June 9, 2023 njads
It seems lately that many people are willing to turn their back on someone, and ostracize them, whether it be online, on social media or in person simply rather than deal with the issue. Have you ever stopped to think how that mindset is affecting our kids? What exactly is this new culture teaching them? I am worried about the affects of a cancel culture society. Both within my own family, and with my dance family within my studio, I have always been focused on teaching life skills. For me the small life lessons add up to so much more than their regular schooling or dance lessons. There are some instances where people need to be held accountable for their actions, but when did it become ok to ruin someone’s career because you have a difference of opinion?
I have also heard children say that they are being “bullied” when there is a disagreement with another child. I know that bullying is real, and is something that needs to be dealt with, but we need to teach our children to deal with these issues, instead of teaching them that it is okay to walk away and ignore a person because you do not agree with them. I know that conflict can be difficult for many people (myself included), but if our children cannot deal with talking through issues on the playground, what chance do they have of dealing with larger issues once they are an employee dealing with a boss, or when dealing with a spouse once in a committed relationship? It is no wonder that so many marriages seem to be ending in divorce. I want to teach my kids that it is okay to make mistakes. Some of the most important lessons that I have learned throughout my life are from my mistakes that I have made. These valuable life lessons are how we grow and learn.
By turning our back on a person, or “cancelling” them, we rob our children (and ourselves) from experiencing the learning opportunity that is available. My goal as a dance instructor is to help mould well-rounded, thoughtful, caring and kind individuals that believe in teamwork and help to make the world a better place.
Our staff work to increase the confidence in our dancers, and to allow them to speak up for themselves and advocate for their beliefs. We believe in a counsel culture, over a cancel culture. Childhood is about making mistakes, and learning from them, not trying to be perfect.