Why is it that professional athletes make millions of dollars playing sports, while professional artists might as well live out of cardboard boxes under a bridge while waiting for paint to dry? Is it lack of talent or intrigue offered for the attending audience? Both professions require a lifetime of sacrifice and hard work through verbal abuse and physical demands, yet one fills theaters while the other fills stadiums, unless you're Sting, who is currently the wealthiest musician. In regard to sports, I understand the competitive nature and excitement around the uncertainty for each event, while performance art tends to simply tell stories that are more or less predictable. Over the last 30 years or so, some dance studios have taken on more lucrative, competitive pathways over traditional conservatories in pursuit of leveling the playing field.
As a kid, my parents were not regular watchers of professional sports. While we attended a few live baseball games, it wasn’t regularly on tv, just like we never watched football or basketball on tv either. If anything, my dad preferred eating his pork rinds with beer while watching America’s Cup Sailing competitions, or professional bowling. Growing up in a household that cherished art over sports seems like an anomaly, but ironically my husband also doesn’t care for popular team sports either and would opt for extreme sports like skateboarding or dirt bike racing. With that said, I’m always amazed by the outpouring of fans who attend professional sporting events as spectators, while many live theatre shows struggle to make ends meet.
From grades 5-8 I attended a very small Catholic school in New Smyrna Beach, FL with only 20ish students per grade. For the school to compete in sports, the whole class was encouraged to join to have enough players on each team. During my middle school years, in addition to dancing ballet, I joined basketball, volleyball, soccer, track, and cheerleading. I realize that this was a rare circumstance, and normally kids in public schools have to rely on making the team before being allowed to play, and only a small percentage are able to do so. However, I will always feel grateful for the opportunity to have learned to appreciate team sports through several years of participation, although I still have difficulty attending as a spectator.
Similarly with dancing, I feel grateful to have also performed modern, jazz, and hip hop in addition to ballet. What is the most motivating factor to encourage students to feel exceptional in everything they decide to pursue? While some kids have natural talents that will allow ease in learning new activities, others require more time and encouragement to reach their potential. The biggest disservice we might do as teachers is undermine the time it takes students to discover their talents, especially for those who take more time than others. Motivation over negative reinforcement, watchful interest, and consistency allows students to overcome fears and make new discoveries, even if practice doesn’t lead to lifelong obsession.
Today, while discovering world records to conquer, my son Will (age 12) is learning how to juggle everything in sight. His interests are all over the map, from magic and yo-yos, to football and swimming, to drawing and movie-making. Some activities have come and gone, and some magically reappear when we least expect. Will he ever parkour like Spiderman through his efforts in CrossFit and warrior tumbling classes? Or will he end up using his illustrations to portray his wild imagination? More importantly, is it necessary for us to choose one profession in life, or can we limitlessly try everything? Playing all the sports, testing new pursuits, and staying open to new opportunities to expand our horizons may be the only way to discover our own truest potential.
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