What do you do when you have a student who’s extremely talented, naturally gifted and a brilliant performer but their attitude outshines the aforementioned? How do you handle the lack of respect, the inappropriate comments to peers, the insults to your studio and the all-around negativity? While it may seem tempting to bite your lip because these type of talented dancers make your studio “look good,” the long term ramifications can affect your business, the precedent you’re setting and the example you’re setting for the other students. Growing pains aside, we all deal with adolescents who have an off-period from time to time where they may seem distracted, disconnected in their classes and their attitude is not what it usually is. Fair enough. We are dealing with teenagers, hormones, emotional roller coasters and drastic physical changes to the body here. But, as teachers, we are keen enough to differentiate and cut a kid a break when a usually well-mannered dancer is having a bad week vs. this being the actual temperament and usual behavior of a student.