(Part 2 of previous post)
Don't be fooled: dancing, that is to say, dancing and training to become better, is hard, painful, and monotonous work. Mr. Savage understands this and attempts to infuse his classes with, often off-color and un-PC, humor, stories, and metaphors and analogies--He does this in an effort to help break up the monotony of this arduous work, to help his students make a connection between their life and their art, and, often, to help get a point across in a more effective way than the more common overly-censored, overly-PC, and, subsequently, overly-diluted, bland, and restricted manner in which many teachers feel they must speak to today's overly sensitive students. If you are easily offended and don't have a sense of humor, don't take his class. Because Mr. Savage does not teach by rote, you don't always know what you are going to get in a Savage class: you may get a class that is fast paced or you may get a class that includes more talking--I prefer to think of his classes more as workshops: there may be some classes where you are only focusing and working on one or a few concepts for the duration of the class, but you are truly working on them, practicing, drilling, and perfecting the concepts to get them into your body and to strengthen your body-mind connection--this, if you actually think about it, and don't just automatically judge it based on your prior class experiences, is a more effective and efficient use of your training time than just mindlessly getting through every exercise that you are "supposed" to get through in order to get to the center to "dance". If you come into class with an expectation of how that class should run, you are not the right student for this class. If you, as a student, are judging how the teacher is teaching the class, then you are way too arrogant and clearly not humble enough to be taking class to become better. If you, a student, are in a place to be judging how a teacher, an expert in their field, is teaching you, then you clearly are very unclear on the concept of "learning" and being taught in general. If you come to a class to be taught how YOU want to be taught, then you should just stay at home and take your own class.
Mr. Savage understands exactly what it takes to be a top dancer and is one of the best teachers around. He has accomplished a great deal in his dance career; starting late, he understands first-hand what it means to truly be dedicated and work hard--he danced for Katherine Dunham herself, in her company, as well as in several ballet companies and musicals. Check the facts yourself. What is shameful is that some students are so delusional that they mistake teachers that just GIVE class and don't correct students or take the time to follow-up and make sure that students are actually taking their corrections, as good teachers, and teachers who actually TEACH class, taking the time to let students know when they are not executing something properly, investing their energy into their students by giving corrections and actually following-up to make sure that students are actually TAKING the corrections, as somehow "cruel" and "mean". It's so backwards and so disturbing.
Mr. Savage is one of the most inspirational teachers around. If he can't motivate and inspire you to push your dancing to the next level, then no one can. Through his training and mentoring, Mr. Savage has changed countless students' and dancers' lives for the better. I have not only experienced this personally, but have seen him transform the lives of many, forever elevating their approach and integrity not only in their dancing, but also, and more importantly, in their lives. He advocates a victim-less approach and philosophy, teaching young people to be responsible and accountable for their actions and direction in life. Clearly an approach and philosophy that some of these reviewers were never taught in life--they are more content to go through life blaming others around them for their own mediocrity, victimizing themselves so that they never have to accept responsibility for where they are or are not in life. Now that's shameful.
I think the quote from K.C. Patrick of Dance Magazine (also posted by "YN") is worth re-posting:
"Once in a great while a rare person comes on the scene - for whatever reason - who seems to reincarnate the lessons from his teachers and forebears. It is this quality in Reginald Ray-Savage that gives the depth of heritage and authenticity to his company." read more
