| Once upon a time, a dance teacher opened her own | | | | many more children participating in sports than the |
| studio down the road from her former employer's | | | | arts. Rather than interpreting this as a reason to fight |
| school, taking advantage of her former teaching | | | | for resources, we should embrace a sense of |
| position to start her own studio. Sound familiar? This | | | | abundance. There are more than enough potential |
| is an all too common story in the dance studio | | | | students out there to sustain every school if we |
| business and unfortunately, this is no fairy-tale. | | | | focus on bringing more students into dance rather |
| We have all heard a version of this story or perhaps | | | | than fighting over those already there. It is to the |
| experienced it first-hand. Poaching students--direct or | | | | benefit of the dance profession at every level to |
| indirect solicitation of another's students--is a practice | | | | include more of the non-dance world inside our walls |
| that mindlessly fragments and divides the dance | | | | rather than put up walls within our own. |
| community. In addition to poaching students, other | | | | So, how can we begin to break down the twin |
| subtle, but just as divisive, practices include: making | | | | illusions of isolation and scarcity in the dance studio |
| negative remarks about other teachers/schools, | | | | world and open our eyes to interconnectedness and |
| misrepresentation of the self by making false, | | | | abundance? |
| exaggerated, or ambiguous claims, and making | | | | We need to base our actions and practices on ideals |
| disparaging comparisons or references about others. | | | | that reflect the dance world as a healthy and vibrant |
| What drives otherwise enterprising individuals to | | | | community rather than a dire and hopeless one that |
| engage in business practices that burn bridges, sow | | | | lends itself to mindless behavior. Adopting a code of |
| the seeds of deceit, and model mindless behavior? | | | | ethics that reinforces a mindful and wholesome |
| Darwin. You heard me--Darwin is to blame. Well, not | | | | outlook will not just serve as guidelines, but also help |
| really Darwin himself, but the misinterpretation of his | | | | promote a positive environment for those whom |
| theories into a business context is at the root of this | | | | they effect. |
| dilemma. When the business world adopted the | | | | Going forward, we all need to embrace a code of |
| neo-Darwinian philosophy of "survival of the fittest", | | | | ethics that addresses these issues. The following list |
| they unleashed a ready-made excuse for unethical | | | | is nowhere near complete, but it is a place to start. |
| action. | | | | Business Ethics for the Mindful Dance Professional |
| As a culture that witnessed the "cola wars" first | | | | In all professional and business relations, the dance |
| hand, we picked up the idea that anything goes | | | | professional shall exhibit respect, honesty, and |
| when it comes to business and marketing. Ethics and | | | | integrity for themselves, clients, and colleagues. |
| morals need not apply. "That's business" they say | | | | A. Respect |
| while defending their actions. They fail to see the big | | | | A dance professional shall refrain from making |
| picture: to look mindfully at the situation. They | | | | negative remarks that may discredit, malign, or in any |
| unknowingly hurt the larger dance profession and | | | | way cast reflection on the professional standing of |
| therefore themselves. It is a case of one's right hand | | | | another school/studio or teacher. |
| shooting one's left and thinking this is good. | | | | A dance professional shall refrain from making any |
| What makes one feel justified in approaching the | | | | disparaging references to, or disparaging comparisons |
| business of dance studios in this mindless manner? | | | | with, the services of others |
| At the root of the neo-Darwinian business approach | | | | A dance professional shall refrain from publishing, or |
| is a sense of isolation and scarcity. These teachers | | | | causing to be published, any notice, newspaper |
| believe that it is "them against the world"--or, more | | | | advertisement, or any other matter likely to damage |
| directly, "them against the other local studios | | | | or depreciate the reputation of any colleague. |
| teachers." Add to this sense of isolation a sense of | | | | B. Honesty |
| scarcity--that there are not enough students to go | | | | A dance professional shall accurately portray his or |
| around--and you start to understand how one begins | | | | her qualifications or affiliations to the public especially |
| to rationalize why stealing students is necessary for | | | | in advertising material and avoid any ambiguity or |
| survival. However, these twin concepts--isolation and | | | | exaggeration. |
| scarcity--are illusions in the dance world. | | | | A dance professional shall refrain from portraying his |
| Studios fighting over the same group of students | | | | or her qualifications or affiliations to the public in a |
| create a negative atmosphere in the community. | | | | way intended to deceive the uninitiated. For example: |
| Parents sense this negativity and choose alternative | | | | having danced a child role in the Nutcracker with a |
| activities for their children because they seem more | | | | professional company and listing it as to portray |
| wholesome: the potential young dancer takes up | | | | having danced professionally with the company. |
| soccer. However, in a community where more than | | | | C. Integrity |
| one dance school thrives without negativity, a | | | | A dance professional shall refrain from directly |
| greater number of students enjoy dance as an | | | | soliciting business from another teacher or studio by |
| activity. This greater number of students translates | | | | approaching, in any manner the pupil, pupils or |
| down the road into a greater number of future | | | | employees of another teacher and, for any reason at |
| dancers, dance teachers, and, most importantly, | | | | all, to try to induce them to join his/her school. |
| audience members. If dance studios stopped seeing | | | | A dance professional shall refrain from indirectly |
| each other so much as competitors and more as | | | | soliciting business from another teacher or studio by |
| colleagues, the entire dance profession would benefit. | | | | making adverse criticism against other teachers' |
| The solution starts as simply as making replacements: | | | | methods, by offering free coaching, by citing the |
| replacing mindless competition with mindful collegiality, | | | | advantages to be gained by the pupil from the |
| mindless isolation with mindful interconnectedness, | | | | change (e.g. offering roles/parts), or other similar |
| and mindless scarcity with mindful abundance. We | | | | methods. |
| must realize that the dance profession, from the | | | | With each of us taking responsibility for our own |
| smallest recreational dance class to the largest | | | | actions by embracing a mindful ethical base, we can |
| professional company, is interconnected. The entire | | | | co-create a healthier, connected, and abundant |
| web of the dance world is vitally linked. | | | | environment in the business of dance schools. |
| For example, the dance community is rather small in | | | | Moreover, with all we have in common, we might |
| comparison with the larger world of sports. There are | | | | just discover we make better friends than enemies. |