Why is dance no longer fun?

So, it's not that dance teachers all over the world are complete and total assholes. I know this sounds pretty lame but if you were as passionate about dance as I am, you would understand.

I've been taking dance classes since I was 7 years old. I'm 17 now. That's a whopping 10 years I've been taking dance and going to the same studio. All I ask of my dance instructor is to let me take the classes I want and I know I'm capable of taking for my senior year. I know that she knows what's best for me as a dancer but at this moment, she's not really proving that to me.

I wanted to take three simple classes. Teen ballet, teen lyrical and advanced jazz. There are huge differences between the teen classes and the advanced classes. The most obvious difference is that basically all the advanced classes are reserved for the girls that are on the competition team.

I can't afford to be on the competition team. I don't have the money but I know I have the skill. The other difference is that advanced is more difficult than the teen classes. I was able to take two advanced classes last year: Advanced tap and advanced hip hop. I learned a lot in those classes. I took teen lyrical as well and learned absolutely nothing.

Everything that she taught in that class, I already knew how to do. Plus, I was the oldest one in that class and (not trying to be narcissistic) I out-shined everyone in the class. I had a few girls in that class tell me how good of a dancer I am and if it wasn't for me being on stage with them, they wouldn't have been able to stay in time with the music.

So, now you know a little bit about my dance studio. Now, onto my problems. My dance teacher claims that I have to take teen lyrical (which I'm okay with but not overly happy about), teen jazz (which I am absolutely not okay with) and apparently pre-teen ballet because I haven't taken enough ballet? Whoa, wait a second. Pre-teen ballet is for 9 year olds. You can't stick a 17 year old girl with a bunch of 9 year olds. It doesn't work out that way. Now, either my mom read the email wrong, or that's what she wants me to take.

My sister also wanted to take ballet and my teacher said that she would have to take pre-teen which is totally understandable because my sister is only 12. Now, my sister tells me that the pre-teen and the teen ballet class are together so I guess maybe my mom just read the email wrong. I wanted to take teen ballet because, yes, I know I haven't taken enough ballet but pre-teen is pushing it, Beth.

Overall, I just needed to rant about how unfair the dance world becomes when you get older. Apparently we're going to talk to her on Thursday this week. Well, wish me luck, and maybe I'll let you know how it goes.