Student Teaches Teacher at Walnut Creek’s The Ballet School
At Walnut Creek’s The Ballet School, the classes are nothing less than exciting. The Tuesday night class is always the same routine with a few exceptions.
Almost every class, our teacher, Jennifer Perry (Jenny) will introduce us (many for the third or fourth time) to Mrs. Rowmeis.
Mrs. Rowmeis is Miss Jenny’s second grade teacher who now takes ballet.
Lareen Fender, Miss Jenny’s grandmother, started the ballet school back in 1976, so Miss Jenny grew up with the Ballet School.
“Lareen Fender was my grandmother so I was basically born here, and the Ballet School turns 40 this year and I’m turning 40 this year so when I say my whole life, I mean my whole life,” said Perry.
Mrs. Rowmeis has been teaching for around 35 years now.
“You know my students ask me that and I say 200 years. They immediately raise their hands and say ‘well then how old are you?’ That’s a joke. I really don’t know because I stopped a couple of times but then I knew I had to go back. So, maybe 35 years. That’s a long time,” said Rowmeis.
Ballet holds a special place in Miss Jenny’s heart. “Some kids play house, I played ballet teacher. I would always pretend I was my grandmother teaching ballet. I was always Mrs. Rowmeis teaching at school,” said Perry.
Unlike Miss Jenny, Mrs. Rowmeis’ love for ballet didn’t come from her family.
“I was raised in a culturally deprived family, this is the truth, so I never had the chance to do anything like ballet as a child. I couldn’t do anything besides go to school and go to church. I didn’t take my first ballet class until college, and I loved it. I had a lot of time to make up. It’s my favorite thing in my whole life. I just love the classes, I love the movements and the beauty and also going to see the San Francisco Ballet. I have season tickets so I wouldn’t miss anything. I can’t really tell you why because it is just such a thing of beauty. I guess that’s it.”
Miss Jenny’s love for teaching is contagious and her love is spread through to her students.
“I think the best part about teaching ballet is connecting with the students and making them believe in themselves and that they can do it. A lot of people walk in with self doubt and It’s like I know you can do this so encouraging that in the student and kind of watching them bloom is my most favorite part,” said Perry.
“It’s like planting seeds for their growth. Watching them develop is so amazing, that’s the best part,” said Perry.
Miss Jenny and Mrs. Rowmeis met back at Sequoia Elementary school in Pleasant Hill when Miss Jenny was in her second grade class.
“It’s so awesome because she seriously was my favorite grade school teacher,” said Perry, “she just made things fun. She was creative and loved theater arts, she was big and bold and I think that was captivating as a little kid.”
“I always tried to make sure she noticed me, I always hurried to make sure I was first in line so I could walk back with her to class.”
Mrs. Rowmeis remembers Miss Jenny as the perfect student.
“She was a perfect student, wonderful in every way. I probably never gave her a low grade because she always excelled and I loved her so much even at seven years old,” said Rowmeis.
“She was always so well behaved and polite. She did everything I told her to do. She just loved all the activities. I only remember good things,” said Rowmeis.
“She’s so wonderful and I love being around her. All I can remember is good things about Jenny, what a sweet student and child she was. I also fell in love with her family. I love the family too and all of her sisters. She’s just special in my life,” said Rowmeis. Mrs. Rowmeis loves taking ballet from Miss Jenny and plans on continuing taking the class for a long time.
“I think she’s great, she demonstrates and explains it to us. I love when she picks some of her excelled students to show us a step or a movement. She just has some great ideas about teaching.”
The best part of having a teacher be the student in the end is the inspiration passed through the generations.
“I think I’m sure where I feel the most inspiration is watching her today. I wanna be just like her when I grow up, in the sense that she is so independent and she takes dance classes everywhere, she goes to see everything, she’s an audience member, she’s so supportive and I really think she lives her 24 hour day to its fullest,” said Perry.
Miss Jenny admires how independent and put together Mrs. Rowmeis is. “She’s so kind to everybody. I’ve never seen her in a bad mood; she’s always smiling. I’m more in- spired by her today because I am appreciating it as an adult, I don’t know how old she is but she’s still driving around on her own and taking care of herself. Her nails are always painted, she’s always got makeup on, her hair is done and she’s always in a ballet skirt. She’s fully and authentically herself,” said Perry, “It’s so nice to still be connected to her.”
Mrs. Rowmeis is equally as impressed with Miss Jenny, “she always inspires me; that’s why I come. I love this school,” said Rowmeis. “She always takes a moment to re- ally tell you ‘I’m proud of you’ or ‘I love you’ and she’s always expressed that,” said Perry.
“She makes you feel good about yourself and that’s a good thing for a teacher because she makes you feel safe and like you’re accomplishing something and it makes you want to work harder because you want her to be proud of you,” said Perry.
