Former ballerina and clinical psychologist Linda Hamilton says that sensitivity can be overcome with positive reinforcement. She gave us three examples of famous teachers:
David Howard
Natalia Markarova, center, in Howard’s class. Photo by Victor Deliso, courtesy of Dance Magazine archives.
“David Howard let me in on one of his secrets,” says Hamilton. “He built corrections into the combination so he didn’t have to single anyone out.” If students still didn’t get the note, he would think about how he could phrase it differently the next day,” says Hamilton.