The third generation of Apple iPads is ruling the entire world. But, some people have encountered certain quirks and bugs in their iPads, which is quite surprising because Apple is known for making flawless products. I am pretty confident that even with the fact that there are some issues with the third generation, iPad will still rule the world because of the top-class features and ultimate design that you get in the iPad. For those who have encountered certain problems in their iPad devices should look for the genuine centers for Apple iPad repairs. I know that, it will be relatively hard to look for a reliable repair center or some useful tips to remedy these problems and bugs.

There are, however, some easy and practical procedures that you can take help from and get your iPad back to the normal condition. If you encounter problems with this new Apple tablet, it is important to read all the terms and conditions before making any hardware or software changes. You have to go through the basic guides below to help you get your Apple iPad repaired easily:

1. You have to check for the updates on the Apple website regularly. I have seen many people who have found problems with the WiFi connectivity of the Apple iPad. I would like to mention a remedy that has proven to be effective is to update your WiFI router’s firmware. If this doesn’t work, then you can try changing the encryption of your router’s password. On a number of forums, you will see the comments from other iPad users who suggest that people having this problem must try switching the position of their router in case they experience a weaker WiFi signal. As per the reports from the Apple, the latest firmware update of the Apple iPad solves this issue once it for all.

2. If the above step hasn’t worked for you, then you can try resetting your iPad before trying anything else. If you see your iPad getting hanged or giving you problems consistently, then you should try resetting your Apple iPad before taking it to the official Apple store for repairs. It is true that most of the repair problems can be fixed easily without going to the repair centers. All that is required at that time is a soft reset. All you have to do is to press the power button and hold it for three to four seconds. After you press it, you will see the slider button on the screen of the iPad. Then, you have to slide the arrow with your finger to turn your iPad off. After that, you have to wait for about 10-15 seconds before turning it back on again.

3. If there are more complicated problems, then you should hard reset your iPad. Once the settings are changed to the factory settings, you can believe that your iPad will now work normally. Your data will be deleted forever during the process, so you have to take the backup before doing the hard reset.

4. I have also seen the battery of the smart devices, creating problems in the software section. If your iPad is still giving you problems, then you can buy a new battery from the authorized Apple store.

5. If nothing works for you, then you have got no choice, but to pay a visit to the Apple repair center. Now, they are the only ones who can really solve your iPad problems once and for all. You can search on the web for the authorized Apple repair centers in your area.

I got problems connecting PS3 to Internet the other day. There kept popping up error message on my screen when connecting. However, my laptop can get access to internet very well through the same router. Fortunately, after some time-consuming research, I find the way to fix this PS3 internet connection problem. Here is what I did …

Firstly, update my wireless router. As you may know that routers driver software need to be upgraded periodically in order to function at their best. Make sure that it is updated to the lasted version to avoid any possible disturb.

Secondly, change the SSID and WEP password. SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​is the name of your wireless network. You may discover different wireless network listed there, choose your own one. Remember to lower the security if you use WEP Encryption because high security may cause PS3 internet problem. And add your PS3 as an accepted device if you WAPs are set to filter MAC address.

Thirdly, go to Internet Connection Settings. PS3 internet connection problems are often solved by changing the network settings. Follow the steps listed below:

a) Change your DNS server address to the OpenDNS servers: 208.67.222.222, and make sure your PS3 settings are on automatic / easy.
b) Locate the IP address of your router.
c) Open a web browser (Firefox that is what I use) on a computer connected to your router (For the PS3's browser did not work you have to use a computer).
d) Manually type in the IP address of you router into the address bar.
e) Ensure to enter the correct username and password you ever set if asked. If you never set one, you need to enter the default username and password. You can found them on the manual of your router. Try username "admin" with no password in case you can not get any information there. But there is only a little chance you can get through.
f) Once you get in, enter manually "DNS Primary and Secondary". Enter DNS address 208.67.222.222 as primary and 208.67.220.220 as secondary.
g) Check and see if PS3 Internet connection problem still exist.

Hope they are helpful.

McAfee antivirus offers users a worry-free solution for their security needs whether browsing, email, and website protection besides blocking online threats like viruses, Trojans, worms, and other malware infections. There are two ways to install McAfee antivirus software on your computer. One is from the software CD that we have described here and other is from the internet.

