Happy Birthday... to one of my favorite people.
Most people know that I've had the amazing privilege to teach ballet over the past 10 years (on and off). I've worked at small after school programs, taught in churches, gone on missions trips where I was able to teach kids (and sometimes adults), taught classes and even choreographed entire musicals at a local kids theater and was eventually able to have my own studio for kids. I love teaching ballet... and working with kids. I feel like each of my students take a part of my heart when they leave and move on to bigger and better things. I often wonder where these precious little children are and what they're up to. Do they even remember 'Miss Jessica'... that crazy ballet teacher they had when they were 6?
The fact is... I never really wanted to teach ballet. Teaching was something you did when you were either old or injured... and couldn't dance anymore. Unfortunately, it was the latter for me. I enjoyed traveling and teaching kids overseas... but it was always short term, not much of a commitment. Eventually, I realized that I needed to do something with my life, so I reluctantly took a small teaching job at a school in Ocean View.
I was terrified. What in the world was I supposed to do with these kids? What did their parents expect? What?! You want a Christmas AND end of the year performance?! What did I get myself into? I didn't even go to school for this!
As I stepped into that 'way too small', make shift classroom that first day with my little boom box... it all came together with one simple question...
"WHAT WOULD MISS GAIL DO?"
I met one of my favorite people on this earth when I was about 6 years old. My ballet teacher Miss Gail. Miss Gail could command a room full of children with a stern look and a tambourine (in fact, I bet she still can). Miss Gail was about 5 feet tall and barely 100 lbs. (if that) of no nonsense... mixed with motherly love.
She had long, black hair pulled back in a neat bun and she usually wore some sort of oversized pink sweater over her tights. She was very stern. I remember getting put out of class one day for talking. Believe me, that was the only time. I also remember getting a bit anxious when someone would misbehave or if she had to raise her voice in class. She would get the unruly ballerina straight... then glance over at me and wink as she walked by. Maybe she did this to everyone... or maybe she had something in her eye... but at the time that wink reassured me that I was definitely 'her favorite'... and that I was doing a good job.
Anyway... I had no idea what I was doing that first year of teaching, but I knew that if I just pretended that I was Miss Gail... it just had to work out. So I would make up stories about little people (or perhaps fairies) that lived in the forest and washed their faces in dew drops that got caught in the leaves. And, of course, there was always a lesson to be learned... such as 'compassion for one that got hurt'... or sharing. So much to learn in a simple story. The kids would learn to listen and follow the instruction of the teacher... and to cultivate their own imagination. Pure genius! Heck, let's even make that our recital theme.
Another thing any of Miss Gail's students would remember is her trusty tambourine. You can teach kids anything with a tambourine... run on your toes... now freeze... tempo... right and left. That tambourine saved my life that year. A good ballet teacher never goes anywhere without her tambourine.
One year, when I was about 8, I remember raising my hand in class because I had the hiccups. So Miss Gail walked me over to the door, told me to jump... and she lifted me up and had me hang on the door. My little hands gripped the top of the door as my feet dangled for what seemed like forever (but was probably only a few minutes). I'm still not quite sure why she did that. Maybe it's the official way of getting rid of the hiccups or maybe a strong sense of confusion always trumps a bad case of hiccups... either way, I finished class hiccup free.
Miss Gail was not only a wonderful ballet teacher, but a true mentor. The class I grew up with was truly a family. She would pray with us at the end of every class... "Lord, knit our hearts together." I never really processed what that meant until recently, but I believe the Lord honored that prayer of hers. I'm still very dear friends with some of those girls... and have even reconnected with many through facebook. These girls are still very dear to my heart and when we see each other... it seems that time has stood still for the past 15 years.
We were not a typical ballet studio. We were taught to strive for personal excellence while still loving each other and working as a team.
There was one class when I was probably 15 or 16... and it was clear that a few of us girls weren't getting along for some reason. We were in a season of many classes and rehearsals for an upcoming performance, but that didn't matter. Miss Gail escorted 4 of us out of class that day and let Miss Tiffanee (another one of my favorite people) take over class.
She took us all to the donut shop... and helped us work through whatever teenage drama that happened to be overwhelming us. Yes... our ballet teacher took us out for donuts... during class time. She instilled, in me, the principal that people and relationships are more important than schedules and deadlines. A lesson that helped me as a teacher... but even more so, as a mom now.
I have many more 'Miss Gail' stories. Like the time our whole class stayed at her house for a week during our summer workshop. Or her putting on my old tap shoes at a Christmas party and giving us a spontaneous broadway event... never a dull moment when you're around Miss Gail.
The worship team played a fabulous, old gospel song at church yesterday... and all I could think of was Miss Gail, with a flowing broom skirt dancing in the aisles... or perhaps starting a conga line... of which either would be completely appropriate.
