris R, I have a clearer picture now.:( Unfortunately, this seems to happen more often than one cares to think about. Does this mean that the teachers are incompetent and/or that the school is a sham? Perhaps, the best thing would be for your son in law to refrain from dancing with this particular group...especially as this doesn't seem as though it's an isolated experience.

From what I can see we have enough disagreements about styles and methods of training within the well known professional school realms, without delving into the morass of ballet "schools" that are out there actually making money and not really even getting the basics right!;)

As a parent of a young dancer, and as someone who is in the early stages of the learning curve of understanding and appreciating ballet in greater depth than merely "enjoying" the show, I am always trying to fathom how to find and evaluate a really good ballet program. Sadly, it appears there are many out there that really shouldn't be teaching or running programs... Are they malicious and only in it for the buck$ or is it just plain ignorance much of the time? Isn't this another way of phrasing your initial question?

I suppose your post was really more of an understandable outburst of frustration, than a question...and for that, I don't blame you at all. :(

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BW, I think you've raised some good points, and I think it would be interesting to have a discussion among dance parents and dance goers on this -- what do such shows/schools mean for your child? How does it affect you as audience -- if you attend?

Checkwriter, thank you for a truly chilling little vignette :mad: I think you've all too accurately described what happens across the country. My main gripe with such shows/schools is not that they're doing hip hop hula broadway end of school shows, it's that they call it "Sleeping Beauty" and they say it's ballet. I think this does everyone a disservice. There are some for whom this will be their introduction to "ballet." If they love it, they're going to be really upset at the real "Sleeping Beauty". If they hate it, they'll blame ballet. In either case, ballet loses, I think.

This is end of school year season. More stories? Opinions?

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Guest heavenlydancer

recital schools. i had once attended one of these schools your talking about. except my school had stage presence. the anual recitals were looked forward to by all the dancers. especially the younger ones who were having there first time on stage. personnally, i believe that even if the audience is just family, it gives the children experience and most of the time a great memory and lots of fun. i doubt the girls and boys realize how bad they look. i am surprised they advertized it so much or even charged that much, but a studio does what it wants, or at least that has been my experience

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One school I went to did an annual show - which tended to last for about 3 hours and had little pieces from every single class - babies to Elementary ballet, belly dancing, modern, contemporary, Indian etc etc. We all had a great time because it gave us a chance to perform (the only chance most of us would ever have!) but when I said to my family please come they'd go 'do we have to stay for the whole thing or can we just see the bit you're in?' !!!

Of course I made them sit through the whole thing! But some parents walked out when their little ones had been on and by the second half the auditorium was seriously depleted, from being standing-room only! So rude!

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Hi there!

Ok, i am no a dance parent, but being a former dancer and still young, i would like to add my two cents. Anyway, i am very familiar with these recital that you all are speaking of. I attended a small classical ballet school which, surprisingly gaveextremly good technique. I attended several major schools and was accepte into a few companies. Anyway, we put on performances of classics based on the ability f the students outr teachers ha at the time. Our area has a LARGE group of rich momies that want to see their children in dance and would continually ask me to come to their children's rcitals. I didn't know whatto say because i experienced the same things you all did. But th parents were extremely delighted in their children.

I guess that if the parents are accepting of the way their dane schools are run, then that is all that matters. It i when those same students attended SI auditions with me that the message was clear. Many timesi saw them leave in tears and their parents looking bewildered.

It is sad, but with no certification requireed to open a dance school it is unlikely to change. That to me would be a good solution, to qualify teachers in some manner or another. But that brings up a totally different area all togeter.

Sorry ths is somewhat disjointed and the spelling is pretty bad, but this is my opinion. Thnks for reading!!!

~Rachel~

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Guest attitudegirl

I would have to agree with frail dove, most of these students, especially the "star" students at dolly dinkles do get a rude awakening at audition time. I once took from a teacher who was so absolutely ignorant of correct technique that I thought it should be criminal, and I especially felt bad for little girls who thought they were learning to dance. They are too young to realize training time is precious and by the time they are old enough to evaluate their own situation, it may be too late to get professional level education. The particular teacher of whom I speak was a pre-professional? graduate from a small ballet school in texas, didn't dance for 6 years, then opens a school. Her recital was painful! I encourage parents to ask about a teacher's credentials, history, length of the teacher's own training, etc.

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