Before we begin with the installation procedure, we hereby assume that you already have a McAfee antivirus CD handy. If you don’t have one, you can call McAfee product support to ship you one. You can also go to a McAfee-authorized computer center to get the installation disk. Keep the McAfee antivirus software manual or documentation handy as it would have the product key printed on it somewhere.

Besides, if you are installing McAfee for the first time on your computer, do a few more things to make sure that McAfee installs properly. If you previously had other antivirus software installed, remove it completely from your computer before installing the McAfee software. Two antivirus programs always have a tendency to conflict with each other, resulting in common and frequent malfunctioning of either one besides showing error messages. Insert the McAfee setup disk into the CD drive of your computer. Wait for the automatic prompt. The McAfee Security Setup window will come up.

Hit the Next button to proceed. If no automatic prompt pops up, click on the Start menu and navigate to My Computer (Computer if it is Windows 7 or Vista). Double-click on the removable CD drive icon like E: or D: etc. It will fire up the McAfee setup disk. Hit the Next button on the McAfee Setup window. Click to accept the license agreement and hit the OK or Next (whichever you see there) button to proceed to next screen. If prompted to choose the installation type, choose Custom or Typical.

If you any other option, click it and hit the Next button. Choose the level of protection if prompted otherwise follow the on-screen instructions and hit Next. When prompted, hit the Install button. If you want the latest virus and malware updates to be downloaded and installed automatically and right now, hit the Update Now button. Hit the Finish button. It will go checking for updates, download and install them automatically, and finish the process. When finished, reboot your computer.

Your computer will automatically prompt you to reboot it. However, if it does not, reboot yourself after the installation has finished. When done, you will find a McAfee shortcut on your desktop screen. There will also be an M icon in your system tray. If you do not find the shortcut icon on the desktop, click on the Start menu and go to All Programs. You will find McAfee Security Center listed there, right click on it and choose Send To and then point to Desktop (create shortcut). Your desktop will have a McAfee shortcut.

After 10 years of listening to Johnny Mac, Killa Cahill, B.G., Uncle Cliffy, Martina and Robbie Koenig, I have to say something –

I feel that I am doing my fellow tennis players a disservice by not “exposing” some of the half and non-truths they are putting out there about professional tennis equipment.

I jokingly say “exposing” because much of the information I’m about to give you has been reported in many places. I’m also sure that these announcers, who were some of the best players in the world, are not purposely giving out false info. I can only assume that they are badly under and/or misinformed.

On every tennis broadcast, you hear one or a combination of the previously mentioned tennis announcer’s talk about the “light and powerful” frames that the players are using. During the US Open Martina actually said that because of the racquets and strings, the players don’t have to be very talented. I’m sure Federer, Nadal, Murray and the rest of the players on the ATP Tour would have a different opinion.

There are a few ATP Tour players that use highly customized, much heavier versions of the Babolat Pure Drive (Roddick, Andreev), the Babolat Aero Drive (Nadal, Tsonga), and Head Extremes (Lubicic, Gasquet). But the vast majority of ATP Tour players use thin, fairly flexible, heavy, head light frames. Federer, Djokovic, Murray, and Soderling all top 5 players, are among them.

Here are some ATP player frame specs compared to the retail versions. The ATP player specs are courtesy of Greg Raven. The retail specs are courtesy of Hardcore Tennis. But as you know retail frames can vary greatly from frame to frame.

Roger Federer

WilsonBLX 6.1 Tour

Strung Weight 362.50g

Balance 31.50

Swing Weight 338

Retail

Strung Weight 354g

Balance 31.43

Swing Weight 333

Robin Soderling

Head You Tek Radical MP

Strung Weight 357g

Balance 33.75

Swing Weight 384

Retail

Strung Weight 312g

Balance 33.66

Swing Weight 324

Novak Djokovic

Head You Tek Speed 18X20

Strung Weight 360g

Balance 32.00

Swing Weight 371

*** Flex 51 ***

Retail

Strung Weight 335g

Balance 32.07

Swing Weight 317

*** Flex 65 ***

Rafael Nadal

Babolat Aero Pro Drive Cortex G

Strung Weight 335g

Balance 33.30

Swing Weight 350 (*4 1/4 with two overgrips*)

Retail

Strung Weight 320g

Balance 33.02

Swing Weight 331

As you can see each one of these ATP Tour players use a frame that is much heavier than the retail version. Notice how incredibly more flexible Djokovic’s frame is.

