So? Heeeeeeeeyyyyyyy!!! (The commercial life.)

(ENTRY is from 2 years ago)

NOTE: 

THIS IS CRUCIAL! 

PLEASE READ THIS POST WITH ENTHUSIASM. ENJOY!

x on one cheek, x on the other (kisses).

O M G! how's your life? I haven't seen you in a while 

(hugs, smiles and a burst of enthusiasm)

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our acting skills are amazing aren't they? - esp when we come to a dance event and "run" into someone that we don't "expect" to see. lol

 "xx, omg! how's your life?"

so what do you do?

We oblige. We fall into the trap! Their smile is SO infectious that it cons you into acting the same way. Esp. when they say:

O M G. I've been SO busy! I haven't been to class in AGES! You know how it is. (the throw of the hand) I've barely been here. 

Then you're like, "wait? syh (shaking your head) Nooooooo I don't know how it is." 

Then you ask yourself - Did I really just act like that?

Just confused. 

-------------------

15min later!

spotted! you catch the eye of someone across the room . . . their mouth is wide open and there eyes have turned into bug eyes. 

Here they come!!! . . . kisses to everyone as they come in your direction. 

x on one cheek, x on the other (kisses)

O M G! how's your life?

You oblige AGAIN. 

Conversation ends up being longer this time.

You're barely keeping that (fake) smile on your face . . . you know? the one that goes away in the instant they walk away...

Coffee Bean date soon? Hit me up! But NOT this week, I'm swamped. There's Posers, then the Industry Voice Awards, then Carnival - then I'm working with . . . on this project. And I might be going on Tour soon - I haven't talked to my agent yet . . . we'll figure out though. 

Conversation twist:

You look good! x on one cheek. Talk soon!

Wait! Did you even get a word in during that last phrase?

You oblige though: The smile continues in parting. 

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Times goes by - you're watching tech rehearsal. Sitting on the stairs, close to the EXIT. And someone comes to plop down right beside you . . . 

x on one cheek, x on the other (kisses)

How have you been?!?!? I haven't seen you in a lonnnnnnnng time! O M G it's SO good to see you! So who's piece are you in? . . . I have to go, but we HAVE to catch up!

To be continued . . .

fake it till you make it! ~ signing off. 

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*Inspired when sitting in tech rehearsal with a friend! haha <3 nbsp="">

Excuse me??? I didn't hear you.

Ok! Let's go across the floor. Let's do some improv . . . whatever you want, just connect with the music.
----
Ok! Let's do a little bit of contact improv . . . feel each other's energies, don't upstage each other. 
----
(groups of 2, dancers are going across the floor . . . exploring)

Next duet!
(girl walks off)

At that moment, I had a "back in the day, Melodrama teaching in Chicago moment!" Ohhhhhh ish! (My Chicago peeps know what this means)

I told the class to continue . . . 
I walked over to the 'missing person.' 
I asked: Is everything ok?

Student response: I'm not doing that! 
My face: (confusion)
My response: Excuse me?!?! What's the problem?
Student: I don't know how to do that? I don't feel comfortable. 
My response: I think you should at least try it, there are no wrong answers.
Student: NO!
Me: (getting heated) You left your partner hanging!
(other students still going across the floor)
Me: Didn't you pay $20 for class???
Student: It's MY money!
Me: (gasp and a walk away)

I can't believe how adamant a student would be in NOT following directions! Disrespect + My class = a NO GO!

Sooooooooooooo there it was! SPEECH TIME! (remaining students have confusion on their faces)

Question? Do you think that as teachers we make you do things to embarrass you? Ummmmmm NO! Idk. Obviously, there is something that you may be lacking that needs to improved. Idk. We can HELP you with it! I've just been a teacher since the Ice Age and have come across SO many students . . . with issues! haha

(Said student is now, taking off her socks and SLOWLY trying 'nOt to be obvious' that she's trying to DIP OUT!) 

As the other students are taking a break, I go over to her and say WITH a smile (high pitched voice): Thanks for coming!!! (Student now has an attitude. . . go figure)

(There will probably be an email in my inbox from my boss :P)

Moral of the story my friends: If you don't want to TRY, why come to a CONTEMPORARY class? (Or any class for that matter) To be perfect? To always make sure you don't look stupid? To always look in the mirror? (BIG BULL HORN SOUND) Wrong answer! 

LOL what's funny is that from NOT participating in the exercise and walking out of class - you ATTRACT more attention to yourself! 

Let's be respectful and TRY, next time.

Excuse me? I didn't hear you . . . leaving! ~ signing off. 

walk it out

 "Kelly can you handle this? Michelle can you handle this? Deyonce can you handle this? I don't think they can handle this!!!!!!" Whooooooo saaaaaaaaaaa!

And our topic for tonight's blog would be . . . WALKING OUT OF DANCE CLASS! Now! I've had several accounts of this happening in my classes and I thank the heavens that I'm more, calm, cool and collected now! BUT! before now, here's how the situation would have go down . . . 

"ummmmm class hold on! (me chasing student down the hall) Excuse me! Excuse me! Why did you just leave class??? (excuses, excuses, excuses) I need you to go BACK to class and challenge yourself for 1 day! You paid you're money right???" . . . student walks back to class (afraid) haha 

TODAY! I'm older BUT . . . I STILL don't understand! 

Question? There are class levels correct? 1, 2, 3 . . . basic, beginner, intermediate, ADVANCED, etc. Why do people with a basic level DECIDE to take a . . . let's say ADVANCED HIP HOP class, if they have NOT advanced? Then, they get frustrated (disrespectful) and leave? YOU answer it! . . . 
I can't!

