Today on “10 Questions With…” we have Tim O’Shei from Live! Starring … You!

Tim OShei, Heather Morris, Ina Summers

1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background in writing?

Sure. I’ve always focused on entertainment, sports, business and children’s writing. The magazines I’ve written for range from Dance Spirit to The Sporting News to Scholastic’s Scope, which is for middle schoolers. As an author, I’ve written more than 60 books for kids on subjects like spies, princesses, and survival.

One of my favorite things about writing books is author visits in schools. When I do those visits, I like to tell kids about my succession of dreams, all of which seemed to fail (but actually didn’t): When I was 4, I wanted to become Superman – but couldn’t fly. At 10 I wanted to become a rock star – but the only instrument I was good at was the tuba. Then, at 14, I wanted to be a baseball player — but couldn’t hit the ball.

By 16, I realized I was pretty good at writing, and that I loved doing it. I pitched a story about a baseball scout (who was also a family friend) to a national magazine called Baseball Digest. The editor called and said, “I like your idea, but I have no idea if you can write. Go ahead and do it, and if we like it, we’ll pay you $150 and publish it. If not, then that’s it.” So I went ahead and did the interviews, wrote the story, and got it published. The editor was pretty happy with it and offered for me to do more writing for the magazine. So, in 11^th grade, I ended up interviewing big-league baseball players in the locker room and on the field.

Through that, I realized that that writing was a great way to touch all of my dreams – and in a sense, make them come true. Over the next bunch of years, I interviewed hundreds of athletes as a sports writer and hundreds of performers – including rock stars – as an entertainment writer. Once I got to play a game of “professional” baseball, which was actually a movie shoot. (I was writing a story about this baseball movie and they asked me to be an extra, playing left field for a team called the Omaha Royals.) I even interviewed two actors who played Superman – Christopher Reeve and Dean Cain – which I suppose is the closest I could possibly come to that dream!

2. You have written for dance publications during your career. Which ones have you done articles for and how did you get involved with the dance world?

I’ve written a bunch of stories in the last four to five years for Dance Spirit and Dance Teacher. Both are great magazines. I got started when I met a woman named Katia Bachko, who at the time was a Dance Teacher editor, at a writing conference in New York City. I was working on the original Live! Starring … You! book at the time, and wanted to incorporate dance into it. I figured the best way was to write about it.

When I met Katia, she looked at me and said, a bit hesitantly, “Do you dance?” I’m 6-foot-1 and more than 200 pounds  — and I wish I could dance.

“No,” I told her. “But my wife was a dancer. And I’m a teacher.” (Which is true — I’ve taught elementary, middle, high school and college.) Then I added, “So I figure I could write for Dance Teacher!” That worked. I started writing for DT, and DS soon followed.

A funny side note: I actually made my dance debut recently in a dads’ routine for my daughter’s studio. I was dressed as a tulip – with green petals and pink tutu and ribbon socks – and we did a two-minute ballet to Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Through The Tulips.” That really made me appreciate dancers’ skills!

3. What do you enjoy about writing articles that have to do with dance?

Dancers impress the heck out of me. They’re so incredibly skilled and passionate. Dance is a perfect mix of athleticism, story telling and visual art.

Beyond that, I’m also fascinated by the mentality that dancers in the commercial world must adopt in order to survive. When you’re a backup dancer for big pop star – Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Usher, Britney, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, whomever – you’re right on stage, playing a key role in a huge show, and on the receiving end of massive cheers. But they’re almost never meant for you. And once you’re offstage, the makeup is off and the street clothes on, you’re a regular person. Depending how you look at it, that’s either seriously cool or (if you want to be the star) will leave you desperately wanting more.

4. Can you talk a bit about what your latest project, Live! Starring … You!, is about?

LSY! college reporter Lauren McDaniel interviews Miranda Cosgrove

I’m really proud of LSY! – we do some cool stuff! Essentially, LSY! is a pop-culture publishing and education organization. We publish books for younger readers and teens who are interested in entertainment or “fame” careers. We also work directly with students to train them as “teen reporters” who do interviews with professional entertainers. In those interviews, we aim to demystify “fame.” In other words, we ask questions that show what it’s really like to live in the spotlight, and dig into how entertainers balance work and creative concerns, how they overcome obstacles, and how they can use the spotlight to do good things for other people.