Also the frames that Soderling, Murray, and many of the ATP players that are endorsed by Head, use are frames that have been in production for over 15 years. Any tennis player who has put two overgrips on top of their replacement grip knows how much that increases the grip size.

I could go on about the “mis-representations” we hear on every tennis telecast. But you get the picture. In the next discussion I will tackle WTA Tour frame specs.

Feel free to email me with questions or requests for specs for a specific player.

Thanks and Play More Tennis!

ERIC

http://www.hardcoretennis.net

When you get two strong market contenders the question always arises well which one is the best and what is it that makes it best? The same concept applies to almost any product and the world of animation software is no different.

Therefore, we look at the two major software being 3DMax and Maya. Everything has good and bad points and after all the two products are competitive against each other by their respective owners. The difference here is that both of these dynamic software packages are owned by the same Company. Now that does not make any sense that a company would compete against itself does it? The motive for the acquisition could be to buy the competitor out and then shelve the weaker of the two. This is not the case here however, as Autodesk now owns both 3D Max and Maya and does not intend to take either one of them off the market. It may not sound like it but their concept is very viable.

As we said both of these items, have their strengths and weaknesses but are well liked and well used in the industry. Autodesk simply has decided to take the weaknesses of both and strengthen them with the attributes from its counterpart.

Their strong points.

3D Max is a favorite with the architectural and visualization animators, whereas Maya is the one of choice for TV and film industry. 3D Max has great conceptual modeling tools, large-scale environment creation and works well with other Autodesk product lines to name a few of the main features. Maya on the other hand has amazing character rigging, animation layering as well as motion capture handling capabilities that surpass 3d Max.

Maya has great advantages over 3D Max regarding Nurbs modeling. This is because the software has taken on a different approach in this area, which means it is easier to utilize. Nurbs are complex surfaces it would be the technique you would use to create a polygon for example. The effects that the animator can get regarding fluid are impressive with Maya. It will allow very realistic simulations of fluid and gas reaction in the real and the ocean shader it has implemented produces astounding quality for water animation. In addition with Maya, you can free hand draw and utilize a 3D paint effects that include some special effects as well done with what is called Paint Effects.

To determine which is the best first depends on your budget as 3D Max is more affordable, but if your purpose is Architectural and Visualization then you aren’t going to get a bargain because Maya is better suited here. For the special effects in animation then Maya is the choice. Finally, the decision will come down to what your computer can handle. Maya operates on Windows, Mac and Linux with Max being restricted to Window based systems only. In any event, with either one of these software packages you are going to have the best of both worlds.

Microsoft Excel provides several methods for linking values across worksheets or across workbooks. Which method you choose will depend on your desired end result. This article will review the pros and cons of each method.

Linking by creating a formula. With this method you can create an inter-active link between worksheets or workbooks. The linked cells do not need to be in the same location on all worksheets. You can perform any math operation while creating the link. For example, you could take a figure from one worksheet, multiply it times a figure form another worksheet and then subtract a number from a third worksheet. You can use this method to link cells across worksheets or workbooks. One disadvantage of this method is that it is time consuming because you are working with one cell at a time. Using named ranges can assist with this method of linking and make it easier to read your formulas once they are created.

Creating a Sum across worksheets. This is also an inter-active link. If a number changes on one worksheet, the sheet with the summary formula will also be updated. If a worksheet is inserted between worksheets in the sum, the sum will automatically be updated. Some of the disadvantages of this method are that all of the linked cells must be in the same location on all worksheets. Also, you can only sum one cell at a time (although you can copy the formula to other cells in the summary worksheet.) Using group mode to create identical spreadsheets will help when using the sum function across worksheets. This method is also limited to within a workbook and cannot be done across workbooks.

Using the Consolidation feature. You can determine whether or not the link will be interactive when creating the consolidation. This method provides the greatest level of detail in the summary worksheet. You can choose between any function, not just the sum function. For example, you could create an average of several divisions in a summary worksheet. Some of the disadvantages of this method are that the worksheets must be identical. Although it is not impossible, it is difficult to use consolidation across workbooks.

Using Paste Link. This also creates an inter-active link. The linked cells do not need to be in the same location on all worksheets. You can link between worksheets or workbooks. This is a great way to link totals from one worksheet to another, however, you do not have the detail that is provided by Consolidation.

