Brown Ballerina Ambassador Senee' George Shares the Positive Impact of a Teacher on her Dance Journey

As the school year kicks into full gear, it’s the perfect time for a reminder of the power of teaching. We could go on and on about why teachers are modern-day superheroes, especially considering the devotion they showed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers dedicate their working lives to creating a path to success for their students. Beyond helping students hone new skills, teachers play a significant role in the development of students as human beings by helping them overcome challenges, open their minds to new possibilities, and set the standard for what they’re capable of.

This caliber of passion is exactly what successful dancers value in their teachers. Kicking off this month’s Brown Ballerina Ambassador features is Senee’ George, a 16-year-old ballerina from Indiana. In her interview below, Senee’ reflects on the life lessons, career development, and special bond she shares with her dance teacher, Cheryl Barnes.

Photo: Senee’ George; captured by Teshezia M. George

Senee’ began her dance journey at Dance Excel when she was 3-years-old. At 8, she stepped into pre-professional training with the South Shore Dance Alliance, where she still trains today. Senee’ has studied contemporary, modern, tap, character, jazz, African, and hip-hop techniques. She also studied Russian Vaganova Ballet for 5 years with Ms. Barnes.

Cheryl has held director, faculty, and teaching positions at Wirt-Emerson Visual and Performing Arts Academy in Gary, IN (now closed), Westside Leadership Academy, Boitsov Classical Ballet School, Southshore Dance Alliance, After School Matters, and Chicago Lights Dance Academy. She teaches Russian ballet; Broadway, contemporary and classical jazz; African dance; and contemporary modern.

Pushed to New Heights

Ms. Barnes made an impact by helping to instill self-confidence in me. When I started at South Shore, I didn’t have much confidence. Being in a class with girls older and having more dance experience than me really made me nervous. One day in class, we were doing jumps. She kept screaming, “Jump higher, jump higher!” and that's what I did. I could always jump that high; I just never did if she didn't say anything. I would often look around at my peers to compare my height to theirs. They were not jumping as high as I knew I could. I didn't want to be the odd one out, so I jumped as high as they did. I was afraid of judgment or being called a “show-off.” Eventually, I started jumping to my potential.

She made me believe in myself even when I didn’t. If I couldn't get my leg higher, she would push me because she knew I could do better. There were plenty of times when I wanted to give up, but she didn't let me. I shed many tears in her class. I was always afraid she was going to yell at me, but that motivated me to apply her criticism and put my best foot forward.

Unique Qualities

Something that sets Ms. Barnes apart from other teachers is her personality. Ms. Barnes was a very strict teacher. When I was younger, I never could understand why she was so strict. I used to be scared of her. I was even scared to take her class. Over time I realized that this is what I needed in order to grow. She was also very loving, you could tell in the way she taught. She cared about her dancers. She wanted to see us be successful. I remember one day in class, Ms. Barnes described what she does in a day. She was a very busy woman but still managed to teach us, and for that, I really appreciated her.

Another thing that set her apart from other teachers was her teaching style. Ms. Barnes would either demonstrate the barre once or call out the terminology. For me, this was helpful because it forced me to work harder to not only know and memorize it for myself but to be able to repeat it back to her when asked. I knew all the basics of the terminology but not everything. With that, I would rely on my peers to know it. The way she taught has gotten me very far with other choreographers.

The Dancer-Teacher Bond

It's important for dancers to connect with their teachers because dancers trust you to provide them with the knowledge they need to know. Having that positive relationship encourages their motivation and engagement in learning. Aside from family and friends, dancers need support throughout their dance career, and having a connection with their teachers will certainly be beneficial. It’s important for dancers to have someone they can rely on for advice, both dance and non-dance related.

Other Advice for Dancers

No matter how tough your dance classes get or how hard your dance teacher is on you, it's for the best! Don't take it the wrong way; appreciate it. Always take the corrections and compliments they give you. No matter how hard the class gets, stick with it and never give up. Trust in your teachers. Soak up all their knowledge; it'll help you go a long way.

“Wise people prefer to benefit from constructive criticism rather than be ruined by false praise” - Shiv Khera

Our Brown Ballerina Ambassador program is designed to create opportunities for young dancers in training to be seen as leaders and to eventually become mentors to other Brown Ballerinas in Training. To find out more about our ambassador program and how you can support it, visit our Ambassador/Mentorship Program page.

Catch up on our Brown Ballerina Blog, where we feature spotlights on our Brown Ballerina Ambassadors, updates from our organization, useful tips for ballerinas, interviews with dance professionals, and more!

Note: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.