Sensitive

Posted by Megha on December 10, 2007 at 16:25:13:

In Reply to: Re: musings posted by Padmanabhan on December 07, 2007 at 03:09:27:

Some thoughts:

While other subject matter teachers do not get so emotionally attached to their students, Arts taught one on one at least at some stage over a long period of time, results in different dynamics between teacher and student. I guess the people dealing in Arts are very sensitive and therefore think long and hard about the question of money to share the joy of dance.

Here are some thoughts. I have no intention of hurting any one -
charging reasonable money from people who can pay is ok
not charging from deserving talented children who cannot pay is very very good.
people who do not charge fees from parents who make good money are doing so without needing to do so
not charging fees from people who can pay makes the rest of us look greedy and may be the teacher is insecure and wants to avoid questions on the quality of dance. it is like offering something for free so that the competition is washed out
not charging fees is a good strategy to avoid any pointed questioning on speed of teaching and creates a space for the teacher. This is really good. But making clear to the learners that the teacher is not doing this for money is better than not charging fees.
If teachers are truly interested in spreading dance and not charging and dedicating their life to dance's cause, they should set up school in a poor slum neighborhood in India. It is there that their not charging is most useful.
Depending on family resources for self sustenance is not reason enough to think of other teachers who charge go fees poorly. Even if is one is from a very wealthy family, desire to make it on their own may drive charging fees. What is wrong with that?
olden time Gurus were not open to questioning and mostly felt offended pretty easily. Now there is no discrimination either based on knowledge or age. That is the current environment among students. If you quote a fee and the student pays, you put yourself in a position to be cool, you have to earn that merit and your student's respect every day. That is much more difficult than said. That is more noble than not charging people who can pay. I have great respect for these teachers who take the money and deliver excellent goods.
People who charge exorbitant fees provide some feel good value to their following. Too good for them. Where is the question of cribbing about them. We need that time to make ourselves cool in our own way...
I do not really intend to judge anyone. I am merely sharing my thoughts and truly hope this is useful.