Articles

Reverence—Just Do It

February 25, 2019

Ever taught a class or in a studio where the students haven’t been exposed to reverence? When you attempt to do that portion of class they react in a most awkward way. When they realize you expect them to applaud—oh… Read More

Reverence—Just Do It

Teaching Them to Ask Smart Questions

January 14, 2019

We all know there are plenty of unneeded questions. Of course, we want to encourage our students to ask any question they have, but really . . . sometimes the questions they ask are just plain dumb. My favorite one… Read More

Teaching Them to Ask Smart Questions

Emotional Needs Within The Ballet Classroom

November 12, 2018

Ballet dancers are artists and art reflects humanity. Therefore, ballet dancers must be highly in tune with their own humanity in order for their art to resonate. Most people drawn to pursuing the arts experience feelings in a profoundly deep… Read More

Emotional Needs Within The Ballet Classroom

Three Fundamentals of Safe Pointe Work

January 29, 2018

Above all, we prioritize safety. While we want our dancers whipping out strings of fouetté turns and series of hops en pointe, what we want more than that is for our dancers to have longevity and undamaged bodies. Pointe training… Read More

Three Fundamentals of Safe Pointe Work

What About the Bathroom?

September 11, 2017

It’s a thing, isn’t it? The bathroom. Everyone always having to go to the bathroom. Well, maybe not with kids older than eight or nine. But the younger ones? Seems every time I turn around someone is saying they need… Read More

What About the Bathroom?

Addressing Parents

September 11, 2017

Go to any ballet teacher forum and you will find a slew of threads discussing the topic of parents. Teachers willingly pour hours of work into their students and still have energy left over to go home and choreograph until… Read More

Addressing Parents

Separation Anxiety

August 28, 2017

I am a mom of three kids. But when I began my ballet teaching career I was not a mom of three kids. I was not a mom at all. I was basically a kid who knew nothing and did… Read More

Separation Anxiety

The Rut War

August 7, 2017

It is no news flash that ballet class is at high risk of falling into a rut. We speak about creating a structure that develops discipline and focus, but we all know that very structure can be the demise of… Read More

The Rut War

Building Smart Dancers

April 9, 2017

What good is knowing how to do 17 pirouettes if you don’t know when to do 17 pirouettes? What good is being able to extend your leg far behind your head if you don’t understand the nuances behind lovely extension?… Read More

Building Smart Dancers

Dealing With Attitudes

February 25, 2017

We have all been there. Every single one of us. The arch enemy of the ballet teacher excludes no one. When this imposter rears its head in the studio we are immediately entrenched in a battle. A battle we will… Read More

Dealing With Attitudes

Where to Put All the Tiny Humans

January 13, 2017

I once taught a class of three year olds who I called my Sparkly Marbles. They were very proud of their title and often referred to themselves as Miss Robyn’s Sparkly Marbles. One class a dancer asked, “Miss Robyn, why… Read More

Where to Put All the Tiny Humans

Teaching Ballet Really Isn't About Ballet At All

December 23, 2016

When I was five years old I decided I wanted to be a teacher. My kindergarten teacher was my hero and if I could do what she did then I figured I could possibly be a hero to… Read More

Teaching Ballet Really Isn't About Ballet At All

My Personal Secrets for Teaching Littles

December 16, 2016

Allow me to paint a picture in your mind… I am sixteen years old. I have had plenty of experience as a teacher’s assistant in ballet class. It is now my turn to take a class on my own… Read More

My Personal Secrets for Teaching Littles

Where Did Their Brains Go?

December 1, 2016

Thanksgiving is over, winter break is on its way. There is so much excitement in the air. The buzz of the holidays brims everywhere. The most wonderful time of the year! Right? We’ve all been there. The chaos of the… Read More

Where Did Their Brains Go?

Are Today's Kids Different?

November 11, 2016

You may hear dance teachers say, “Today’s children are different, especially ages five to seven.” Every generation is different in some way, but the basic principles of child development are the same. Kids’ physical, emotional, social, and… Read More

Are Today's Kids Different?

Maximize Learning Retention

October 21, 2016

If students are not retaining the new skills we teach them, it could be because we as teachers are not honoring their natural flow of learning. Learning new skills follows a logical pattern, and we have to address the “why” and… Read More

Maximize Learning Retention

How to Survive Observation Week

October 14, 2016

Around this time of year, many dance schools are preparing for parent Observation Week. It’s a very special time for the students and their parents, but it can be a time of high stress and… Read More

How to Survive Observation Week

How Learning Happens

September 9, 2016

Ever felt frustrated in class because you feel like your students are just not getting what you’re trying so hard to teach them? You explain the concepts to them every single class and still don’t see evidence of that information… Read More

How Learning Happens

Inside the Pre-Ballet Mind: Letter From a Dancer-to-Be

September 2, 2016

It’s “back to school” season on this side of the pond, and like many dance teachers, you’re probably busily gearing up for the year ahead. This is an exciting time for some and a daunting one for others. Your little… Read More

Inside the Pre-Ballet Mind: Letter From a Dancer-to-Be

Teaching the Accelerated Child

August 12, 2016

How can we, as dance teachers, best serve those young students in our classrooms who we notice have some great potential to be more in the ballet world? Sometimes we see that they are progressing well, but we don’t know… Read More

Teaching the Accelerated Child

Find the Causes of Their Actions

August 4, 2016

All Behavior is Learned Out of the clear blue, your student throws a tantrum. Another student sulks shyly and avoids eye contact. What do you do? Understand that all behaviors result from an underlying cause. Come to class armed with… Read More

Find the Causes of Their Actions

Self-Esteem in the Pre-Ballet Class

May 13, 2016

Self-esteem is an internalizing of who and what you are. Knowing and understanding who we are is essential to the growth process of every individual. Lack of such knowledge or the internalizing of wrong ideas about themselves can cause lasting… Read More

Self-Esteem in the Pre-Ballet Class

Power Struggles in Middle Childhood

February 27, 2016

Middle childhood can be quite a frightening life phase! Not only for the student, but also for the teacher of this age group. It is a time of much change for the 9-11 year old. He or she is just… Read More

Power Struggles in Middle Childhood

The Ultimate Survival Guide for Teaching Pre-Ballet

February 19, 2016

I can still vividly remember being interviewed for my first job as a ballet teacher. My director asked if I would be willing to teach “the little ones”. One side of me—the arrogant, naive, “I’m too good to teach little… Read More

The Ultimate Survival Guide for Teaching Pre-Ballet

What Can I Do To Change Their Behavior?

February 5, 2016

Psychologists tell us that behaviors do not continue unless they are reinforced. Reinforcement is a constant reality—if the teacher smiles, nods, even looks at a student during an exercise, that is positive reinforcement. We can direct the reinforcement, plan it when… Read More

What Can I Do To Change Their Behavior?