Articles

Working Toward Excellence in Classical Ballet

November 9, 2015

Once your students have graduated from the early levels of ballet training and move into a more classically directed ballet education, there are many principles to begin to implement in their classes. The small things create the difference… Read More

Working Toward Excellence in Classical Ballet

Courtesy, Safety and Respect in the Classroom

October 16, 2015

Today’s culture is full of conflict, lacking in courtesy both for individuals and for humanity in general. Whether movies, TV, or video games, few of these teach or show courtesy and respect between people. Dance class has been… Read More

Courtesy, Safety and Respect in the Classroom

More Games for the Ballet Classroom

September 25, 2015

Games in the ballet classroom can be very effective teaching tools. As the students take advantage of a time of rest from their technique class, you can continue their ballet education through creative, team-building, skill-developing activities. Explained below… Read More

More Games for the Ballet Classroom

Using Inertia to Avoid the "Dead Spot"

July 8, 2015

How frustrating it is to carefully present and explain something to a class, and then find at the next meeting that the students remember very little, if any, of what you took such careful pains… Read More

Using Inertia to Avoid the "Dead Spot"

Win With Threes by Knowing Their Needs

June 26, 2015

Teaching a classroom of 3 and 4 year olds is completely daunting at times! Why is it that these little people can scare the living daylights out of fully-grown professionals twice their size? Most of it comes from… Read More

Win With Threes by Knowing Their Needs

Planning from a Bird's-Eye View

June 19, 2015

As you approach the end of a year of teaching, do you ever get the feeling that there was so much more you could have taught your students that you just didn’t get around to? They were ready for it,… Read More

Planning from a Bird's-Eye View

Games for the Ballet Classroom

May 12, 2015

It’s not just a suggestion, it’s pretty much a tried and true fact that children need to have at least one short break during their 45 minute to 1 hour ballet class. Most children between the ages of 3 to… Read More

Games for the Ballet Classroom

20 Ways to Create a Comfortable Class

April 27, 2015

Most of us can remember being in a class where we couldn’t focus or understand what was being presented. It wasn’t much fun, was it? A dance class can feel that way to a young child. Childrens’ brains… Read More

20 Ways to Create a Comfortable Class

How To Talk Effectively With Children

March 14, 2015

Young children, especially children ages 3 to 5, do not understand the spoken word as well as we think they do! They have a large vocabulary of words and phrases, but the exact meanings are not always clear to them. In… Read More

How To Talk Effectively With Children

The Twelve Week Rule

February 21, 2015

One of the hardest things a pointe teacher faces is the fear that their students may injure themselves. This, of course, is the last thing we want for our students. Too often the students are pushed too hard too soon, and… Read More

The Twelve Week Rule

Don't Be A Skipper, Teach Them To Skip!

February 7, 2015

Skipping requires balance, symmetry in muscle use, self-esteem and some natural coordination. It is often used as an indicator of ‘readiness to learn’ academic subjects. It is expected that children in a dance class will learn to skip. Read More

Don't Be A Skipper, Teach Them To Skip!

Why "Changing It Up" May Not Always Be Best

October 6, 2014

One might think that the best way to keep a group of active, eager and talkative 9 year-olds’ attention would be to make things different each week of ballet class. That way they stay engaged and interested. Ruth Brinkerhoff’s “… Read More

Why "Changing It Up" May Not Always Be Best

Ballet Began In Italy

September 25, 2014

Say what?!Yes, indeed. Some people think that, because ballet terms are in French, that France must have been the origin of ballet. Of course, we ballet teachers know this, but remember, some of our students do not know that the… Read More

Ballet Began In Italy

Point Your Toes vs. Point Your Foot

September 20, 2014

It may not be such a good idea to use the phrase “point your toes” in pre-ballet class. How many of us have encouraged our little ones to “point your toes”, and we still don’t see the results we desire?… Read More

Point Your Toes vs. Point Your Foot

Weight Placement en Pointe

September 19, 2014

When I explained this concept to my Pointe students, they were blown away! Some of them are taking pointe for the first time this year, but others have been on pointe for three years now and have never been told… Read More

Weight Placement en Pointe

The Triangle of the Foot

September 19, 2014

“Don’t roll your feet! Keep your arches lifted!” I’ve received the correction myself, but I’ve not been able to find a good way to explain it to my younger, beginner/intermediate students. Ruth Brinkerhoff’s “Pointe 1: An Introduction to… Read More

The Triangle of the Foot