When it comes to wonderful dance instructors and mentors... I hit the jack pot. And I could fill a book with stories from each of them. But, not one July 1st goes by without me thinking of how much I love Miss Gail and how much she has impacted my life.
Happy Birthday Miss Gail! Love you!
(Feel free to share a favorite Miss Gail memory if you have one. I have a feeling she's a 'blog stalker';)
The fact is... I never really wanted to teach ballet. Teaching was something you did when you were either old or injured... and couldn't dance anymore. Unfortunately, it was the latter for me. I enjoyed traveling and teaching kids overseas... but it was always short term, not much of a commitment. Eventually, I realized that I needed to do something with my life, so I reluctantly took a small teaching job at a school in Ocean View.
I was terrified. What in the world was I supposed to do with these kids? What did their parents expect? What?! You want a Christmas AND end of the year performance?! What did I get myself into? I didn't even go to school for this!
As I stepped into that 'way too small', make shift classroom that first day with my little boom box... it all came together with one simple question...
"WHAT WOULD MISS GAIL DO?"
I met one of my favorite people on this earth when I was about 6 years old. My ballet teacher Miss Gail. Miss Gail could command a room full of children with a stern look and a tambourine (in fact, I bet she still can). Miss Gail was about 5 feet tall and barely 100 lbs. (if that) of no nonsense... mixed with motherly love.
She had long, black hair pulled back in a neat bun and she usually wore some sort of oversized pink sweater over her tights. She was very stern. I remember getting put out of class one day for talking. Believe me, that was the only time. I also remember getting a bit anxious when someone would misbehave or if she had to raise her voice in class. She would get the unruly ballerina straight... then glance over at me and wink as she walked by. Maybe she did this to everyone... or maybe she had something in her eye... but at the time that wink reassured me that I was definitely 'her favorite'... and that I was doing a good job.
Anyway... I had no idea what I was doing that first year of teaching, but I knew that if I just pretended that I was Miss Gail... it just had to work out. So I would make up stories about little people (or perhaps fairies) that lived in the forest and washed their faces in dew drops that got caught in the leaves. And, of course, there was always a lesson to be learned... such as 'compassion for one that got hurt'... or sharing. So much to learn in a simple story. The kids would learn to listen and follow the instruction of the teacher... and to cultivate their own imagination. Pure genius! Heck, let's even make that our recital theme.
Another thing any of Miss Gail's students would remember is her trusty tambourine. You can teach kids anything with a tambourine... run on your toes... now freeze... tempo... right and left. That tambourine saved my life that year. A good ballet teacher never goes anywhere without her tambourine.
One year, when I was about 8, I remember raising my hand in class because I had the hiccups. So Miss Gail walked me over to the door, told me to jump... and she lifted me up and had me hang on the door. My little hands gripped the top of the door as my feet dangled for what seemed like forever (but was probably only a few minutes). I'm still not quite sure why she did that. Maybe it's the official way of getting rid of the hiccups or maybe a strong sense of confusion always trumps a bad case of hiccups... either way, I finished class hiccup free.
Miss Gail was not only a wonderful ballet teacher, but a true mentor. The class I grew up with was truly a family. She would pray with us at the end of every class... "Lord, knit our hearts together." I never really processed what that meant until recently, but I believe the Lord honored that prayer of hers. I'm still very dear friends with some of those girls... and have even reconnected with many through facebook. These girls are still very dear to my heart and when we see each other... it seems that time has stood still for the past 15 years.
We were not a typical ballet studio. We were taught to strive for personal excellence while still loving each other and working as a team.
There was one class when I was probably 15 or 16... and it was clear that a few of us girls weren't getting along for some reason. We were in a season of many classes and rehearsals for an upcoming performance, but that didn't matter. Miss Gail escorted 4 of us out of class that day and let Miss Tiffanee (another one of my favorite people) take over class.
She took us all to the donut shop... and helped us work through whatever teenage drama that happened to be overwhelming us. Yes... our ballet teacher took us out for donuts... during class time. She instilled, in me, the principal that people and relationships are more important than schedules and deadlines. A lesson that helped me as a teacher... but even more so, as a mom now.
I have many more 'Miss Gail' stories. Like the time our whole class stayed at her house for a week during our summer workshop. Or her putting on my old tap shoes at a Christmas party and giving us a spontaneous broadway event... never a dull moment when you're around Miss Gail.
The worship team played a fabulous, old gospel song at church yesterday... and all I could think of was Miss Gail, with a flowing broom skirt dancing in the aisles... or perhaps starting a conga line... of which either would be completely appropriate.
When it comes to wonderful dance instructors and mentors... I hit the jack pot. And I could fill a book with stories from each of them. But, not one July 1st goes by without me thinking of how much I love Miss Gail and how much she has impacted my life.
Happy Birthday Miss Gail! Love you!
(Feel free to share a favorite Miss Gail memory if you have one. I have a feeling she's a 'blog stalker';)
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Miss tiff