We push those interviews on our website (LiveStarringYou.com) and especially through our Facebook (facebook.com/livestarringyou) and YouTube channel (youtube.com/livestarringyou). In the next several days we’re unveiling a blog, too.

LSY! works closely with Mount St. Mary Academy, a private, Catholic, all-girls high school where I teach part-time in Buffalo, New York. All of the cool things we’re doing – from the books to the on-camera interviews – begin at Mount St. Mary’s, and it’s also the place where I test-run new ideas. Mount St. Mary’s is the home base for LSY!, but we’re expanding. This year, we started bringing LSY! to other schools and even to colleges, and I’m really excited to see that grow.

5. How did you get the idea for this project?

When I was a kid, I badly wanted to be famous. I had this total fascination with celebrities. It didn’t happen for me – which is OK! – but as a journalist I’ve had the chance to interview hundreds of celebrities and get a sense of what it’s actually like to be in their position. I thought it would be cool to start an organization that could give younger people that same “insider”-type look.

6. What has been the reaction to Live! Starring … You! so far?

Incredible! The reaction has been awesome: We have 17,000 Facebook fans, and 1.3 million views on YouTube. Last fall I was named to the National Honor Roll of American Entrepreneurs, which was an incredibly nice surprise. I get Facebook messages and emails every week from kids and parents around the U.S. and Canada asking us to come run workshops in their cities — which we’re planning to do in 2012. On that note, if anyone wants to have a workshop where they live, please reach out! I also enjoy visiting schools as a guest author.

7. What are the workshops like?

The workshops are very hands-on, creative and fun. They’re good for kids who love to be in the spotlight and for kids who are a little more shy but looking to kind of ‘break out,’ if you know what I mean.

In the on-camera and writing workshops, which are called Red Carpet Reporter Academy, we do a lot of role-playing to practice speaking into a camera and asking questions during interviews.

In the goal-setting workshops, which are based on LSY’s “Steps to the Stars” and “Secrets of Celebrity Success,” we break down how successful entertainers have made it to the top – and how they’ve survived in the spotlight. We also teach the kids to make their own “Dream Boards,” which is something I learned from my friend Heather Morris, a former Beyoncé dancer who’s now Brittany on “Glee.”

Our school workshops vary even more, because I totally customize those to each school. I do full-group assemblies for hundreds of kids, small-group writing workshops, evening programs for parents, staff development for teachers, and more. One of my favorite things to do is host an “author lunch” with a group of kids. It’s a great way to sit informally with my audience and hear about the things that interest them.

By the way, anyone who wants more information on author visits can visit www.timoshei.com.

LSY! teen reporter Maria P. interviews Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls

Well, this past weekend we interviewed Miranda Cosgrove from iCarly and Greyson Chance, the teen whose version of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” blew up on YouTube and landed him a record deal. One night last week we interviewed Weird Al Yankovic, and the day before that we interviewed Simple Plan and about two dozen other bands backstage at Warped Tour. A few weeks ago we were in Toronto to interview Al Jardine from the Beach Boys, and the week before that we were in New York interviewing JoJo at a red carpet event for the charity She’s the First.

We’ve been really lucky to work with a lot of great celebrities. I already mentioned my friend Heather Morris from “Glee.” She and I teamed up to do three days’ worth of programs, including a really cool interview workshop where the kids asked her all about building up her dance career, then transitioning into acting, and about how her life has changed now that she’s on “Glee.”

We’ve also worked a lot with Jordan Francis from the Disney Channel’s “Camp Rock” movies. LSY! even teamed up with Jordan on a project for the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help a young cancer patient fulfill her wish of writing and recording her own CD.

Other celebrities we’ve interviewed? There are dozens. They range from Justin Bieber to Vanessa Williams to the Goo Goo Dolls to cast members from “Whose Line is it Anway?” and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels from Run-DMC.

