Articles

Spacing Little Dancers on Stage

April 23, 2018

Spacing can be a true disaster on stage. For anyone. I remember very specifically one moment in my professional career where I ran into another dancer. Literally, just smacked right into her. Yes, my director let me know how unhappy… Read More

Spacing Little Dancers on Stage

Ten Parts of Performing for Little Dancers

April 16, 2018

There is so much more to a successful performance than what happens on stage. There is the before and the after. But often times these parts get overlooked or completely forgotten in younger classes. With the pressure to get everyone… Read More

Ten Parts of Performing for Little Dancers

Getting the Stage Shy Dancers On Stage

April 3, 2018

I much prefer the term “stage shy” as opposed to “stage fright”. It feels less scary, which in turn can help the actual fear be less scary. I would use “stage anxious” but anxious is not a word little kids… Read More

Getting the Stage Shy Dancers On Stage

Three Performance Goals for Little Dancers

March 26, 2018

Putting the youngest dancers on stage can be frightening. We never really know what is going to happen once they get out there. We can prepare them to the best of our ability and even send an assistant out there… Read More

Three Performance Goals for Little Dancers

Performance Choreography for Tiny Dancers

March 20, 2018

From the well seasoned ballet teacher to the novice, and everyone in between, putting together a performance piece for the youngest dancers can be tricky. Set The Expectations . . . For Yourself Choreographing for 3-6 year olds can feel… Read More

Performance Choreography for Tiny Dancers

My Simple Method of Ballet Notation

June 9, 2017

Writing ballet down on paper. What an ordeal. When I was younger, I used to make up little dances all the time, as most young dancers do. I would try to write them down but it never turned out too… Read More

My Simple Method of Ballet Notation

Turning Recitals Into Education

March 30, 2017

Ballet recitals aren’t going away. I get that. I know when I was a young dancer I looked forward to recital with all kinds of anticipation. It was perfectly exciting. And without that experience I would not have known the… Read More

Turning Recitals Into Education

Quality in Performing

June 4, 2015

Many of us teachers are in the midst of preparation for recital season. This is such a crazy, wonderful time of year for teachers, students and the school as a whole. Recital week hits and choreography is learned, pictures are… Read More

Quality in Performing

10 Ways to Make the Most of Recital Night

June 3, 2015

An article has gone around the internet with some funny, sarcastic tips on how to make dance recitals “suck less”. In my honest opinion, the whole recital experience can be painful, drawn out and excruciating, it’s… Read More

10 Ways to Make the Most of Recital Night

Choreographic Advice for Teachers

January 23, 2015

“Never let an opportunity go without adding your enlightening [movement] to further the cause of the loftiest, oldest, most profound of the arts and, in so doing, I sincerely believe that you will be… Read More

Choreographic Advice for Teachers

Six Choreographic Guidelines for Threes

November 16, 2014

It surprised me this year how much of a struggle it is to choreograph for three and four year olds! Doesn’t seem like a huge task; after all, they’re only preschoolers! They’ve hardly scratched the surface of ballet technique, what… Read More

Six Choreographic Guidelines for Threes

No-Stress Performance Prep

November 10, 2014

In my last blog post, (The Dance Teacher’s Secret Weapon) I gave out the secret that every dance teacher should grab a hold of and use the moment any students begin to show signs of burnout or boredom. Having… Read More

No-Stress Performance Prep

Preparing for Recital

September 29, 2014

Believe it or not, the time is fast approaching for teachers to begin thinking about what they’d like their classes to do in their year-end performance. Don’t believe me? Just ask any director of any school anywhere and they’re probably… Read More

Preparing for Recital