Erica C.'s TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS
Erica C.'s TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS
29, Dance Educator, South Carolina
The perspectives and stories shared in this conversation reflect only those of the speakers and in no way represent the viewpoints of their employers or connected organizations.
Erica is a 29-year-old dance educator living in South Carolina. During this episode of TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS, she shares about her atypical path to teacher certification, how her experiences in young adulthood shaped her perspective on family, and her guilty pleasure spending habit.
Please note: Our conversation has been edited and condensed for this newsletter. Enjoy the full conversation with Erica on the TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS podcast through Substack and on Spotify.
Who are you, what do you do for a living and what are you passionate about right now?
I am Erica. I am a middle school dance educator and also the artistic director of a local dance studio as well.
And then what are you passionate about right now?
I am currently passionate about telling my story and telling the stories of others through art, movement and dance. All of my shows have themes around humanity, culture, and stuff like that, so that’s what I’m currently passionate about.
I love that. Can you share your 3-to-5-minute career story from being a student in high school, deciding where you wanted to go to college, what you wanted to study, graduating from college and pursuing your career after that.
Okay, well I started interning at a summer dance program when I was 15 years old, and from then on I decided that I definitely wanted to be a dance teacher. I wasn’t sure where I was going to go yet, but I knew that dance was where I really wanted to put my focus. So, I kept hold of that throughout high school and then when it was time to figure out colleges, I found colleges that had a major in dance program, and thankfully I was accepted to all of them. Then I had to make a decision on where I was going to go. Due to some health concerns, I ended up staying in town and went to a college nearby. From there, I double-majored and double-minored, which was insane, like 21 credit hours every semester, but I was determined to graduate on time. My original plan was to open a non-profit organization for dance that would provide dance classes for families and children who were in homeless shelters and family shelters, but life has other plans. So, I did not graduate with my education degree, I just graduated with business, dance, and non-profit. Then I had to figure out what in the world I was going to do once I graduated, I needed a job. Thankfully, the college I attended has a very tight-knit community of alumni and I had a former dance alumni tell me that there was a school that needed a dance teacher, and it was a part-time position, so I didn’t need to be certified. I thought, “Fantastic, this will be what I need to do.” So, I started working there and I decided that I really liked working in the school setting. I did not think that that was what I wanted to do — I was always adamant that I didn’t want to work in public schools. Forming those relationships with the students and coworkers really lit a fire under me to want to be able to teach in a public school permanently.
From there, I was able to start an alternative certification program, so I was teaching and taking classes at the same time, as well as working at a dance studio in the evenings. It was a lot! But, I ended up teaching high school for four years, and now I’m going into my third year of teaching middle school. Eight years later, I’m still in public school and my role at the dance studio has become a lot more than it used to be. Ya know, I used to be just a teacher and now I’m the artistic director and the company and competition team director. You could say that I’m really busy, but that’s where I currently am now and I don’t think I could see it any other way at the moment.
What do you love most about being a dance educator?
Definitely seeing the student growth as far as self-confidence. I could care less if they turn out to be the best dancers in the world. But when I see, especially with my students at school, when I see such a big difference in how they interact in class at the beginning of the semester and seeing them perform at the end of the semester. I’ve had administrators tell me, “I never thought I’d see that kid on stage, how did you get them to do that?” Well, we work a lot on being confident in oneself and it’s okay to make mistakes. I don’t expect anyone to be perfect, so that’s absolutely amazing to me to see such growth in how they see themselves.
Yeah, that’s so special to be part of someone’s growth in that way. It really takes it out of just the technicalities of being a dancer and learning technique, but it’s about so much more than truly performing in that granular way. What’s one thing that you would change and how you would change it about either being a dance educator or the environment of it?
I think one thing I would change, and this isn’t just about being a dance educator, but being a fine arts educator as a whole. The first thing that I would probably want to change is how the other academic teachers view what we do in our classrooms. And I think that starts with educating them. Unfortunately, there are a lot of math, science, English teachers who don’t see the value in these fine arts classes, and they don’t realize that we’re not just teaching them the fine art. We’re teaching them responsibility, self-discipline, how to practice and work for something they want, work ethic, all that. So, it’s important that we help other educators that aren’t in the fine arts to know that, as well as the parents at home to know that as well. Not only so they can take it seriously, but so the students can come into it with a different mindset as well.
Is dance required or is it just an elective? Or is it an elective for a fine arts credit? How does that work at your school?
Currently in the middle school level, it’s just an elective class. So, it’s not necessarily required, but they can take my class for P.E. credit because we do talk about health and stuff like that in this class as well.
Oh, sign me up! Obviously, I was a dancer, but I still would have taken dance instead of P.E. Switching gears a little bit, you’ve been a dance educator since you graduated college and you’ve always known that you wanted to dance in some shape or form. If money was no object, mortgage was paid, and you could live comfortably, how would you choose to spend your days?
Honestly, I would probably still be teaching dance, probably not in the public school setting. There’s a lot of bureaucracy and lots of red tape. I would just work as many hours as I wanted at the dance studio and go to competitions. Just live my best life!
Speaking of living your best life, do you have a guilty pleasure spending habit?
Oh gosh!
Like, if you received a bonus tomorrow, what would you choose to spend it on?
Well, it’s not necessarily one particular item, but I spend way too much money on TEMU and Amazon. I don’t need to be spending as much as I do, but that’s my guilty pleasure. Getting accessories for my cups or clothes for my dog, or rhinestones so I can rhinestone things.
I love that. Hey, if it makes you happy that’s what makes it so pleasurable, is if it brings a smile to your face, and dogs are cute in clothes, no matter what anyone else says. So, outside of career, thinking about family and community. You’ve worked really hard to create a community of people around you, a chosen family if you will. Was there an interaction or experience you had with a caring individual that helped you realize or make you think, “Oh, I get to choose who I spend my time with, I get to decide what my family looks like.”
