There's a lot going on in the world right now, which mean there's a lot of uncertainty. Here in the UK we were advised to avoid non-essential contact from Monday the 16th of March. The advice came out while I was teaching dance classes in a local hall. The following day most of the dance… Continue reading Teaching Tips: Dance Teaching Online
There are so many franchises offering lesson plans and syllabus for you to use to help build pre-ballet classes. However many of these require certain rules in which you need to follow, and costs that need to be paid to them. When you're a dance teacher with accreditation through an organisation you are probably already… Continue reading Toddler Ballet Syllabi
As part of training dancers we look to find movements that build up, getting a little harder with each graduation. Most steps have a natural to get further, doing the step in the air perhaps, adding in a double or triple. Other moves can be a little harder to spot what moves can come from this simple step. Today I'm examining the Ronds de Jambe en L'air step that is most common done at the barre.
Finding the balance between too friendly and too stern can be difficult, and is going to be my main form of development as a teacher in this coming year. In this post I've put together 8 basic rules that I'll be putting into practice during my dance classes.
Start of term can be a nervy time for all teachers as they revert back to a working life. For dance teachers this can be even more startling as we pull together everything we have and remind everyone they still have fees due and need to keep coming to class to improve. Here's some tips to help that first week go a little more smoothly.
I love teaching musical theatre. Getting children, who are traditionally dancers, a little out of their comfort zone and having to act, really brings out a different side to them. Ultimately I hope that this makes them better well rounded dancers, able to perform and engage with the audience on another level. As much as… Continue reading Musical Theatre: Go to songs – Part One
We're back for another teaching tip. Recently I've been trying to have a little bit more fun during my dance classes. Between exams and performances, it can be hard to remember that the students love being in an environment with less pressure. In order to do this I've been trying to find/rediscover some dance based… Continue reading General Dance Class Games
I'm relatively new in my profession as a dance teacher and as such am still learning. Always finding a new tip here or there and thinking about the next qualification to gain. On top of this, I love seeing what other teachers are up to and what they're teaching different age ranges. As I get more confident in my own teaching though, I don't want this level of intrigue to stop as I feel it is a very important part of being a dance teacher. Many professions have this elusive thing called CPD, often it's tied in with their jobs as they try to get a higher position in the company, or their job role changes. Dance teaching is no different, however there often isn't the incentive to go out their and do more training.
Dance can be tailored for many different ages groups and abilities, by using more accessible music and easier to learn steps. But sometimes groups can get bored of the week in week out monotony of learning steps and routine, or in some cases never really seem that interested in choreography. This is especially true of… Continue reading Teaching Tips: Dance Based Games
By no means am I, yet, an expert on this topic. I'm creating this post mainly as an exploration for myself and a reminder to try many of these ideas. As you teach you become aware that not everyone is motivated to learn, and as the teacher it is your job to help inspire them… Continue reading Teaching Tips: How to Inspire Children to Dance
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