9. What has been the best part about being involved with this project?

Live! Starring … You! has made a real impact on people’s lives. Our teen reporters have learned how to prepare for an interview, work on camera, and then write and edit video to tell some really cool stories. And from my perspective as a teacher, what they’re really developing are their research, speaking and writing skills.

From the fan perspective, we get wall posts and messages all the time on Facebook asking us for advice about writing, performing under pressure, things like that. We try to always write back or point them to our interviews that might help them out. A lot of those kids then write back to us and tell us what a difference we’ve made. We’ve heard phrases like “I took your advice, and it worked!” and “I love you guys, LSY!” a lot.

10. What is next for you?

We’re expanding. The first step is for me to do more author visits in schools, which will give more kids a chance to get involved in Live! Starring … You! not only as readers, but possibly as reporters too.

We’re about to unveil a publishing program that will give kids the chance to become published writers, both online and as book authors.

Right now we’re working on a tour for 2012, where we’ll go to different cities and do author visits and our Red Carpet Reporter Academy workshops in schools, and also in dance studios, theaters and other performing arts and community centers.

If people want to bring us to your town, we’d love to chat! Just email me at tim@livestarringyou.com and we’ll get to work on it.

And then behind the scenes, over the next several months we’re developing a pop-culture-based language arts curriculum for teachers, and goal-setting workshop for performers. (Several of our entertainer contacts have asked us to do that.)

We’ve got lots to do, and we’re really excited to see Live! Starring … You! grow!

Through the It Gets Better Project adults in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi and trans) community have been sharing their life experiences (through You Tube) with teens struggling with their own sexuality and all of the intolerance and ignorance that unfortunately can come along with it. (As if growing up wasn’t hard enough.)  The words that are repeated and reinforced in all of the videos are that no matter what hardships you are facing today – life will get better.  No matter how bad your situation is today- it is temporary.

There is so much love and life to live.  This message of love and hope has reached hundreds of thousands of lesbian, gay, bi, trans and straight people all over the world.

Information From www.itgetsbetter.org :

Dan heard about the suicides of Justin Aaberg and Billy Lucas and had a reaction so many LGBT adults had. “I wish I could’ve talked to that kid for five minutes before he killed himself,” Dan recently said. “I’d tell him that however bad it was in high school or middle school…it gets better.” The It Gets Better Project was born.

In September 2010, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry to inspire hope for young people facing harassment. In response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school, they wanted to create a personal way for supporters everywhere to tell LGBT youth that, yes, it does indeed get better.

Two months later, the It Gets Better Project (TM) has turned into a worldwide movement, inspiring over 10,000 user-created videos viewed over 35 million times. To date, the project has received submissions from celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians and media personalities…The website www.itgetsbetter.org is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bi, or trans can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future.  It’s a place where our straight allies can visit and support their friends and family members.  It’s a place where people can share their stories, take the It Gets Better Project pledge, watch videos of love and support, and seek help through the Trevor Project( a project determined to end suicide among LGBT youth) and GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.)

Here are some reasons why this project impacts you:

1.      Even if you do not think you teach kids that are in need of the information available from this project; you probably do. You just might not know it.  You might have a child that doesn’t appear to feel isolated or alone and when that child reaches out to you can be prepared with 3 simple words “it gets better.”  You don’t have to be a part of the LGBT community for those words to make an impact.   Kids in all sorts of turmoil need to know that there situation is temporary.

2.      Dance teachers are mentors, confidants and role models. You can be very influential in the lives of the children you teach. It is your responsibility to make your studio/classroom/theatre a safe place. Create a space that is bully free with a no tolerance policy for prejudice, hatefulness and judgment.

3.      Any teacher who instructs preteens/teens is working with a population that is questioning their identities and trying to find out how to fit in.  Some of what they are discovering about themselves can be overwhelming especially if they don’t know anyone in the LGBT community.

The It Gets Better Project is a lifeline to any teen that is seeing a world where it does not get better.  It shows teens that are being harassed because of who they are and who they love that they are supported.  They can survive the turmoil and look forward to a future that isn’t focused on bullies, stigma, rejection, isolation and intolerance.

