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This article is from the Ballet and Modern Dance FAQ, by Tom Parsons twp@panix.com with numerous contributions by others.

3.16. What is this "Dolly Dinkle" business, anyway?

The name was originally "Dolly Dingle," an artist's character from the
1920s or 30s. Somehow the -g- was changed to a -k- and, for some unknown
reason, the name, "Dolly Dinkle," has come to be associated with everything
that can go wrong in dance instruction for children. PriMoDnc
< primodnc@aol.com> put it most concisely and eloquently:

Dolly is the quintessential bad dance teacher, but she doesn't know
that she is bad. She can be found in small towns and in large cities
all of the USA, not just in the South. You can find just about any
form of dance taught at her studio, none of them taught well, plus
things like charm, flaming baton twirling, beauty pageant preparation,
anything to do with the outer fringes of showbiz. She will have the
biggest ad in the yellow pages, will belong to numerous dance organiza-
tions in the hopes of adding credibility to her resume. She goes off
to weekend workshops in the latest dance craze and comes back certified
in two days. She loves garish costumes for her recitals, buys the
recital routines mail order and is not aware that dancing on a cement
floor is bad for the dancers.

 

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• next: 3.17. What about studying in a university dance department?

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