Beyond the classroom: Smith joins dance troupe

“Dance is not like riding a bike; if you don’t do it for a while, you forget things,” dance teacher Leah Smith said.

Although Smith dances every day as part of her teaching job, she decided to take her passion outside of the classroom this past fall, and auditioned to perform with Carrboro Modern Dance Company.

After hearing about the company through her student, Julia Sloane, Smith went in for an audition. During her audition, she was led through a modern dance class and was evaluated by one of the choreographers who is working on the show for the company. After this process, they sat her down, asked her what her profession was, why she was there and told her they would “let her know.”

“And they let me know!” Smith said.

Smith now spends every Sunday practicing with Carrboro Modern Dance Company in preparation for her show, which is tentatively scheduled for August.

Smith graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in dance education. She took dance classes throughout high school, but stopped performing when she became a teacher.

“I have been teaching for 10 years and there is always a little part of me that wants to perform and wishes I could jump out on the stage with [my students],” Smith said. “[This taught me] that I really did miss performing and I really do love that aspect of dance. It gives me that outlet that I need.”

Smith says that teaching and performing are two different concepts of dancing, and require two different mindsets.

“When I teach, I can tell everybody: ‘That foot needs to be pointed,’ ‘That needs to be pulled up,’ ‘Your core needs to be engaged,’ ‘Your body needs to be here,’ ‘Turn that way,’” Smith said. “I’m very good at seeing the problem and fixing it. But when you’re the performer, it’s someone else judging you, and it’s you taking their direction. It’s just a different mindset. You have to be willing to say ‘okay’ and fix the problem instead of [saying] ‘You fix the problem.’”

Although there are contrasting approaches between the two, Smith said that performing has affected the way she teaches dance.

“It has definitely opened my eyes to different ways of approaching things, which is always good. So I’m learning, not just as a dancer, but also as a teacher,” Smith said.

Since Smith started performing again, Sloane said she has seen a change in her teacher’s attitude.

“I think she’s a lot more excited because [she’s doing something] new and fresh,” Sloane said.

Although Smith enjoys performing, she prefers teaching dance.

“I love performing, but performing is a couple of nights a week for one show, and teaching is every day,” Smith said. “[Performing] definitely made me appreciate teaching and being around all of [my students] every day. I’m around adults, and adults just aren’t quite as fun as 90 [teenagers].”

Principal Chris Blice believes that Smith’s dancing with this company has a positive effect on her students.

“I think it points out to them that this is something you can use for the rest of your life; it doesn’t have to end when you graduate from high school,” Blice said. “Whether you major in it or not, it’s a continual thing.”

Smith says that this affects her life not only as a teacher, but as a mother as well.

“As a mom, it’s been really awesome because [my son] Lincoln has been able to come to the tail end of a practice, and I think it’s cool that he gets to see his mom not be a mom,” Smith said. “This is something that I love to do and he gets to see me dance and perform. He gets to see that I am creative and I can express myself. I do have this side of me that he doesn’t get to see. We dance every night around the house, but that’s a little different.”

Including this new activity into her life has added some difficulty in managing her teaching job, her family and performing, but Smith says that it all works out at the end of the day.

“I don’t know that I do manage it. I just kind of throw everything up in the air and hope it falls into place. My mom watches Lincoln while I’m at practice on Sundays sometimes. If I didn’t have her, I guess I would just strap Lincoln to my back and hope for the best,” Smith said.

Smith says that she wants to continue dancing and performing with Carrboro Modern Dance Company and that after joining this company, she feels self-accomplished.

“I kind of am proud of myself. I feel kind of arrogant saying that, but it makes me feel like ‘Okay, you still have it, you’re not this old dance teacher,’” Smith said. “I’m proud that I went out on a limb and tried it at 32; most dancers’ careers end at 25.”

— By Madison Roberts