As a dance teacher you help your students reach their full potential.  You help them become full expressive beings.  And you can help them if they can’t see a future for themselves.  You can be a lifeline.  Check out the website and the resources available there because it does get better.

Contributor Stacey Pepper Schwartz received her BFA in dance performance at Montclair State University and her MA in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has taught as an artist in residency and guest artist in public and private schools for over twelve years.

Stacey Pepper Schwartz

Stacey is the Founder and Director of Leaping Legs Creative Movement Programs. The focus of Leaping Legs Creative Movement Programs is to help people regardless of age, experience or ability, become educated about their movement potential, develop kinesthetic awareness, and become more physically fit and healthy together as a family, and community.

Leaping Legs promotes its goal through the original Up Down & All Around DVD. The DVD received Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products Award and 10 Best Active Products Award. The DVD has also been featured in many magazines including Dance Retailer News, The National Dance Teachers Association dance journal dancematters, and Dance Teacher.

Before embarking on dance education, Stacey was a professional dancer and choreographer in New York City.

Suzanne Blake Gerety, Recital, 1982

Today we are happy to present Suzanne Blake Gerety for our “10 Questions With…” feature…

1.      Can you tell readers who you are and how you are involved with the dance world?

I was born into the dance world: it is all I have known, my entire life. I’m an only child, the daughter of two parents who were both talented dancers.  While other kids may have grown up playing little league and going on trips to Disney, I spent my days at dance competitions and traveling the world via cruise ship where my mom was a guest ballroom instructor for many years. 

Personally,  my own training peaked when I was thirteen.  Having learned to sew fringe on leotards and the basic steps to the cha-cha before middle school, it was at this time I realized I was most comfortable backstage calling the show, working on costumes, and organizing the productions.  My mom was so supportive and encouraged me to follow my heart, I stayed involved in the studio but also ended up excelling in sports in high school and college and knew that my dance training contributed to that success.

Fast forward about 20 years, I’m now a mom of two, my son is 6 and daughter is 4, I have an entrepreneurial spirit and heart I’m proud to be the 2nd generation in the family business of owning and operating the dance studio. I get to experience the joy of dance not only through the eyes of our students, but also through my own children. 

2.      How does Dance Studio Owner serve the dance community?

Primarily through our website and also by speaking at live events such as the Dance Teacher Summit and other dance conventions, we work with new and experienced studio owners who are interested in resources and support to start, run and grow their business.   It’s like having a dance studio management team at your fingertips 24/7. 

Our big focus is in giving our members and readers information that not only saves them time and money but also contributes to growth in their business both financially and artistically.   It’s easy to burn out if you are trying to do everything yourself, working fourteen hour days, dealing with parent complaints, and lack of resources.  We help you keep your passion for dance alive as you grow your business.

3.      What are some of the “perks” of membership in DanceStudioOwner.com?

Our members often say that they don’t know what they would do without the personal support they receive from my mom, Kathy Blake, myself and the other successful studio owners on our discussion forum.

Everything we share and coach our members on is relevant and based on tried-and-true experience from having over thirty five years of consistent growth in the face of changing trends, personal losses, studio splits, and economic ups and downs. Each day we are actively running our studio so we can relate to and help our members with managing the million details it takes to keep your studio running and growing.

They also say that they love the hundreds of resources on our site including: useful customizable downloads, templates, interviews, coloring pages, printable choreography routines, forms, surveys and more.  These save time and money when it comes to things such as writing a letter to collect over due tuition, interview and hire a new teacher,  contracts for staff,  or create a studio rental agreement to name a few.

Plus it’s the best of both worlds, you get to collaborate with owners all over the globe through technology that allows you to do so from the comfort of your home or business.

4.      You recently signed on with Dance Teacher magazine. Can you tell readers about that?

It is such a privilege to contribute to Dance Teacher Magazine, “Ask the Experts” is a great advice column for the dance world.

Specifically we have been invited to serve as columnists to focus on the issues that keep dance studio owners and directors up at night and concern them most: many of which we’ve experienced ourselves.  

