"Dear Edie..." Page Nineteen

"Dear Edie,
As a member of a [certain dance group] I found my self in a situation that I didn't expect. We were working on a choreography for a merengue, sort of like a Casina Rueda but it turned out that one of the girls that recently joined had certain body fragrances that woke me up!  I want to be nice and tell her but I don't know how to it with out hurting her feelings and loosing someone with a joy for dancing from the group. Should I get one of the other girls to mention something or what? I need your Help. I read your page on help http://www.salsafreak.com/stories/help.htm and it mentions nothing on how to approach this problem on a girl. I liked that page tanto that I saved the text to make a little booklet to my fellow friends and members of the dance group.  It contains everything. Thanks for your time.
- I Need Your Help"

Dear "I Need Your Help",
In any classroom type setting, where there is a figure of authority at hand, it is the instructor that must take action.

Never leave it to other students to take care of this type of sensitive situation. 

They'll foul it up every time.

The instructor must take her aside after class, outside of the building, when nobody is watching, and start a conversation by saying, "You know, I've always wanted my friends to be honest and up front with me. That's the way true friends should be with each other, right? Well, I want to be a true friend to you. Next class time, I want you to take a very good shower and deoderant "before" you get here. When we're this close to people all the time, our body odors are more prevalent. I bring deoderant with me to class. I get a little paranoid about how I smell, because I don't want to offend any of my students. You'll need to do the same. "

The instructor should also comfort her by letting her know that this has happened in the past, and she is not the first (OK, if it's never happened before, this is where you practice your lying skills). He needs to let her know that he is looking forward very much to seeing her again at the next rehearsal.

IMPORTANT:  The instructor needs to do this with his/her arm around her shoulder in a brotherly or sisterly way, and give her a big friendly hug and smile after the conversation. IMPORTANT:  The instructor needs to do this with his/her arm around her shoulder in a brotherly or sisterly way, and give her a big friendly hug and smile after the conversation.

- Edie, The Salsa FREAK