Terrie Wayside

Terrie Wayside Ballet Teacher

Teaches: Fairy Floss Ballet, Fairy Tale Ballet, Ballet Essence, Ballet Coda

From a young age all I ever wanted to do was to be a dance teacher and along the way over the years of realising that dream, there have been a few key moments throughout my teaching journey that have completely changed my life, and my approach to teaching, and the following was one of those moments.

I had spent many years gaining the experience, knowledge and qualifications to teach, and then a 3 year old so quickly let’s me know that kindness, and a nurturing environment are essential … such a big ‘aha’ moment for me.

It was a sunny afternoon in Melbourne, one of those rare occasions when the grey clouds had parted and beautiful sunshine was streaming in through the window. At a farewell party for me, given by my students (as I was leaving Melbourne to live in Western Australia), I was greeted by a little 3yo named Elyse. Now Elyse was one of those children filled with spirit and seemed wise beyond her years. She couldn’t just skip down the room in a straight line, she had to twist and turn and put her own little stamp on everything she did. Her hair never stayed in a bun, there were always strands of red wispy hair falling down into her big brown eyes. This day she ran towards me and I scooped her up into my arms and greeted her mother. The next moment changed the way I viewed myself as a teacher forever. When Elyse found out I was leaving, she said to her Mum “But who will be as kind to me as Miss Terrie?”

Ballet Teacher Terrie Wayside

One of the other key moments was achieving a Diploma of Arts in Dance Instruction & Management. And this was when I fell in love with dance and teaching in a whole new way.

Upon opening my first dance studio I realised there was so much I didn’t know, yet knew there was so much I wanted to give my students. I wanted to provide a nurturing, yet educational environment that supported the growth of the whole child, not just physically, but also their social, emotional and psychological wellbeing.

While studying I was introduced to the Laurel Martyn Dance System, and Laurel Martyn herself became a Mentor and a major influence in my life. Laurel believed in asking lots of questions and understanding the purpose of the content we teach in class. Her favourite question was:

“what is the purpose of the exercise?”

and that question gives you insight into what you want the students to achieve (which is not always technique), it could be musicality, rhythm, co-ordination, or spatial awareness. Therefore at times, things may look “messy”, but we are not about perfection, we are about learning and developing the whole dancer.

Qualifications

  • Diploma of Arts in Dance Instruction & Management
  • Certificate IV in Mentoring & Coaching
  • Certificate IV in Workplace Training & Assessment
  • Working with Children Clearance
  • First Aid Certificate
  • Police Clearance

Memberships

  • Australian Teachers of Dancing
  • Licentiate of Movement & Dance Education Centre
  • International Coaching Federation (ICF)