Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been helping out with some Ceroc classes and workshops. I haven’t really been teaching so much as just being a demo for a well known local teacher, but never-the-less the strangest thing seems to have happened. I am now a TEACHER. For those of you that don’t have audio connected directly to my imagination* the word TEACHER should be coupled directly to an ominous rolling of drums and a couple of loud cymbal crashes.
Teachers have always commanded a certain degree of respect around these parts, but I’ve been absolutely blown away by how much the label seems to have effected the way people react to me. And it is just a label, as the amount of actual teaching I’ve done so far is really limited to a few quick comments here and there. It’s worth pointing out that most of my friends at Ceroc are either teachers themselves, have been teachers in the past or are otherwise as well established the furniture. Obviously they don’t care whether I’m a teacher or not, which is a good thing.
The beginners and intermediates on the other hand are all suddenly nervous when I ask them to dance, and more of them are asking me without me going to them first. Most of them seem to be trembling slightly when I’m holding their hand, and this includes people I’ve known and danced with for over a year now without those problems. It might be my imagination, but I’m fairly certain I’m actually being
watched more than I have been at freestyles now, which is taking some getting used to.
Has anyone else found themselves in a similar situation, and did you find the same thing happening? I also teach (as in: not just demo) WCS and jujutsu and haven’t found anything similar from my students there. Is this common or just some sort of local oddity, or do I have a large growth on the back of my head that I can’t see and everyone else has been too polite not to stare until now?
* This is, most likely, something to be thankful for…..
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