Having an acting reel is a really important part of marketing yourself as an actor, but it can be expensive. If you are familiar with software like iMovie or Movie Maker, you can try to create your acting reel yourself, especially if you only have a few scenes to work with. Below are seven editing tips that will help your homemade acting reel look more professional.

Acting Reel Tip #1 – Avoid DVDs

It’s great to have DVD copies of films you acted in, but it makes editing your reel very difficult, because the video on DVDs needs to be reformatted before it can be edited. If you can, try to get copies of your film acting footage as video files you can easily work with. If you have a Mac computer, ask for Quicktime files. If you have a PC, ask for AVI files. The best way to get the files you need is to contact the editor of the movie you were in. If they are not on set when you shoot, get their name and number from the director or producer. Most of the time, they’ll be able to burn CDs with the scenes you want in the format you ask for. If not, ask if you can get a copy of your scenes on a miniDV tape. If you have a consumer miniDV camera (or can borrow one), all you have to do is plug it into your computer and capture the footage you need.

Acting Reel Tip #2 – A little extra time now will save you a lot of time later

Beyond cost, one of the advantages of making your own acting reel is that you can edit it as often as you like. In order to make this process easy, stay organized when you first create your acting reel. Name all your original scenes carefully and keep a copy of the project you created your reel in, whether it’s in iMovie, Movie Maker or another editing software. If you stay organized, you can update your reel in minutes. This way, when you see a role you want to audition for, you can include the perfect scene for it on your reel before sending it to the casting director.

Acting Reel Tip #3 – Keep it simple

Your acting reel doesn’t need flashy titles and transitions. A simple fade in and fade out with your name and contact information on a black background works great. You can create that in minutes on iMovie by using the “centered title” template. Stating your name and contact information simply will keep the agent and casting director focused on what matters – watching your acting and writing down your contact information. The important thing is to make sure your slate stays on screen long enough for people to write it down (4-5 seconds if it only includes your name and number, longer if you have more information, like your acting agency’s name or your webpage’s address). And also make sure you put in the same information at the end of your acting reel. That’s the time people are going to write it down… after seeing your best onscreen acting!

Which leads me to the next point…

Acting Reel Tip #4 – Keep the best for last

If you’re wandering in what order to include your film scenes on your reel, here’s my advice… Choose a really good scene to start off your demo reel (so busy casting directors keep watching) and pick your best scene to end the reel (so that casting directors pick up the phone to call you). Once you have your first and last scenes, filling the middle of your reel is easy. Line up your middle scenes with one goal in mind – for the viewer to keep watching. This means cutting out anything that feels too long or redundant. If you can, keep surprising the casting director by switching genres or character types.

Acting Reel Tip #5 – Make a short intro

Do you have good moments from the films you’ve been in that just aren’t long enough to include in your acting reel? If you have good on screen moments you don’t know what to do with (for example, a good close-up reaction shot or a silent bit in an action scene), you can edit them all together in a quick montage set to music right after you slate your name at the beginning of your reel. A quick montage (30 seconds max) can really set the tone for your reel. Setting it to music is easy with software like iMovie (the iLife sound effect library comes with “Jingles”, short instrumental pieces perfect for an intro montage).

Acting Reel Tip #6 – Use your editing scissors

A typical acting demo reel is 3-5 minutes long, but having a great 2-minute reel is a much better idea than having a 5 minute average one. Don’t feel like you have to include all the film acting you ever did on your reel. Only pick your best acting moments (and make sure you include close-ups so the viewer knows which actor he’s looking at). Your acting reel is all about you. Ideally, it shouldn’t feature a close-up of any other actor for more than a few seconds). If you have two good acting moments in a scene separated by lengthy dialogue by other characters, cut out the middle dialogue and drop a quick fade in/fade out between your two acting moments (you can do that in seconds on iMovie by using the “fade through black” transition). Remember… The acting agent or casting director watching your reel doesn’t care about understanding the scene you’re in, they just want to see you act.

Acting Reel Tip #7 – Make the most of your scenes

If you’re starting your film acting career, the problem may not be cutting from your reel but adding to it. If you have very few film scenes to include on your reel, get creative! Consider adding footage from a student film or a commercial. If you had a very small role in a film with a recognizable actor or director, you can use a “lower third” title under the footage to mention the name of the actor or director. If you have no footage at all and really feel that you need a film reel, you may want to hire a young director to shoot a few scenes starring you. Film students will probably be willing to do it for free if you pay for the camera and sound package.