We understand that most dance studio owners and directors have been or continue to be actively teaching. The added complexity of being responsible for handling parent concerns, staffing issues, marketing challenges, and setting policies is what we focus on in this column.

Suzanne Blake Gerety

5.      You work with a lot of studio owners. What do you find they have in common with one another?

Whether a studio focuses on ballet, middle eastern dance, adults-only, ballroom, musical theatre, Irish step, dance fitness, or general performing arts they all need students in order to stay in business.  

The other commonalities include staying informed on the latest technology to collect tuition, automating registration, marketing, website and social media communication to name a few. Not to mention each studio owner faces the challenge of a suitable space and facility plus the right schedule to fill their classes.

Although the dance disciplines, teaching methods, and personal student concerns can vary widely, I find that each studio owner has a lot in common with one another when it comes to starting, running and growing their studio.

6.      What do you enjoy most about being involved in the dance community?

Being able to lift a dance studio owner or teacher’s spirits, encourage them, and contribute information that makes a difference.  This is one of the most creative and enthusiastic communities: often working incredibly long hours, giving so much, whose rewards and satisfaction are found in areas that aren’t often measured monetarily.  

In everything I write and create I always imagine that my best friend and trusted business partner is reading and using it.  That’s who I feel our members and readers are: friends and trusted colleagues. I’m incredibly grateful and lucky that they give me the grace and opportunity to contribute to their lives and businesses.

7.      What is the biggest change you’ve seen in dance studio ownership over the past 10 years or so?

I’d say the marketing channels. It used to be that you could print a nice looking brochure, send it to your mailing list, wait for the phone to ring and people would call to register. Or you could run an ad in the local paper and people would know you were open for classes. There were a few direct paths for people to follow.

Now we have online registration, automated billing, instant website updates, social media interactions, video sharing/critique from our teachers, email groups for communicating, and text messaging.  There are review sites like Yelp, Merchant Circle; mobile check ins with Facebook and Foursquare; advertising online and offline, and much more.

Not only do the dance studio owners have many, many more marketing channels to communicate with current and potential students, they have to learn how to compete against the information overload to keep their business running and growing. 

8.      What has been the largest challenge for you in terms of serving the dance community?

I’d say the largest challenge has been to remind and encourage them to treat and relate to their studio like a business.  This goes for everything from charging what your time is worth, properly setting tuition rates and fees, to learning when to let the wrong teachers go or how to hire the right ones.  

The other challenge is the lack of time to focus on planning. When you spend so much time working in the day-to-day aspects of your business without taking time to really plan and work on the business you end up reacting to situations. This causes overwhelm and often feast or famine marketing attempts to find students.

9.      What do you think about the recent explosion of dance blogs and online dance resources?

As creative and prolific as the dance world is, I think it’s a natural extension to see so many dance blogs and online resources available, they are outlets and access to further self-expression for both the writer and their audience.  The other bonus is that the world is that much smaller now, you are not limited by your location anymore, from videos to online learning, you can get instant information when you want it and on very specific topics.  

10.  What is next for you and for DSO?

Kathy Blake and Suzanne Blake Gerety

My mom, Kathy Blake and I will be presenting seminars again at the Dance Teacher Summit in New York City from July 29-31, this is such a great event for teachers and studio owners.  We’d love to see you there! We are also going to offer some limited opportunities for aspiring and experienced studio owners to work with us in a more personalized way to accelerate their results.  The site will continue to be enhanced, in fact we just rolled out a new website forum upgrade that members love. Plus we’re working on some products that stand alone and can be purchased separately. So stay tuned, there is much more to come!   

BIO: Suzanne Blake Gerety owner of On Pointe Media LLC, the parent company of DanceStudioOwner.com, is the daughter of Kathy Blake and Vice President of Kathy Blake Dance Studios. 

She is a regularly featured contributor in various pieces for Dance Teacher Magazine including, “Ask the Experts”, business articles, and has presented live workshops at Dance Media’s Dance Teacher Summit in New York City and the Turn It Up Dance Challenge Conventions. Suzanne is a featured contributor in the The FabJob Guide to Become a Dance Studio Owner, FabJob Guides have been featured in stories at The Wall Street Journal and Entrepreneur Magazine sites. 

