I had a wonderful time teaching last night. Following my dream by bringing joy to others through dance is Priceless.
Most importantly, though, it’s about the harmony, and the connections dancers make with each other as they’re moving together. It’s not just teaching—it’s the Ohana [Hawaiian for ‘family’]. … We share a natural bond.
My experience as a dance teacher has been a journey, with some happy and sad days. It’s pretty hard to make everyone happy. I just come to realize that I’ll never gonna make everybody happy, so I might as well make some happy. Teaching classes with students of mixed abilities and personalities is a challenge for me, and as a teacher I try hard to meet all the wishes and desires of the class. I realize that it’s hard to keep presenting new challenges discouraging anyone. So, I lose and gain students along the way, but I guess we tend to gravitate toward those classes and people that meet our needs.
My main concern in our dance classes is to make it fun for everyone. Sometimes balancing the fun with some degree of technique can be a struggle for a teacher. Juggling this in class can be tough, it doesn’t always work, and I understand I will sometimes lose people to other classes. But the reality is that I’m a teacher, not magician or a telepath. So I always encourage my students to talk to me about their challenges, frustrations, and desires.
It is true. I will not please everyone no matter how hard I try, but isn’t that the way that most things go in this life? I’m truly happy with so many amazing experiences as a teacher, and proud to have made it this far.
Thank you to all my family, friends, and Students for your support.
Mahalos
Simone SteeleFounder of Manea Porinesia (Polynesian Dance Entertainment)
