What else do you do?
This question has been asked of me for many years and is often sparked when a student or client suddenly discovers my work at a brand new place.
As the official KIDDO dance teacher in Mill Valley, California, I’ve taught thousands of elementary school children throughout the years. For example, a fourth grader at a local Marin County school will chance upon me teaching my Contemporary Jazz dance class at Roco Dance and ask, “What are you doing here?” I explain that I ALSO teach adults. Their eyes widen and they smile as if they are the first to know the secret. But actually, the secret of diversification has been the key to my robust career as a professional teaching artist, and the many hats I wear, are in fact, cut from one cloth: the power of dance.
A single educator can teach both, kindergartners and corporate teams, the art of teamwork, and I have done it for years. For at every age and in every profession, even that of budding five year old’s, the art of moving together brings out the best in a community. Barriers fall for the business participants and values are born in the youngsters. The art of dance, levels all ages and all categories, for it is supremely human.
Once, after I finished teaching an elementary school dance class, a boy came up to me and asked, “what do you really do?” I said: “This is what I do.” He shook his head and said, “no, I meant what is your real job? Like where you go to work and have an office.” I smiled and said, “look, I go many places but this is my job.” “You do this for a living?” he said. I replied, “yes I do.” It was hard for him to get, I imagine.
So to make it easier for you to get, we built this website that traces my trail from the world of studios to the domain of schools and businesses, to the College of Marin where I am an associate professor, and reaches all the way to the world of curricular design for school districts.
And lastly, when the journey is done, come listen to The Story Home, and treat yourself and your family to the enchantment of children’s audio stories, loved by millions of families around the world for the last nine years.
You do that too? I hear you ask. Oh yes, and so much more… stay tuned!
