A parent once asked me,
Why do you spend so much money and time for your daughter’s ballet classes and rehearsals so that she goes on stage once a year?
This is what I answered:
Well, let me tell you a secret. I don’t pay for my daughter to dance on stage once a year. Do you want to know what I’m paying for?
I am paying for my daughter to learn to be disciplined.
I am paying for my daughter to learn to take care of her mind and body.
I am paying for my daughter to learn how to work with others and be a good team member; to develop her creativity.
I pay so that my daughter learns to face disappointment when she doesn’t get what she expected and discovers that it is essential that she works harder.
I pay so that my daughter learns to achieve her goals.
I pay so that my daughter understands that it takes hours and hours of hard work and training to obtain results and that success does not come overnight.
I pay for the opportunity that my daughter has to make life lasting friendships.
I pay so that my daughter spends time at rehearsals and not in front of a screen.
I pay for those moments when she comes home so tired that she has no more time to waste.
I pay for all the teachings from this beautiful artistic discipline: responsibility, commitment, self-confidence, conviviality, etc.
I could go on, but just to summarize I’ll tell you that I don’t pay for ballet classes, I pay for the opportunities that this discipline offers her to develop skills that will become quite useful all along her life and that will give her an opportunity to treasure life.
(The author: Shad Martin, the source http://shadmartin.blogspot.ca/2015/10/why-i-dont-pay-for-dance-anymore.html)