Ms. Rodriguez Dance Interview

Ms. Rodriguez is Mayfair’s dance teacher. She is in her second year of teaching dance at Mayfair. I recently interviewed her on why she teaches dance, her values, and why she chose Mayfair. 

Q: What inspired you to be a dance teacher?

A: “I started teaching at 14 and I fell in love with it because I had such a good dance teacher growing up. I loved my dance teacher; she was my favorite person in the world.” 

Q: How long have you been teaching dance for? 

A: “This will be year 19, but I was 14 when I started teaching. As a school teacher, this is my 9th year.” 

Q: What is your favorite style of dance to teach and why? 

A: “Jazz, 100%. Every version of jazz. Why? I find that I am the most creative when it comes to those movements. I like how broad the styles are, so no jazz dance looks the same. Each one has a different story and vibe to it.” 

Q: What is your favorite part about being a dance teacher? 

A: “I do love that I get to be active every day. But I think more specifically, I get to share something I care so much about with others. The biggest thing for me is when people come in really hesitant or unsure about it, and then at the end of the year they are like, ‘This is my favorite class.’” 

Q: What is the most challenging part about being a dance teacher? 

A: “Trying to convince people that they like it. Sometimes it is really hard to reach people, and you can’t force somebody to love something they don’t.” 

Q: How do you prepare for a dance class? 

A: “It’s a long process. It depends on what I’m doing. If it’s for choreography, I plan ahead, listen to the music, write things down, and make formations.” 

Q: What has been your most memorable experience as a dance teacher? 

A: “Any performance is extremely memorable to me. My very first show was just me running it. It was a huge, very special moment for me.” 

Thank you, Ms. Rodriguez, for giving me your time. I enjoyed learning more about you. You are such a great teacher and one of my personal favorites. 

Image Courtesy of Ms. Rodriguez.