Hope all these tips help you make a great first acting reel!

1. Becoming a Super Stripper is mainly a process of “self-education”. While there are WONDERFUL resources online, it is still ultimately up to YOU to learn and apply your knowledge. There is no test – no real certification – that says “pass” or “fail”. We determine our own success…. and we determine our own failure. Fear of failure AND fear of success can be the biggest obstacles in this business.

2. One is never enough. When using sales methods to close lapdance sales and champagne rooms, one line is never enough. If you find a hot button or one-liner that works for you, don’t just use that one strategy over and over again. Different situations, different people, and different environments call for different strategies. What works at a fast paced, high contact club off the interstate may not work at a more formal big city gown club. Build your Super Stripper Toolbox with a professional sales training course.

3. Learn how to find what you need. Those that are successful at stripping are also REALLY good researchers. Align yourself with the right people at work. If you do this, they will help you find what you need. In school we could simply raise our hand and ask a question, and trust that the teacher would give you the honest and correct answer. In the strip club, you can easily be sent on a wild goose chase (errr…VIP customer chase) if you don’t take proper care of your support staff. Ultimately, you are in charge of your own destiny. Embrace that.

4. People hate “hype” – but… it still causes an emotional response to buy. This one drives me crazy and I see MYSELF doing it too. We all claim we hate hype and flashy sales pitches…but we are drawn to them, aren’t we? Emotional HOT BUTTONS cause sales the majority of the time. If YOU are that “hot button”, you make sales. The secret is not the one liner… the secret is the hot button.

5. Stripping is NOT a Beginners Sport. My apologies to those that may disagree, but I do not think anyone who has danced for less than three years can claim to be a pro. Making big money at the strip club is so much more than booty shaking and pole climbing. I am SO thankful that I took the time to learn how to gain rapport with customers and close a sale before I signed up for pole dancing school. Actually, I started making so much money that I didn’t need to learn how to flip upside down on the pole. I was too busy getting paid for my time sitting and chatting! Good thing for my traps and rhomboids…

6. Failure is a state of mind. In my opinion, the only way you can “fail” at stripping is if you never put any effort into learning how to sell. There is a phrase I love – “Ready! Fire! Aim!” – and it describes me to a tee. Pick one strategy a week to work on then DO IT…and you can tweak it later. But if you never DO anything, you will NEVER make a sale. Stop standing in your own way and take a chance.

7. Shiny Things Dull Your Senses. How many times are you distracted by something “shiny”? You know, a new outfit, a sparkly belt, the latest teal green pigment shade from MAC? Distractions and money pits are everywhere. Learn to protect yourself from them. All these things do is dull your focus on creating a great experience (with your PERSONALITY) for the customer.

8. Stop being your own worst critic. I simply can NOT believe how hard some girls are on themselves! New girls especially, listen up: you are learning something new. It is a whole different world in the strip club AND this new world is constantly changing.Relax and allow yourself to first adjust to the climate…and then allow yourself to learn the language. In my life, I have YET to hear someone say, “I was going to college for a 4-year degree, but I quit because I didn’t get that degree in 6 months!”

Do yourself a favor – 1) Write your expectations of yourself and of stripping on paper 2) Be SURE those expectations are realistic. If those expectations are NOT realistic, change them. Then – be your own best friend… be your biggest fan. Stop condemning yourself for what you DON’T know and for what you HAVEN’T achieved, and start being proud of yourself for each thing you DO learn and you DO achieve.

9. There is only ONE way to stop the frustration of the learning curve. The only way to stop it is to STOP LEARNING….but why on earth would you do that? For all sakes and purposes, I have been pretty successful with the things I’ve done so far. However, I want to continue to grow and try new things. With each new thing comes a new learning curve. It is the reality of being a business owner… it is the reality of being human. Even tho there were some nights I came home crying because I only made a hundred bucks for taking my clothes off, I still am proud that I finally LEARNED and ACCOMPLISHED the task of mastering how to get paid to sit and drink champagne with my clothes ON!

10. Changing your life IS scary. You are taking brave steps to change your life. You aren’t thinking about it, you aren’t complaining about it, you aren’t planning it…. you are DOING it. This is bold, and courageous, and admirable. You could be watching TV right now… or sleeping…or on the phone with a friend complaining about your life, but you’re not. You are a brave and courageous person to be right here, right now. Take a moment to thank yourself for having the guts to even TRY and do this. You deserve that respect and appreciation from YOURSELF.

