JOHN Steinbeck, the American Nobel Prize winning author (1902-68), had in mind the teaching of literacy when he wrote these words, but they apply to the teaching of any subject. They encapsulate the importance of a teacher's calling: how teachers can inspire their students, harness their natural curiosity and gifts and lead them to greater discoveries about themselves and life.
Dance teaching is no different: lighting the spark of understanding and knowledge in young minds. This feature is a tribute to those people.
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Naomi Hibberd
Contemporary teacher at Alegria Dance Studios, Sydney.
How long have you been teaching?
I’ve been teaching for just over 10 years.
What drew you to teaching dance?
I wanted to share the knowledge I had acquired whilst training and working professionally in the UK and Europe.
Do you specialise in a particular age group?
I specialise in full-timers which can be different ages but always teenagers. My classes are most suited to students who are on the path to having a professional career in dance and by full-time students on that path.
How do you balance the importance of technique with the importance of artistry in your students?
I take a holistic approach: where I teach you can't have one without the other. When setting exercises or correcting the students I describe the artistry within the technique and the technique of artistry. One can’t exist without the other.
What is the most rewarding part of teaching dance?
I have two: one of the most rewarding things for me is seeing a student feel confident and good about themselves, and I also love to see dancers pushing themselves to launch out of their personal comfort zone.
What has changed since you were a student?
I feel classes are a lot more fast paced these days with more variety of teachers. This can be good as students get more choice and may have things explained in different ways, which is useful. However, at the same time, dance students may not get the same personal connection with a teacher and the value
