Satima's Blogspot: January 2016

Sunday, 31 January 2016

A day for dancers

Sunday, January 31, 2016 |

Posted by Satima Flavell

Yesterday I attended the inaugural Independent Dance Teachers Conference here in Perth. It was organised by my friend and colleague Angela Perry, and it was held at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts where Angela and I studied back in the 1980s! Angie did an amazing job of booking excellent speakers and planning a program that kept a bunch of dance teachers enthralled for a full day. In the evening annual awards were presented but sadly I couldn’t stay as I don’t like travelling home by public transport after dark.

The keynote speaker, Dr Shona Erskine, gave us a glimpse of the psychological tools that can help dancers to reach their full potential. Next came a lovely performance by a couple of dozen happy, fresh-faced students from the Charlesworth Ballet Institute, followed by a presentation by Sydneysider Penny Lancaster from the Australian Dance Institute, explaining the role of the Institute in organising accredited courses in dance education, teaching and management. In conversation later, Penny and I were surprised to realise that we had been fellow students at the Scully-Borovansky School of Ballet in Sydney back in the late 1950s and early 1960s! It’s a small world we dance in.

Then began the more practical sessions. I managed to stay on my feet for about half the Zumba class led by fellow Perthite Yannick Benoit, who teaches dance fitness in nearby Maddington. We were ready for a break after that, and then the ladies of my Theatrical Dance class at Trinity School for Seniors performed their party piece. I was proud of them – most of them have not danced since they were teenagers, and have come on by leaps and bounds in the time I have known them. Not that we do a lot of leaping or bounding – I keep seniors classes a bit low key, with a short ballet barre and centre followed by a dancey section that uses no deep knee bends, no jumps and no pointe work. My dear ladies acquitted themselves well and got some nice claps and cheers as they took their bows.

ZeeshanPasha was the next speaker. He offered an interactive workshop about branding and networking. I was pleased to find that I was putting energy into most of the right channels!

All in all, it was a fruitful and enjoyable day. Angela Perry did an amazing job of the organisational matters, and the speakers and audience were all interesting and likeable. I would love to see an organisation for independent dance teachers, providing more opportunities for professional development. Sometimes independent operators in any field can start to think they are roaming around alone in a huge, darkened room.

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A day for dancers

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