Challenge? Or Frustration? July 22, 2015 My fifth year of teaching was a tough one! I had a class of 9-11 year olds that really stretched me and taught me a lot. One of my biggest challenges was that the students just weren’t… Read More Challenge? Or Frustration?
Guidelines for Starting a Student on Pointe July 19, 2015 Pointe work carries some risk of injury. Far too many students suffer injury in their first few years en pointe, sometimes because we, their teachers, expect too much too soon. Slow, gradual buildup of strength is the best way… Read More Guidelines for Starting a Student on Pointe
Using Inertia to Avoid the "Dead Spot" July 7, 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
Why the Wait? June 15, 2015 So, what do you do when your 7 year-olds don’t want to practice tendu, they want to saut de chat across the room like the beautiful ballerinas they saw in recital last year? I’ve had… Read More Why the Wait?
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
So, You're Just Teaching Them to Dance? June 1, 2015 I bid adieu to a classroom of 8 to 10 year old students this morning. It was our last class before the recital, and it was so wonderful to have had the opportunity to teach them… Read More So, You're Just Teaching Them to Dance?
Progressing into Ballet Technique May 30, 2015 Teachers sometimes spend much of the year trying to figure out what should logically come next in their teaching. How can we know what they should be learning next? Moving through the natural movement sequences and into ballet technique happens… Read More Progressing into Ballet Technique
Level 4 "Ballet Arts for Young Children" Curriculum Release May 30, 2015 We just wrapped up the finishing touches on our finest curriculum to date! Here is a sneak peek into many of the unique features of Level 4. Color illustrations Helpful Diagrams, Which Can Also… Read More Level 4 "Ballet Arts for Young Children" Curriculum Release
Improving Behavior With Consequences May 29, 2015 Just imagine: A class full of unruly 4 and 5 year olds that don’t listen, don’t mind you and have a lot of trouble staying attentive. Sound familiar? Sounds like a nightmare! In the teaching help section of… Read More Improving Behavior With Consequences
Recognizing the Student NOT Ready for Pointe May 24, 2015 We’ve discussed weight placement on pointe, conditioning principles to improve pointe, whether or not my student is ready for pointe, how to fit their first pair of pointe shoes, and preparing little feet for pointe. Read More Recognizing the Student NOT Ready for Pointe
6 "Must Haves" for Teaching Ballet May 15, 2015 Not everyone can teach, and not everyone should. As I press on in my journey as a ballet instructor, I find the truths found in the “Level 1 Curriculum Book” to be so very pertinent and… Read More 6 "Must Haves" for Teaching Ballet
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
Conditioning Principles to Improve Pointe Work May 8, 2015 Is there such a thing as pushing your students too far when it comes to pointe work? I certainly believe there is, and I must admit, after reading Ruth Brinkerhoff’s “Pointe 1: An Introduction to Pointe Work”, … Read More Conditioning Principles to Improve Pointe Work
Teaching Pre-Ballet Arm Positions May 2, 2015 It’s not easy to create the proper lines and shapes required in classical ballet, but there are many concepts we can impart in class that they can grasp and accomplish even at a very young age. Ruth Brinkerhoff’s Article… Read More Teaching Pre-Ballet Arm Positions
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
Understand Your Students' Growth Process April 17, 2015 The little bodies of children between the ages of 7 and 10 are going through a lot of physical changes. As teachers, we need to understand and respect the body’s need for certain parameters when it comes to teaching ballet… Read More Understand Your Students' Growth Process
The 7 Basic Principles of Classical Ballet April 10, 2015 The Rules of Classical Dance were first set down definitively by John Weaver in 1723. Each generation has had its great teachers of ballet who have added insights and details to these rules and principles. These principles are essential for… Read More The 7 Basic Principles of Classical Ballet
Their First Pair of Pointe Shoes April 6, 2015 Ballet requires that the dancer spend many years building and shaping the instrument of their art, which is their own physical body. The “Dancer’s Body” comes as a result of long hours of careful training of the muscles. Read More Their First Pair of Pointe Shoes
6 Classroom "Attention-Getters" to Watch Out For March 29, 2015 Every dance studio is different with its own set of rules and expectations, but one thing remains the same throughout: children will be children. No matter where I teach, I find that there are certain little tricks… Read More 6 Classroom "Attention-Getters" to Watch Out For
How To Talk Effectively With Children March 13, 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
The 3 Stages of Coordination February 13, 2015 Ballet skills are built upon the base of natural skills that has been developed within the person. This is why extensive experience with fundamental movement skills is important for a ballet class of young children. It is surprising… Read More The 3 Stages of Coordination