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 well… Read More My Simple Method of Ballet Notation
Screaming About Demi Pointe June 5, 2017 Pull your heels up, dancers!” “More! Give me more with your feet!” “Where is your demi pointe? I can’t see it!”If there was ever a thing that makes me sound like a broken record it would be… Read More Screaming About Demi Pointe
Teaching the 8 Body Positions May 25, 2017 No build up necessary. We all know how vital it is that our students grasp the concepts of croisé, écarté, effacé, and en face. The aesthetic of ballet is based in large part on these positions. Regardless of the labels… Read More Teaching the 8 Body Positions
Knobby Knees and Hyperextension May 19, 2017 (Note: This article is written with the young dancer, beginning around age 5, in mind.) “Let’s all stand in First Position.”All students begin to move into position.“Wonderful! Be sure your heels are touching.”All students move their heels together.“Well done! Uh… Read More Knobby Knees and Hyperextension
Just a Job May 15, 2017 When I write about ballet, I tend to become impassioned. My fingers move across the keyboard with fierce speed and adrenaline surges through my body. This is because I am in love with ballet. Talking about ballet, doing ballet, writing… Read More Just a Job
Golden Rules for Barre Work May 12, 2017 It is common knowledge that barre work is the foundation for ballet. Inevitably, where a dancer shows weakness at the barre, it will be magnified tenfold when they move to the centre. The essentials put in place through barre work… Read More Golden Rules for Barre Work
Take It To The Floor May 9, 2017 I had a teacher who would say to my class, “Dears, you look simply awful. Take it to the floor.”She would deliver this line to us after we had finished an exercise or a combination that was not up to… Read More Take It To The Floor
Exposing Students to Excellent Ballet April 24, 2017 My dance training began when I was nine years old. A year later I saw a professional ballet dancer for the first time. It changed everything for me. In my eyes, this ballerina was perfection. I had no idea such… Read More Exposing Students to Excellent Ballet
My Approach to Tricks April 18, 2017 The thirty-two fouettés. The manège of turns. The continuous entrechat six.These are but a few of the spectacular feats dancers are always trying to attain. And once they reach their goal, the bar is pushed that much higher. Thirty-two becomes… Read More My Approach to Tricks
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?What good… Read More Building Smart Dancers
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 unmatched… Read More Turning Recitals Into Education
Self Care for Ballet Teachers March 23, 2017 Throbbing feet, bone tired bodies, and exhausted minds.Being a ballet teacher is not easy. When I first launched my teaching career, my energy levels were sky high. Nothing was going to bring me down.Six straight hours of teaching followed by… Read More Self Care for Ballet Teachers
Working with Early Intermediate Students March 18, 2017 We all have the ages and levels we adore teaching. It fits. We are synced in. Our flow is easy, organic, organized—it’s just all lovely.And then…We all have the ages and levels we struggle to teach. It feels disjointed. We… Read More Working with Early Intermediate Students
Teaching While Injured March 16, 2017 A few weeks ago I did a stupid thing while teaching ballet. This stupid thing landed me on crutches for about a week. Fortunately, there was no serious damage done and the healing process rolled right along. However, I can… Read More Teaching While Injured
Ballet's Treacherous Terrains March 10, 2017 Ballet is harsh. Unforgiving. Brutal.We love it all the same. Likely many of us love it directly because of these trying qualities. The beauty to be discovered within the challenge of ballet draws us in. Once there, we are ensnared. Read More Ballet's Treacherous Terrains
Dealing With Attitudes February 24, 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
How Friendly Should We Be? February 17, 2017 More specifically—How friendly should we be with our students?As is almost always the case, this question has as many answers as there are ballet teachers in the world. These are my thoughts.The Ideal SituationObviously, in the ideal situation we do… Read More How Friendly Should We Be?
What Do Teachers Wear? February 3, 2017 I vividly remember my first year of ballet. I was nine years old, and my teacher, whom I adored then and still adore to this day, had an assistant. She wore a blue camisole leotard, black tights, and a long… Read More What Do Teachers Wear?
To Demonstrate or Not to Demonstrate? January 27, 2017 Before I jump into this topic, I would first like to say that everything I write concerning teaching is based on my own personal experience in the field. I write what I know. Obviously. I can’t write what you know. Read More To Demonstrate or Not to Demonstrate?
Balancing Discipline and Artistry January 20, 2017 Two dancers.One possesses all the creativity that could exist in a human being. Put her in a story ballet and she will cause the earth to quake with profound emotion. But look for the briefest moment at her footwork and… Read More Balancing Discipline and Artistry
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 the Full Spectrum in the Same Class January 6, 2017 Stepping into your ballet studio, you allow your gaze to fall over the group of 11 year olds lined up beautifully at the barre. After you give the first exercise, your dancers begin on cue with the music; each one… Read More Teaching the Full Spectrum in the Same Class
Play and Ballet December 30, 2016 There is an alert on my phone that goes off each Friday at 11:50am. The alert reads as such: “PreBallet 12:00-1:15”If that alert reflected my reality, however, it would read:“TIME TO PLAY!!! (and teach ballet) 12:00-1:15”Anyone who has taught young kids ballet… Read More Play and Ballet
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 and… Read More My Personal Secrets for Teaching Littles