In addition to a degree in Psychology and Child Development, Suzanne has training and experience in communication and leadership from one of the world’s foremost personal development companies. She is the mother of two young children and is an advocate for dance education throughout the world. Suzanne brings the resources and support to current and future dance studio owners to help them achieve success.

You can follow Suzanne on Twitter:

http://www.Twitter.com/SuzanneGerety or connect on Facebook:

http://www.Facebook.com/DanceStudioOwner

Indeed! I loved this quote when I read it and I think it is so true. (Although I am not sure about the good vs. superior teacher qualities…think they might be in reverse for dance…)

If you can inspire your students, you are doing something special. But what can you actually do to get this from your heart to theirs?

I think a lot of it has to do with passion and intent. The bored, burnt-out teacher can only manage to tell. A teacher with little experience may have their hands full trying to demonstrate or explain. The master teacher is free to share their joy with students–if they allow themselves…it takes a sort of “letting go” I believe. An ability to be in the moment and feel the love of dance in your own body before you can communicate it clearly to those in your class. Then it flows.

What has a dance teacher done to inspire you? What was it that got it across? I’d love to hear what connected for you…

I Teach, Therefore I Do. 

As a dance program director in a high school setting I have always been conscious of staying one step ahead of the game.  After all, I have some very talented dance students who are working at a level far above where I was at their age.  We live in a society where kindergarten is the new first grade and students are focused on what elite colleges and universities might be within their grasp.  So as dance teachers, how do we keep up?  How do we continue to be a resource to our young dancers who are looking to us for guidance?

Lucy Vurusic Riner

I have always hated the old saying, “Those who can’t do, teach.”  I have always thought the opposite.  “Those who do, teach others how to do as well.”  After all, as teachers don’t we learn that modeling is one of the most effective ways to teach our students what are expectations are of them? 

As a dance teacher I am constantly reminding my students that there are a variety of careers in dance.  Are they all lucrative?  Absolutely not.  But can you make ends meet doing what you love while finding ways to supplement your income with other things you love?  Absolutely yes. 

I had a former student once say to me that she dreamed of dancing for a captive audience each night.  I quietly thought to myself that I actually do that every day, for a salary and health insurance.  But I did understand her needs because regardless of how many students I touch with dance, my own personal fulfillment has always come from my own professional development.

I have the honor of knowing many dance educators, in my age bracket (which will go unmentioned) that continue to take class, rehearse for shows, and see dance on a regular basis.  When I look to hire teachers that work in my program, I expect that their drive come from a place where students look to them as an inspiration and motivation to see all that the dance world has to offer.  I want my students to know that they have options.  And I want all of the teachers that work for me to understand and model that as well. 

The world of dance will always have some constants.  I’ll always talk to my students about Doris Humphrey, Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham.  I’ll always expect them to know how to dress for class and behave in an audience.  I’ll always give my speech on the importance of not just performing for yourself, but always allowing your audience into your experience.  But in the meantime, I’ll keep taking classes to keep my lessons (and my body) fresh.  I’ll keep researching colleges and universities that are forever adding and evolving their dance programs for my potential students and I’ll keep seeing and learning about dance as it constantly changes and offers us new insight.

Over the past fifteen years, I have had the opportunity to work with many different dance teachers and see many different programs.  The ones that work do so because they have teachers that are in the “know.”  They have a beat on what is happening in their communities, whether that be at the local dance studios, theaters or universities.  The ones that remain complacent simply stay the same. 

Are we using lesson plans that are ten years old?  Do we get out much to see emerging dance companies in our communities or new national companies that are coming in on tour?  Do you know about new dance studios and college programs that are in your area?

These are the questions we should ask ourselves each year, as we head into a new school year.  Are we one step ahead?  Is our commitment to our own professional development as dancers and educators being met? 

We need to do and then teach.

