At SDC, we talk a lot about the willingness to do the “hard work.”  It is a quality we strive to instill in every student.  Hard work, to us, means ALL the things a dancer can do to show their commitment to better themselves, improve their skills, and lift up those around them.

Hard work is:

• Showing up for every class
• Being prepared
• Having a positive attitude
• Giving 100% effort
• Trying over and over again
• Focusing on the big picture
• Doing what’s right

What’s NOT part of the way we define hard work?  The answer may surprise you: it’s talent.  Talent isn’t required to be a hard worker and build a strong work ethic.  In fact, there’s a famous quote among athletes, from high school basketball coach Tim Notke, which states, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

We’re big believers in these words.  Having talent can be an awesome attribute of course, but it doesn’t define someone’s future.  What does define someone’s future is hard work put together with opportunity.  And anyone can develop the skills and habits needed to put in the hard work!

We want to teach every dancer to work toward their personal best, not perfection.  Effort is the goal.

As teachers, we are committed to fostering the traits of hard work in our students and offering encouragement in the moments where someone falters.  If hard work is part of their dance life, our students might just carry it seamlessly into other parts of their lives too.  It’s pretty awesome to see what these kids are capable of!

– Ms. Julie