Do you have twins in your dance class? Oh my goodness. This summer I have 2 sets of twins in my ballet class. It is quite the challenge for me because both sets are identical. It's hard for me to tell who's who without thinking really hard about it first and it's especially hard to tell who is who from the back! I will get the hang of it, hopefully next week I can call them out without thinking about it to much.From what I have observed so far, twins like to stick together. Literally. Like glue. I try to say, "Miss Maria would love to see your very own dance" but it has not worked yet. I can imagine it's easy to get "stuck" to your sibling, especially if you look just like them. I can also imagine it's not easy to separate from them. I would just love the challenge of giving them some independence. Even though they are in the same class there has to be a way to separate them. Don't you think? At every new transition I always ask if one of them wants to come and sit by me. The answer, "I want to be with my sister."
Have you faced this challenge at all? I wonder if any of you fabulous teachers out there have any special tricks for getting twins to separate? Not separate like in another room, but separate as in "detach" from one another.
Oh, and if you have a trick to help with telling them apart, I would love to hear that too! Today I studied them closely and observed the detail of their features. That should help, right?
I teach a class that has four sets of sisters. I found that with time they gradually separate themselves from each other. It's very gradual but as long as they know your expectation I think it would happen for you.
ReplyDeleteHI Maria,
ReplyDeleteI am actually an identical twin so I can relate to your experience from both ends - as a teacher and as a twin. In my experience, twins feel a great sense of responsibility for each other. A twin not only focuses on her own well being but the other one's as well.
I agree that when they get comfortable the clinging behavior should relax a bit. (You might want to give one of them a job while the other one is dancing - this might help.)
As for telling twins apart their is usually some difference - like a beauty mark or slight height difference. Good luck telling them apart from the back - my family can still mix me and my sister up.
Good luck!!
Stacey, Thanks so much for your advice! I had no idea you were a twin! I understand what you are saying about being responsible for each other. I imagine it is so tough to separate from a person you have been attached to for so long. Next week will be week 3 so I hope to see them separate a bit as they feel more comfortable. Thanks again for both of your comments!
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