Contributor Lucy Vurusic Riner is a native Chicagoan who has been supporting and contributing to the dance community for over twenty years. She received her BS Degree in dance and dance education from Illinois State University.  Lucy has been a member of Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak Dance Company, RTG Dance Company and Matthew Hollis’ “The Power of Cheer.”  She has also had the opportunity to be part of the community cast of White Oak Dance Project and David Dorfman Dance. Lucy has taught modern, hip hop, and jazz at numerous studios and high schools in the Chicagoland area.  She has been the Director of Dance at Oak Park and River Forest High School since 1999. In 2005, Lucy completed her Masters Degree in Education from National Louis University and also received the Midwest Dance Teacher of the Year award and was the youngest of four finalists in the running for the National Dance Teacher of the Year award.  Lucy and artistic partner, Michael Estanich, formed RE|Dance in 2010.  This dancer theater company investigates humanity in movement through long distance collaboration.  Lucy has also begun work on a long-term project entitled, “The Moving Vessel” which explores the impact of motherhood on the professional dancer.  When Lucy is not working with independent choreographers and producing her own shows, she is at home with her two great kids, Margie and Luka, and her very supportive husband, Jim.

It was a little intimidating.

I wrote an article for Dance Teacher that passed on some great advice from people such as Mary Fitzgerald, assistant professor at Arizona State University’s Herberger College of Fine Arts and Larry Lavender, head of the dance department at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

If you are going to be working in this type of environment anytime soon, it can really pay off to listen to some tips from those who have gone before you. And if you have anything to share with 4dancers readers, feel free to chime in here…

If you are going to do this type of thing, be sure you have some bases covered. Check with the administration and see what requirements they have, and make sure that you cover the following with your guest teacher prior to class:

• When they should arrive and what they will need. You can also let them know what you are able to provide for them in terms of music, space and props.
• The level of your students and what they have studied thus far.
• Any rules you have for your class.
• Any objectives you have for student learning.

Be sure to get contact information for the instructor, such as a cell phone they can be reached at and an e-mail so that you can remind them about the class a day or two before hand. (It is also nice to send a link to directions if you can, along with your cell phone and the school’s telephone number in case they get lost or can’t get inside.)

Anyone have any tips to add?

One of the most important things you can do is make sure that you have enough material. Better to have too much than too little–it’s a horrible feeling to run out of options. When you are new to teaching you also tend to rush through things, meaning you can run out of stuff to do more quickly. It doesn’t hurt to have a bunch of combinations ready–just in case you find yourself needing to fill some time.

This is also true of the traditional classroom–not just the dance studio. If you are going to teach at a high school or university, the same guideline applies. After all–it’s hard to be too prepared!

Some places make their money by charging a decent amount for quality classes. Others sell merchandise at their place. I’ve known studios that charge for recitals and those that hold car washes in the summer months…everyone has their own thing. It’s interesting to see what other people are doing out there.

I wrote an article for Dance Teacher on this subject a while back that you can check out for some tips, but I’d also like to toss this out to readers to see if anyone has ideas they are willing to share…

I’ve been a journalist for more than 30 years. However, when I began writing back in high school, I never thought I’d one day write about dance, since I didn’t dance. It took having a son with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer to set me on the road to becoming a dance writer.

In fact, back in my high school days when I received my first by lines, and even after graduation from college with a degree in magazine journalism, I knew nothing about dance. I took a few dance classes in elementary school, but I only wanted to pursue tap, and the instructor insisted that I had to also take ballet. Although I understand why she imposed that rule now, at the time I had no idea and quit. It was only tap or nothing as far as I was concerned. Beyond that, I’ve always enjoyed watching dance and “going dancing.” That served as the extent of my dance education…until my three-year-old son decided he wanted to learn how to dance.

I have a tendency to focus my writing on the issues in my life. By that I mean that I like to find solutions to problems by seeking out experts and writing articles based on the information they provide. For example, when my son and daughter were forced to change schools three times in three years, I wrote an article about the affects changing schools has on children. When my children both found themselves in competitive situations—she as an ice skater and he as a member of a competitive dance team—I wrote about the risks and rewards of competition for young children. So, as my son got more and more involved in dance, I took the issues he faced as a young male dancer onto the written page…and into dance publications.

