What Is A Dance?

Girl in grade 10.  Until recently, she has had a very uncommunicative kind of personality, but she is slowly coming out of her shell.  Today, we were working on a dance - and she was playing it like a girl.  Throughout this conversation I was drinking a cup of tea, and her responses were very prompt and sudden.

Me: What sort of piece is this? [sip]
Girl: Dance.
Me: Er - yes.  How are you- actually, different question.  What is a dance? [sip]
Girl: People jumping around. [I nearly sprayed her with tea]
Me: Okay.  Yes.  People jumping around.  How are you going to make it easy for them to land their feet at the right time?
Girl: Accent.  Start of bars.
Me: Yes.  So, do that!

Messy Writing

A grade 10 girl was just about out the door, but I was still writing in her notebook.  I don't have very neat handwriting unless I'm really trying, so writing quickly, while standing up... It's very messy.  I had memories of trying to decipher one of my violin teacher's handwriting.  He's Greek.

Me: Wait... Just a moment...
Girl [peering at the page]: Okay.
Me: Because... Part of ... learning violin... Involves learning to decipher... Really messy writing...
Girl [with raised eyebrow, then with a 'well, duh' tone of voice]: Uh - my mother is a doctor.
Me [laughing]: Good point.  You'll be fine.