welcome back everyone… i’m alive.

so, last Thursday I was teaching my competitive lyrical class and I was explaining to my students that I needed them to perform the piece with a different feeling then they were giving me…

me: “you guys need to be more aggressive, i need to see in your movement that it means something to you…”

a student: “i really don’t think we should be kinky during this dance….”

me: (bottom lip on the ground, eyes bugged out… in shock.) “what?”

student: “i don’t think this dance should be done kinky, you said aggressive”

me: “that doesn’t mean… kinky.  wow, this is awkward.  aggressive means, be fierce, don’t hold back (show her moves done too flowy and mushy and then done aggressively) i need to see you are in pain from losing the love of your life, or losing a friend, i need you to move with purpose, i need the audience to feel like their heart just got ripped out, but they have you to turn to” 

another student: “kinky is sexual, like furry handcuffs”

original student: “oooooh, (mortified face) i had no idea that’s what it meant”

me: (repeat of former what-the-h face) “aaah, no seriously stop talking everyone… goodness you guys, this couldn’t be more uncomfortable”

…

that happened only two weeks after the following in my younger competitive jazz class:

me: “what should your performance be like?”

10 year old student: “we should be sexy”

me: “aaaahh, no, no, no… how do you even know that word… no, you should be confident and sassy, very showy… “

another student: “did she just say sexy” (eruption of laughter)

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now seriously, how do these kids come across these words… could you imagine if one of them said hey miss maggie said i should be kinky in my performance… wow… i would be devastated… 

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