OVERHEARD?! or Not!

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Uncle: Congrats dear child on your arangetram!

Dancer: Thank you Uncle. Keep yourself free next weekend too Uncle.

Uncle: Oh! wonderful, programmes already lined up?
Dancer: No No Uncle. It's my student's Arangetram!

Parent: I'd like my child to learn dance.
Dance teacher: Sure. Arangetram package or performance package?
Parent: Huh??
Dance teacher: Arangetram package is 1 lack: 10 months coaching+ Arangetram+ certificate (on letterhead) that can be used for college admissions. Performance package is 50K: 6 months coaching- I will skip some difficult steps+ 3 performances -Only side roles OK!+ certificate (not on letterhead)

Dance class friend: All set for programme?
Dancer: Almost ya.
Dance class friend: Why almost? I thought you had practiced thoroughly.
Dancer: Dancing is fine. I am yet to set up some people for clapping after I finish the trikala jathi!

Friendly Neighborhood maami: Hi Suji, your daughter is learning dance is it?
Suji: Yes Maami. Thattu adavu over. How did you know?
Friendly Neighborhood maami: I saw you at Sukra the other day buying maanga haaram. But you didn't see me I think.
Suji: Oh sorry maami. Salangai poojai next week. So was in a hurry!

Teacher: Your Bio data says you have learnt from 10 Gurus. Why did you hop from one Guru to another so many times.
Dancer: I did not hop Sir. I continue to learn from all of them.
Teacher: Really? How is it possible.
Dancer: Their workshops happen in different months. So I attend all of them.
Teacher: Oh so you learn from them during workshops! So who IS your Guru?
Dancer: I just told you no Sir... All of them.

My salutations to all those teachers who have genuinely gifted their students with knowledge and several who relentlessly continue to do so. But in the nooks of urban madness that has come to consider learning dance as any of the above, I wonder if we must laugh at the what dance and dance teaching is NOT; or if we should crusade to rectify it.

Meanwhile, in another nook of hi-end urban madness, I overhear:

Parent: Madam, what is this number 159?
Teacher: She is the 159th student of this batch.
Parent: You teach 159 students together?
Teacher: No no. Its 180.
Parent: Oh. So how would they all have space to dance?
Teacher: Don't be silly. I only teach 20 kids at a time.
Parent: Then when does her turn come?
Teacher: Do the math. Her turn will come next week for a good 10 minutes.
Parent: Oh...

Teacher: OK batch 60 to 80, your time has been used up by 159's father. You can learn Kuthadavu from Youtube.


More on Teaching and Teachers - on a slightly more serious note- SOON.

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