I started dancing with a standard partner with whom I meshed comfortably and immediately. I built up a group of really fun students. Life was great. We even had a showcase where I performed with students and with Chris, and it went swimmingly.
But after the showcase, I never really seemed to get to dance. Or coach. My partner and I never had time to practice anymore, and my best couples disappeared. I was just teaching one-on-one private lessons, mainly to beginners. It wasn't what I had signed up for. I don't want to compete pro-am. I want to compete amateur, or else compete rising star and coach amateur couples. But that's just not the dance scene out here. Amateur couples (especially good ones) are few and far between.
My dancing developed in a world where dance was a sport practiced by starving students. We worked hard and we scrimped and saved to keep up with shoe expenses, and when we competed, we were tough about it.
Here, dance is something enjoyed only by those rich enough to compete pro-am. They hire their teachers to dance with them and enjoy weekend vacations at competitions. And to studio owners, it's all about the money, the lesson prices, the travel packages and showcase fees.
It's just not my world.
So I gave them my notice. I quit.
I'm off to find something new. Until then, I'm still trying to dance with my partner in the mornings and I'm coaching my favorite little 9-year-old (see picture) until someone else can come in to fill the gap. I hope, though, that something will arise that will let me fulfill my dance craving without interfering with school or making me feel like I'm ripping people off.