The first article I wrote tackled the issue of how to keep boys involved in dance and appeared in Dance Teacher magazine. At the time, I was thinking about the difficult time young boys have as dancers, since they are almost always the only males in their classes. This led me to begin on a larger project, one I continue working on today.

I began research for a book about how to mentor boys who want to become professional dancers. My premise revolved around the fact that boys who do want to dance as a career have at tough road to hoe to get onto that stage. Yes, the spotlight tends to be on them whenever they hit the stage, but when off the stage they get teased, ostracized and generally feel different then their peers who play football, soccer or do gymnastics and other “acceptable” male activities. They also have little time to socialize if they have friends outside the dance studio. I interviewed several professional dancers, wrote a book proposal and began marketing the book.

In the meantime, I began building a platform for this book. In other words, I began trying to build my name in the dance world. I continued to write for dance magazines, such as Dance Spirit, Dance Teacher and Movmnt, and I began a blog about my son’s issues in dance and outside of dance and my own issues raising a dancing boy.

These activities have actually proved quite rewarding. They’ve helped me become more knowledgeable about dance. They’ve also helped me open some doors for my son. And they’ve helped me find solutions to problems my son has faced as a dancer. (Once, when I wasn’t careful, my blog created a problem for him…but I learned about the boundaries I needed to stay within when writing about him and his dancing experiences.) Additionally, writing about dance has turned into a rewarding avenue for me as a writer. Since I have become quite interested in dance in general, I love writing about the subject, speaking with dancers, helping dancers, and generally supporting the art form.

For other people—writers and dancers—interested in writing about dance, here’s my advice on how to get started as a dance writer:

1. Think about what issues you face or you see in the dance world. Propose these to editors, and do so with a personal twist. You don’t necessarily have to say that you experience the issue yourself, but let them know that you have seen the issue first hand or that you know people who have. If you or some other dancer you know has experienced something, in all likelihood other dancers have, too.
2. If you can suggest professionals in the industry to interview, do so. Editors love it when you have new sources to offer.
3. If you see something exciting happening regionally, don’t be afraid to send a query on the topic to a national magazine. However, you might want to try and give the story more appeal by tying in to a trend or other similar happenings across the country.
4. Be sure to tell the editor why you are the best person to write this story. Don’t just include your dance credential; also include your writing credentials. You must be a good writer and researcher to write for a national magazine.
5. If you’ve never done much writing and have no published clips, try suggesting a short piece for a section of the magazine that features short articles.
6. If you don’t have published clips, try writing about dance for the local parenting magazine, regional publications or newspapers in your area. Once you can show that you can and do write about dance on a regional level, you’ll have an easy time convincing national editors that you can do the same—or better—job for them.

Human Kinetics Book

BIO: Nina Amir is a seasoned journalist, nonfiction editor, author, consultant, and writing coach with more than 30 years of experience in the publishing field as well as the founder of Write Nonfiction in November, a blog and writing challenge. Currently, she also serves as the Jewish Issues Examiner and a staff writer at Grocery Headquarters magazine. Additionally, she is the author of the popular dance blog, My Son Can Dance.

Using her degree in magazine journalism, she has edited or written for more than 45 local, national and international magazines, newspapers, e-zines, and newsletters on a full-time or freelance basis. Her essays have been published in five anthologies and can be found in numerous e-zines and Internet article directories. She also has a proven track record as a nonfiction book editor; her clients books have been successfully self-published and purchased by Simon and Schuster, William Morrow, Sounds True, and O Books.

Amir is an inspirational speaker, spiritual and conscious creation coach, teacher, and the regular holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 110,000 listeners per month (www.thefamilyyak.com). She has written and self-published 5 booklets and workbooks and currently is writing five books, including  So You Think You Wanna Dance, Advice and Encouragement from Professional Male Dancers for Those Who Want to Follow in Their Footsteps. Through her own writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions.

Amir lives in Los Gatos, CA , with her husband and two children.