Teaching Philosophy 

I teach for similar reasons to why I dance. It gives me, and other artists a voice when words can sometimes fail to fully communicate and express what needs to be said. In my classroom, students are encouraged to connect emotionally with the audience, peers, and themselves. Throughout my classes, students develop confidence and personal expression as well as increased anatomical awareness. Expression and reflection are utilized to help create an environment in which students can express their feelings in a productive manner while learning to control their emotions.

 

Having a strong work ethic is important regardless of whether the student grows up to be a dancer or follows another career path. In my classroom, students experience challenges from retaining choreography to setting personal intentions. They learn that it takes hard work and a little bit of sweat to achieve their goals. This discipline and focus then spill over to other interests in the student's life preparing them for whatever path they choose to take. 

 

The world is based on creativity and imagination. Without these two principles, the world would look nothing like it currently does. My students work on creating shapes and movements through imagination and exploration. I provide time for structured improvisation exercises, creating endless opportunities for future development and innovation of movement. 

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I am a strong believer that the arts, and dance specifically, is a community. The bonds the dancers make in the studio create a family that supports and connects them all through life. Students work in teams, with partners, and with individual exploration. By doing so, we develop comfort in working independently, a taste of healthy competition, and gather inspiration from our peers. 

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When assessing students, I set clear intentions for classes and ages. These intentions range from technique-guided to artistry-focused. The technique-guided intentions have clear expectations of what is correct and incorrect. Students are shown what is expected of them to work towards achieving and surpassing the standards. Artistry-focused intentions are more personalized for what each dancer needs in their training and do not always have a clear end goal. 

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I hope that every one of my students experiences the joy that comes with dancing. The number one rule in my classroom is that students have fun. It is hard to build kindness, passion, and persistence without experiencing happiness. It is my goal that in class dancers will feel the freedom of expression, meet new friends, and reap the rewards of dance training.