From Student to Teacher’s Assistant: Meet Alex
Dance has been a part of Alex’s life for the past six years. Four of those years have been spent at River Valley Dance Project, where she has grown from a student into a new teacher’s assistant! Alex first came to RVDP looking for a studio where she could feel comfortable and continue growing as a dancer. “So we tried River Valley, and it turned out great,” she says. What keeps her coming back? “The teachers are all really nice, and it’s just a really fun place to take class!” One of Alex’s favorite things about dance is getting the chance to keep learning. “I like that we get to learn so many new things,” she says. One skill she especially enjoys? Stag leaps!
Now, Alex is getting the opportunity to experience dance from a different perspective. As a new teacher’s assistant, she is beginning to help younger dancers who are just starting their own dance journeys. She recently helped in the Creative Movement class of three- to five-year-olds and says she was “really excited” about the experience. For Alex, one of the exciting parts of teaching is getting to watch younger dancers learn new skills, gain confidence, and discover their own love of dance.
Being a student herself has given Alex a unique perspective on the kind of teacher she hopes to become. One lesson she wants to carry with her is simple: “Don’t make somebody feel bad if they can’t do a step you can do.” For Alex, teaching isn’t just about showing someone how to do a step. She is excited to learn how to better understand her students and figure out what they need. “I’m really excited about learning how to tell what they’re thinking, what they’re excited about, and then figuring out how I can help them,” she explains.
If Alex could choose her dream class to teach someday, she would pick a modern dance class for younger students. With both of her parents working as teachers, Alex has grown up around education and says she has always loved little kids. “I think they’re really fun because they’re so creative and they’re just amazing to work with.”
Creating a positive environment is especially important to Alex. When asked what she hopes her students feel when they are in her classroom, she says she wants them to feel safe and have fun without feeling bad about themselves. “I want them to just have a great time and learn some dance.”
Taking on this role will add another thing to Alex’s already busy schedule. Alex is in seventh grade and every week has to balance dance, homework, field hockey, and family life. She admits that it can be difficult sometimes, but her secret is to just take everything “one step at a time.” She also makes time to practice outside of her regular dance classes, setting aside time for warm-ups and working on her routines. Adding this new role at RVDP, Alex will have to continue staying organized to make time for all of the things she enjoys.
As Alex begins her journey from student to teacher’s assistant, she hopes to bring the qualities she has valued in her own teachers into the classroom: patience, encouragement, and the ability to recognize that every student needs something different. “Being able to give every kid what they seem to need” is something she believes makes a good teacher.
For Alex, becoming a teacher’s assistant is another opportunity to keep learning, not just about how to dance, but about becoming a person who can inspire other students and make dance so meaningful.
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