Obscene, unprofessional and likely not a match for smaller kids.
Ballet Hispanico staff teach a children's dance class on Saturday's at 9am at a nearby building, on the lawn.
Today, the instructor showed up without any music, and on a very windy day did not start the class on time, because she was talking to her associate and "kids weren't there".
When advised that our children were there and others were waiting on the lawn and that the class should start, because it was cold for the kids to be on the lawn and not engaged, the instructor responded: "A**hole."
When asked to explain the choice of language, merely for being asked to help the kids get warm and start a scheduled class on time, the instructor stated, "F**k you.", repeated it several times and stated "F** you and your white privilege."
While wholly accepting that racism is a very real problem which we must work to address, the use of explicitly racist and obscene language merely to a politely phrased request to start a class on time and help small kids get warm, seemed utterly inappropriate.
The class began. About six children joined. The instructor did nothing to engage with the children. Didn't make eye contact. Didn't try to get any child individually involved, and one by one the children left. The instructor left prior to 9:30, well before the end of the "class", and subsequently arriving parents were left to wonder what happened.
Obscene, utterly unprofessional and if this kind of language is gratuitously used by Ballet Hispanico personnel in situations involving children, probably not good for the kids.
It is hard to believe that our family and other New York taxpayers' public funds are used to support an organization with Ballet Hispanico's accepted "norms" of conduct, tolerance of explicit racism and utter lack of professionalism: started late, ended early, and appeared to have literally zero interest in the kids. Surely, there are more deserving organizations to receive public funds to support dance and communities.
After Ballet Hispanico, posts their pained reply about how all of above is completely appropriate, I will add the pictures of children starting class, leaving class and the stage (with time stamp) abandoned by the instructor during her "lesson". read more