RFKT Q&A with Megan Bartula

Random Farms Kids' Theater recently started offering dance classes in theater jazz and tap for our students in grades 2-4 and 5-9. I sat down with our dance instructor Megan, the latest addition to the Random Farms family, to learn more about her approach to teaching.

You're brand new to Randfom Farms Kids' Theater. Tell me about yourself.

This is my first season with Random Farms. I grew up in Michigan and did competitive dance for ten years. I started teaching dance and ran a competitive dance program there. I went to the University of Michigan. I was in a couple different dance companies, including a tap company and a lyrical dance company, when I realized I loved to tap dance.

What brought you to New York?

Tap! I'm a professional tap dancer. I'm in a big company called Dorrance Dance. It's run by Michelle Dorrance. She's awesome. It's mostly tap, but it's also inspired by other forms of dance. 

What do you like most about teaching?

Oh my goodness, there's not just one thing. I just love it. I love being around kids. They have such great energy. It's really fun teaching here. It's not the first time I've worked with theater kids, but it's the first time I've taught specific types of dance to theater kids. Everyone is so eager to learn. It's great!

If you were talking to a parent who was considering getting their children into dance lessons, what would you say the top benefits are? Would you say, for example, coordination and exercise?

Definitely the things you mentioned, but also structure and discipline. Having something that ties together music and movement is so important. It's more than just exercise and just getting fit, because you can go to gym class or do sports for that. There are great benefits in those things, too, of course, but having the musical aspect of it adds a whole other level of understanding the world around you. It's so important.

Is there anything you want people to know about your philosophy as a teacher? You know, you see the show "Dance Moms" on television, and it's really negative. This is obviously the opposite of that.

Absolutely, this is absolutely the opposite of that! It's all about having fun and learning. It's all about learning the basics and making the kids more comfortable, especially since there's a huge theater program here. Maybe a child wasn't as comfortable dancing in a show as he or she could be. Maybe they were doing a show that had tap choreography, but they didn't know how to tap before. This is a great way to learn the basics and then go from there.

Thank you so much, Megan. And welcome!

Thank you!

You can check out the class schedules here and sign up online.