Crossing the line: what to do about romance between teachers and students.

A beautiful 19-year-old, watched closely by her coach and a small group of friends, dances her emotional guts out in a challenging dramatic solo she's preparing for an upcoming competition. There are tears in her eyes as she finishes, running up to the coach and hurling herself into his arms. He wraps her in a lingering embrace and then runs a comforting hand through her flowing hair. She looks up. They gaze into each other's eyes. He softly kisses her brow.

It's a perfect Harlequin moment--and in this case, one fraught with peril. The young dancer is actually a student, as are her friends at the barre, and the coach, several years her senior, is their teacher. This intimate exchange crosses the line on what are appropriate relations between teachers and students. There's a big difference between hugging and caressing. The student may adore her teacher and feel ready to surrender to his obvious affection, but it's still not right.

Allowing mentorship to turn to romance breaks the trust on which a healthy teacher/student relationship is founded. It exploits the emotional vulnerability of the student and, if allowed to get out of hand, can affect the well-being of other students as well. It could also expose the school to accusations of negligence and possible lawsuits. That's why dance schools need unambiguous policies, drummed into both staff and students, that proscribe romantic relationships between them.

The importance of this was underlined in July with the public revelation of a staff/student romance at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, one that has prompted many school administrators to make sure their own policies are explicit and ironclad.

The RWB's professional school was established in 1970 as an integral part of the company. About 100 students from across Canada and beyond, ranging in age from 11 to 19, are enrolled. Up to 60 are in residence, placing even more responsibility for their general welfare on the school. Senior students regularly perform alongside company dancers in the RWB's large classical productions. Within this hormonally volatile environment it is all too easy for the young people involved--and for their teachers--to forget that they are still students.

The story broke after complaints to the media. The female student was 18 when what she later described as her consensual relationship with a 37-year-old teacher began. A number of students and parents condemned the liaison as inappropriate. They share a prevalent belief that there's no such thing as a consensual relationship between a student and teacher. The power difference makes it unequal.

The RWB already Ms a sexual harassment policy, but it does not specifically ban stair/student relationships. Judy Murphy, appointed RWB chief operating officer a year ago, was quick to admit the need for an unequivocal policy outlawing staff/student romances. It came into effect in September. The teacher involved remains on staff.

Most of the academies contacted by Dance Magazine, among them New York's School of American Ballet, Britain's Royal Ballet School, the Toronto-based National Ballet School, and The Harid Conservatory in Florida, headed by former RWB school administrator Gordon Wright, say they have strictly on forced policies.

Wright it says time have changed. In the past the intimate, intense world of dance may have been relaxed about the kind of romances it tolerated. Today North American society is highly sensitized to the potential for abuse.

"A student and a teacher are not in an equal relationship," says Pat Fraser, artistic director of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. "It was very damaging for some people in the past. The ramifications for other students, who almost always know when these things are happening, are also negative. The classroom dynamic is pretty much destroyed." Teachers open their selves up to accusations of favoritism. Other students may begin to think they have to sleep their way to a good grade.

The residential Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton trains high school age students. Says Wright: "You have to create an environment parents feel comfortable with. We have a moral, ethical duty to see that staff/student relations are appropriate. But, especially in a country as litigious as the United States, institutions must be proactive and protect themselves against potential accusations of negligence. I'd rather be viewed its a strict school and err on the side of caution." At The Harid Conservatory, even one-on-one coaching is discouraged and a faculty member cannot give a ride to a student without Wright's written permission.

Sometimes an emotionally susceptible student can misapprehend the reality of a relationship with an admired teacher. "In ballet, students are acting roles that require emotions," says Pat Fraser. "Those emotions can sometimes be transferred to the teacher. It can get pretty confusing." Fraser adds that some students crave attention and affection. "It is not always the evil teacher. Sometimes it is the student who needs counseling.

The School of Alberta Ballet's director Murray Kilgour agrees. "Teachers must be careful not to play into the hands of vindictive students. Children can be manipulative." A failing student might falsely accuse her teacher. Having, strict rules makes this less likely. But Kilgour says having a policy is not enough. "Any policy can be ignored if it is not held in respect from the top. Whoever is in charge has to set the tone, to lead by example and, if a student feels uncomfortable, they must know there is someone they can talk to."

Michael Crabb is dance critic of the Canadian daily, The National Post, and author of Instinct for Success: Arnold Spohr and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Toronto, 2002