Be kind to yourself. Keep moving FORWARD. And appreciate each and every learning curve you encounter.

Congratulations! Returning to school is tough overall. Compound this with everyday lives of students who have kids and jobs and you have full havoc on your hands. The pros outweigh the cons when you are 40, and returning to school. I want to list the pros first because I think they prove motivating to be motivating factors when contemplating going back to school at 40.

Pros of going back to school at 40

1. Completing your degree can help you professionally.

2. Even though, you are 40 and will be considered outdated by your younger future classmates, you are bringing something to the arena of academia which they cannot. WORK EXPERIENCE! Your experiences will help tremendously, especially if you want to be a Business major.

3. At 40 years of age, you prove wise. You will find that you contain patience and more of an eagerness to learn. You will find that you will be more zealous in completing homework as well as asking for help from the instructors if needed.

4. If you have a family and career, you already have the time-management skills, which will help tremendously while attending college.

5. You will find the initiative of pleasing your family while improving the life of your family can be a motivational factor. When others give up, you will know that failure is not an option.

6. You will not have the difficulty of obtaining a social life through the college. You already have family and friends. You will be able to concentrate fully on the academic tasks before you.

7. You will be able to relate to your instructors because you more than likely will be the same age or older.

8. Your confidence will rise to the mountaintops and why would it not? Upon graduating with your college degree, you will have the pleasure of knowing you obtained this tremendous achievement while raising children and maintaining your personal life.

9. You will show everyone around you that you are a “go-getter”.

10. You will be a fantastic model for your children and family.

Cons of going back to school at 40:

1. You will feel alienated at first because let us face facts here; you are older than most everyone in your classes, especially if you are attending day classes at your college.

2. You will have to juggle your college classes along with your already busy life.

3. Your boss at your current job may not be supportive of your college schedule. If this happens, you might find yourself switching jobs that will prove supportive or leaving the workforce altogether, at least until you finish school. This could quite possibly create a financial hardship on your family.

4. You will find your energy level not as it used to be when you were younger. Younger students do not have children to take care of, a house to clean, a job to work, and they do not have the daily tasks that you have. I would recommend energy drinks while increasing your daily exercise; of course, you will have to find time to fit in working out in a gym or more walks during the day.

5. If you have children and are a single parent, you will have to make accommodations for your children while at school.

6. You might have to complete an internship for your degree program before you graduate college. This can be a nightmare, especially if you already work. Imagine having to work your regular job to help support your family plus a non-paid internship. More times to none if you are already working a job, the college might waive the internship because let us face it; you already have work experience at 40 years of age. Make sure you ask your academic counselor about this.

7. If you are a parent, you are going to miss things with your children. Most students at 40 years of age are forced to go to school at night. This will eliminate momentous time with your children at night and bedtime.

As you can see, the pros far outweigh the cons of going back to school when you are 40 years of age. The best advice I can give anyone attempting this monumental feat is to never give up. It becomes quite desirable to give up when you are tired from your long day of work, dealing with your children, and knowing you have to sit in class for 3 hours at night.

You must focus on the future. What is a year or so of your life in sacrificing when you will be benefitting immensely from your sacrifice with a better financial future? Hang in there and keep reaching for your goals. You will find that at 40 years of age, you will appreciate the sacrifices and opportunities presented to you more than your younger classmates. You will eventually be able to look back on this ordeal as a huge milestone in not only your own life but also that of your family. Your family is depending on you and you cannot let them down. Keep going and good luck!

Once upon a time, a dance teacher opened her own studio down the road from her former employer’s school, taking advantage of her former teaching position to start her own studio. Sound familiar? This is an all too common story in the dance studio business and unfortunately, this is no fairy-tale.

We have all heard a version of this story or perhaps experienced it first-hand. Poaching students–direct or indirect solicitation of another’s students–is a practice that mindlessly fragments and divides the dance community. In addition to poaching students, other subtle, but just as divisive, practices include: making negative remarks about other teachers/schools, misrepresentation of the self by making false, exaggerated, or ambiguous claims, and making disparaging comparisons or references about others.

What drives otherwise enterprising individuals to engage in business practices that burn bridges, sow the seeds of deceit, and model mindless behavior?

