Baylins Ballet Barn - Annik Coatalen

I went to Baylins Ballet Barn for a few years and looking back now I realise that what I experienced was bullying by the teacher. Annik was very moody and unpredictable, so I never knew what to expect from her when I arrived. Sometimes she was helpful and pleasant but a lot of the time I was walking on eggshells. Annik had favourites in the classes, but she specifically had an issue with me that I couldnt understand. I wasnt disruptive and always did my best, but it was never enough for her. She often ignored me completely while giving other girls feedback. She would make sarcastic and mocking comments in front of everyone, or give me feedback in a harsh way, as if I was a really awful child. I remember one occasion, the class was small as lots of girls were away so she used it as an opportunity to humiliate me and fixate on every move I made, even raising her voice at me. She was continually telling me I wasnt listening to her when in fact I was doing my best. She kept criticising me to the point that it was mean, and I started crying in the middle of a dance because I couldnt take her nastiness anymore. She saw how upset I was, but made no move to apologise or check in with me. Annik on another occasion showed a lack of care when we let her know that I was ill and wasnt able to come to the class. Rather than wish me a speedy recovery she was blatantly rude and implied the classes were better off without me. Looking back on this now, I realise that I was always reliable and hardworking, dedicated to improving and for some reason she resented me for it. Anniks dislike for me also affected the process around my ballet exam. Before I was due to do my exam she tried to stop me from doing things that are the usual pre-exam protocol and routine. There was another issue to do with the physical setup of the barn. It always bothered my parents in particular because it was a safety hazard. In winter, when I had evening classes, it was cold and dark, and there was no lighting in the parking spaces, and sometimes to get to your parents car you had to walk through a busy parking lot. There was a constant rotation of cars picking up and dropping off, with poor visibility. We often had to use the torch on our phones to see where we were going and it was unsafe, especially for kids. Finally, there was an incident with one of the girls in my class as Annik commented on her weight; it was inappropriate and offensive. The girl had always struggled with her self-esteem so the last thing she needed was her ballet teachers criticism of her physical appearance in front of her fellow dancers.
Apr 10th, 2022

Positive: Professionalism
Nov 26th, 2021