The Person Behind the Star – On the Importance of Coaches and Mentors

There are many famous people in the world – TV stars, Hollywood stars, Sports stars, Presidents, Multi-billionaires who have successfully built up organizations like Donald Trump, Bill Gates, etc. Most of us are focused on these people and we often idolize them, wondering at their talent and luck to be so successful in life. However, there is one thing that we tend to overlook: the person behind these Stars, as I will call them. These people behind the Stars are the ones who guide, encourage and lead the Stars to their success. They are known as coaches, mentors, advisors or simply, teachers. These teachers play a huge part in bringing the Stars to such great achievements that make them known throughout the world. They teach the Stars what to do, how to act, where to go, what to say…

They are important because they have the experience in their field and know all the shortcuts: they can guide their protégé to success in the fastest way possible. The really good teachers care for their students, and help them to achieve things beyond their imagination. As a dancer, I never really dared to believe that I could ever be the best in Singapore, let alone one of the top few in Asia. I came into Salsa wanting to learn something new in my spare time. Little did I know, I struck a jackpot. I found a teacher who was willing and cared enough to guide me, lead me, encourage me and scold me to become what I am today – a good dancer. I still have a long way to go, but what I have achieved through his guidance is already beyond what I even dared to dream. If not because of a good teacher and mentor who convinced me time and again that I could do it, pointed out the way to achieving it, showed me that it was alright to dream big because it was really after all, not that difficult to reach (“it’s easy” is what he says), and at times give me a little kick in the butt to push me further on, I would not be where I am today.

Me at the NUS Achievement Awards Ceremony, where I was awarded for my local & international achievements in Salsa for the year 2006.

A common misunderstanding that I come across is that people tend to think that a good teacher must be able to dance well, or at least better than them. Because dancing is very visual, some people feel that the teacher must be able to dance well so that they have a role model to follow in class. This strikes me as weird because we are often trained by teachers who are less flexible and technically worse than us in ballet. Ballet is such a precise dance that older people in general will not be able to manage the dance (in terms of technique, stamina, flexibility, etc) as well as the younger dancers. Although it is important to get inspiration from a good dancer, it doesn’t necessarily need to come from the teacher. It can come from other students or even professional dancers. I feel that it is more important for teachers to be able to teach well. A good teacher will not only take care of your physical training, but also focus a significant part of your training on conquering mental blocks, doubts and fears.

Even the best dancer in the world needs a teacher. Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, and he has 3 coaches. He clearly is better than any of his 3 teachers, why does he still need a teacher? That is because he still needs an experienced eye to point out his mistakes and to make him belief that he is the best golfer in the world. As dancers, we can’t see our mistakes when we dance, and sometimes, we need a second opinion to ensure that what we do looks good. We need someone to scold us when we are lax, someone to guide us when we are lost, someone to plan for our training so that we can focus on perfecting our moves and not worry about planning for our future as dancers. Most importantly, we need someone to encourage us and make us belief that we have what it takes to be the best. We need someone to motivate us, to push us on and to believe in us. This is what I feel makes the best teachers. Someone who believes in me, who never gives up on me and who will always be there to guide me through the roughest patches. It’s amazing how much we can achieve when someone believes in us.

PS: This article is dedicated to my teacher and mentor. It’s been truly a blessing and such a great adventure these past 3 years. Words can’t express my heartfelt gratitude.

PPS: Good families are also important for the same reasons, don’t you think? And I have a great family! =)