Darwin. You heard me–Darwin is to blame. Well, not really Darwin himself, but the misinterpretation of his theories into a business context is at the root of this dilemma. When the business world adopted the neo-Darwinian philosophy of “survival of the fittest”, they unleashed a ready-made excuse for unethical action.

As a culture that witnessed the “cola wars” first hand, we picked up the idea that anything goes when it comes to business and marketing. Ethics and morals need not apply. “That’s business” they say while defending their actions. They fail to see the big picture: to look mindfully at the situation. They unknowingly hurt the larger dance profession and therefore themselves. It is a case of one’s right hand shooting one’s left and thinking this is good.

What makes one feel justified in approaching the business of dance studios in this mindless manner?

At the root of the neo-Darwinian business approach is a sense of isolation and scarcity. These teachers believe that it is “them against the world”–or, more directly, “them against the other local studios/teachers.” Add to this sense of isolation a sense of scarcity–that there are not enough students to go around–and you start to understand how one begins to rationalize why stealing students is necessary for survival. However, these twin concepts–isolation and scarcity–are illusions in the dance world.

Studios fighting over the same group of students create a negative atmosphere in the community. Parents sense this negativity and choose alternative activities for their children because they seem more wholesome: the potential young dancer takes up soccer. However, in a community where more than one dance school thrives without negativity, a greater number of students enjoy dance as an activity. This greater number of students translates down the road into a greater number of future dancers, dance teachers, and, most importantly, audience members. If dance studios stopped seeing each other so much as competitors and more as colleagues, the entire dance profession would benefit.

The solution starts as simply as making replacements: replacing mindless competition with mindful collegiality, mindless isolation with mindful interconnectedness, and mindless scarcity with mindful abundance. We must realize that the dance profession, from the smallest recreational dance class to the largest professional company, is interconnected. The entire web of the dance world is vitally linked.

For example, the dance community is rather small in comparison with the larger world of sports. There are many more children participating in sports than the arts. Rather than interpreting this as a reason to fight for resources, we should embrace a sense of abundance. There are more than enough potential students out there to sustain every school if we focus on bringing more students into dance rather than fighting over those already there. It is to the benefit of the dance profession at every level to include more of the non-dance world inside our walls rather than put up walls within our own.

So, how can we begin to break down the twin illusions of isolation and scarcity in the dance studio world and open our eyes to interconnectedness and abundance?

We need to base our actions and practices on ideals that reflect the dance world as a healthy and vibrant community rather than a dire and hopeless one that lends itself to mindless behavior. Adopting a code of ethics that reinforces a mindful and wholesome outlook will not just serve as guidelines, but also help promote a positive environment for those whom they effect.

Going forward, we all need to embrace a code of ethics that addresses these issues. The following list is nowhere near complete, but it is a place to start.

Business Ethics for the Mindful Dance Professional

In all professional and business relations, the dance professional shall exhibit respect, honesty, and integrity for themselves, clients, and colleagues.

A. Respect

A dance professional shall refrain from making negative remarks that may discredit, malign, or in any way cast reflection on the professional standing of another school/studio or teacher.

A dance professional shall refrain from making any disparaging references to, or disparaging comparisons with, the services of others

A dance professional shall refrain from publishing, or causing to be published, any notice, newspaper advertisement, or any other matter likely to damage or depreciate the reputation of any colleague.

B. Honesty

A dance professional shall accurately portray his or her qualifications or affiliations to the public especially in advertising material and avoid any ambiguity or exaggeration.

A dance professional shall refrain from portraying his or her qualifications or affiliations to the public in a way intended to deceive the uninitiated. For example: having danced a child role in the Nutcracker with a professional company and listing it as to portray having danced professionally with the company.

C. Integrity

A dance professional shall refrain from directly soliciting business from another teacher or studio by approaching, in any manner the pupil, pupils or employees of another teacher and, for any reason at all, to try to induce them to join his/her school.

A dance professional shall refrain from indirectly soliciting business from another teacher or studio by making adverse criticism against other teachers’ methods, by offering free coaching, by citing the advantages to be gained by the pupil from the change (e.g. offering roles/parts), or other similar methods.

With each of us taking responsibility for our own actions by embracing a mindful ethical base, we can co-create a healthier, connected, and abundant environment in the business of dance schools. Moreover, with all we have in common, we might just discover we make better friends than enemies.