There was a time period in my young adulthood, right before I graduated college, where I found myself homeless. I didn’t really have anywhere to go, I didn’t have any family nearby. I had friends who offered their spare rooms and couches. I had friends help me move when I found a place, and then move again when I found a different place. And that’s when I realized that they don’t have to be a blood relative in order for me to call them family, in order to be family, you just have to be there for one another and love each other unconditionally, even if that means telling each other, “Hey, snap it together, you gotta get it together, it’s going to be okay.” And I’m very grateful for everyone who’s been able to help me in that way. Back then, I could never see myself working full-time, a homeowner, things like that. Now I’m there and that’s all because of the people who went out of their way to help me when I needed it.
That’s really special. For you, Erica, what did it mean to buy your house? Obviously, the experience itself is stressful, but I mean emotionally, that must have meant so much to you.
Oh my gosh, yes. I am the first person in my immediate family to purchase a home. So, it was exhilarating, but also scary. There were moments where I would just start crying, and I’m not sure if they were happy tears or sometimes, I felt guilty because my parents wanted to purchase a home and were never able to. Like, it was absolutely a lot. I thank God every single day that I’m in the position I’m in. Because, like I said, eight-nine years ago, I was in a completely different space. I could not imagine myself being where I am today. Buying my own home was very surreal.
Was there anything, thinking about tools and resources, that helped you through that process since it’s a whole new process that’s not part of your family vernacular. Was there anything that stood out that helped a lot?
In all honesty, I still have no idea how I was able to get this done if it were not for one of my close friends, her dad was my realtor. So, he walked me through the process, he went and looked at houses with me, he met me after I was done at the dance studio at 9 p.m. to go over paperwork and put in my offers and things like that. So, if it were not for that help, I probably would not have known what to do at all.
That’s so special that you had someone to go alongside you like that, a friend connection, a family friend. I’m trying to think of how to phrase this next question. If the person you are now could meet anyone from your family, past, present, future, who would that person be and what would you want to talk to them about?
Hmmm, I guess, oh gosh I’m going to get emotional. I would definitely want to have a conversation with my great-grandmother. She passed two years ago, and I didn’t really get to speak to her in her last few months. But, she came to America with nothing. I am a second generation born American; she came here wanting a life for her family. She wanted better for her family coming from a tiny island off the coast of Venezuela. She wanted so much for her kids and her grandkids, and I would hope that she would be extremely proud of me now. I’d want to have that conversation with her, “Look what you helped me do, it’s because of you that I’m here.”
That’s really meaningful. I think it is a testament to generational — the work that we do impacts our generations moving forward. Thinking about you, and your little sister, you paying it forward also for her. I think that’s really special and thank you for sharing that. Along those lines, we talked about what 19-year-old Erica would think about the life you’ve built yourself, but what about 8-year-old or 11-year-old Erica, what would she have to say about this world that you’ve developed for yourself?
Goodness, well back then I was really determined that I was going to be a lawyer and go to Harvard Law School, so I don’t know if 8-year-old Erica would be thrilled that I’m a dance teacher, but she’d be like, “oh, well, that’s cool.” She’d definitely be excited that I have my own backyard. I never had one growing up, so I think she would be really excited that I had my own backyard. I have a trampoline back there, I don’t have kids, but it’s my own backyard, who’s going to stop me?
RAPID FIRE
What is a piece of advice you received that has impacted the way you look at building and maintaining your career?
I had a professor tell me, “Don’t ‘fake it ‘til you make it,’ "‘fake it ‘til you become it.’” so you know that imposter syndrome can hit hard. Sometimes you have to put that aside and fake it until you’ve reached the goals you’ve set.
I love that, it really allows you to gain the experience and use the tools to become that and be successful. What do you hope for yourself in 5 years?
I hope that I find someone and start my own family. That’s what I’ve always wanted but I’ve been focused on work. So, hopefully in the next five years I’ll be able to move onto that chapter of my life.
What have you read or listened to recently that has really stuck with you?
I recently read a book called The Radical Guide for Women with ADHD, and that made me think of myself and how I think of things in a very different way. I used to be frustrated with myself about certain ways that my brain would work, and it was a very encouraging book to read on why I do things the certain ways that I don’t even realize I’m doing.
What is your favorite thing to get you jazzed up, confident, or excited before a big day?
Honestly, it sounds crazy, but I usually stay up pretty late the night before a big day, just checking off everything, making sure I have everything together. It sounds really weird to stay up late to get ready for a big day, but I do it every single time.
What is your preferred way to use any time off that you get from work?
I am the worst about taking time off, I just don’t, unless I have to. So, when I do have the opportunity to be off for whatever reason, I really enjoy spending time with my little sister, and watching her grow up since she lives so far away. Before I know it, she’s going to be grown up.
What are you looking forward to?
I look forward to, well right now, I’m looking forward to going to my family reunion. This weekend we have our family reunion, and next weekend we have Nationals, so that’s definitely two things I’m looking forward to in the short term. But in the long term, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how my program here at school grows, as well as our program at the dance studio.
Finally, what is your TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS right now?
Both excited and anxious, I’m constantly just having to remind myself that “You are enough.” I made a playlist for myself so that when I’m feeling down, I can listen to that to help me.
Thank you so much to Erica for joining us this week and her openness in sharing her career and life story with us. Our podcast together goes into even more detail, so I encourage you to take a listen.
Be sure to share in the comments something that Erica said that resonated with you or send this episode to a friend to encourage them on their journey.
As always, I’m grateful you’re here and wish you a week ahead with only the best exclamation points! — Skylar