Wait! here's a NEW one for my life! Situation: student walks out of class, after I told her that we weren't on a water break! HA! Water is for wimps! lol 

Question? If the teacher isn't 'huffing and puffing' and no extrenious activity has transpired yet - tell me why you would need water? I guess I'm ol' skool! Tantrums for water! Not my thing! Moving on. 

You guys have NO idea! I can spot someone walking out of class from a mile away . . . like a dog sensing a proller! No! better yet! . . . I am the terminator! I WILL terminate yo bleep! if you walk out and never choose to give that "church one finger up, head down" gesture. Some teachers (MOST) don't care, butttttttt ding! ding! . . . Deyonce does! 

Question? Did you not like my class? SO! You teach it!
Question? Did you all of a sudden come down with this sudden sickness affecting your limbs to dance? Uhhhhh NO! Suck it up!
Question? Was there a dog chasing you out of the room? Duh! No animals allowed!
Question? Did you accidently go into the wrong class and have to run out in the MIDDLE bc you just realized it? Ummmmm Don't think so! Get it together! 
And last question? Was it "try a class" day and if you didn't like it, you just moved on to the next? Well . . . maybe - NOT! As my In Living Color memory serves me right  . . . HATED IT! 

[So for this! I'm gonna give you: 2 snaps with a black girl attitude, lips poked out, closing my eyes with a deep breath, slow exhale, and a hope that I didn't see your face to remember who you were when you try to take my class again.] haha 

LESSON:
Walking out of class is just SO disrepectful to the instructor guys . . . Teachers work just as hard as you do (even more). I always say this: If you have to leave early - tell the teacher beforehand, if the class is too hard or 'not your thing' - challenge yourself for the day - you don't have to go back to that class . . . remember that. 

Hope you learned your lesson for the day! DON'T WALK OUT OF CLASS! Esp mine! haha

we DON'T walk it out ~ signing off. 

COCKINESS . . . the REMIX not by Rihanna.

Wait! Wait! Wait! Did I miss something?
When do I ever APPEAR like I need assistance in a DANCE class? 
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I don't think . . . ever! 
Wait! Wait! Wait!
Let me back up . . . in a convention style . . . 'urban movement' type of class - lol
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm never! haha

So here's just some info to think about . . . 

if a person isn't moving with the class - maybe he's LISTENING (to the music).
if a person is chatting on the side with [her] friend - maybe she's BORED. haha
if a person is late for class - maybe he's doing it on PURPOSE to challenge his 'pick up skill.'
if a person walks to the front of class while the teacher is doing a demo - maybe she's WATCHING (the teacher). 
if a person isn't sweating - maybe he 'HAS IT!' HA!
if a person doesn't KNOW YOU - maybe focus on YO-SELF! lol

Scene:

"dancer" (in quotes guys) - When do you know when to start the routine? I don't hear it!
me (dancer) - no response. haha (other "dancer" behind me answers)

Later Scene:

"dancer" - I think it goes like this (demonstrating) You should . . . 
me (dancer no quotes) - [confused look on face] I'm good! 

End scene.

Some would say - awwwwww he was just trying to be helpful. True. 
I would say - Wait! Wait! Wait! Did I miss something - did I ask for help? Snobby? Yes. Sorry. haha

Lesson as a 'sing-a-long' shall we?: 
"No one can do DANCE the way that I dooooooooooooo! Boy I wannnnnnnnnnt yooooooooouuuuuuuuuu - I love it. I love it. I love it when you BEAT it (Repeat 3x) - Yup! Yup! Yup! Yup! Yup! DUCK my Cockiness - HEAR my persuasion. Eat my words and then swallow your pride - down, down. Place my want and need for your DISMISSAL - and then DON'T come around, DON'T come around, DON'T come around!"

ohhhhhhhhh! Rihanna would be so proud!

I love it. I love it. I love it when you BEAT it. . . signing off. :)

Who you gonna call???

Who you gonna call??? Ghostbusters!!! NOT!

you need a sub. call dionna. that's the name of the game.

contemp? call dionna.
stretch class? call dionna.
hip hop? call dionna.
jazz (a.k.a contemp?) call dionna.
last min cancellation? call dionna.
two in a row? call dionna.
jazz funk? call dionna.
two in a day? call dionna.
(for a good teacher . . . call dionna.)
need a challenge? call dionna.
get some feedback? call dionna.
three that day? call dionna.
studio from the suburbs? call dionna.
need yo a** kicked?(in class) call dionna.
need some advice? don't call dionna.
hip hop, then beg ballet? call dionna.
need a warmup? call dionna.
late for your warmup? call dionna.
ipod died? got it on my phone! call dionna.
need an opinion about somebody's class? call dionna.
for some improv? yo! call dionna.
wait! did you thank your teacher? betta thank dionna!
get them kids together? call dionna.
parent complaints? don't call dionna.
conditioning? call dionna.
holiday wknd? call dionna.
teachers on vacation? call dionna.
invested in some dancers? call dionna.
set you straight? (in class) call dionna.
corrections? call dionna.
critiques? call dionna.
cleaning? (in rehearsals) call dionna.
in class dancing? yup! there's dionna!
referral? call dionna.
need a new teacher? call dionna.
same kinda class? not dionna.
'a fresh open mind?' said by dionna.
studio questions? call dionna.
kids be yawning? beware of dionna.
forgot about your class? they already called dionna!
serious about that art? that be dionna! 
workshops? masterclasses? call dionna.
you were on the schedule? bc they called dionna.
oh! forgot about burlesque jazz! What? call dionna.
Remember that Urban Movement. That's right - they called dionna!
Anything else??? - be sure to call dionna! . . . my info is on my website. haha


in the studio all day, everyday! call dionna! ~ signing off.