Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
Enter to win the Petite Feet DVD. The video incorporates activities, grounded in Laban Movement Analysis, that playfully connect movement education to everyday learning. It offers a gender neutral ballet experience that, like Liz Vacco’s classes, is enjoyed by girls and boys alike. A wonderful addition to the DVDs in your child’s collection. Giveaway ends Feb 16, 2012.
To those who aren’t dancers or teachers, all the little rules and details we observe and require of our students may seem silly or pointless. But we have our reasons and they’re illustrated in Melanie Doskocil’s final entry for the year in Ballet’s Un-X-pected Lesson Files.
Take little dancers on a Ballet Adventure with Liz Vacco. Her Petite Feet DVD presents developmentally appropriate ballet concepts and vocabulary with imaginative stories and imagery and original songs. The set and a friendly Walrus have Yo Gabba Gabba charm but there are more reasons kids, parents, and teachers will love this new DVD for young dancers.
If you are a parent with an aspiring dancer, nothing is more exciting for both of you than getting all the necessary apparel, including a first or new pair of ballet shoes. However, for little feet, it is very important to get the right shoes at the right price. Consider these 5 points before you buy ballet slippers for a young student.
You may still have concerns about your investment in dance training. Your child is busy, taking hours of dance class per week, and you are wondering, “Is all of this money going toward the right things? Is my budding dancer getting what he or she needs for the best value?”
If your child is asking, investigate the reasons she wants to take a new or additional dance class. Costume style, choreography, musical accompaniment, or maintaining friendships may be no less valid or less important to her than the desire to enhance her skills. Dance should be fun, too! Do not devalue or brush away these motivations, they are part of the equation.
It might seem silly at first to get on the floor with your child and roll with her. You might think she already knows how, but movement is a layered experience, which means we relearn the same concepts over and over.
End-of-year performances dominate dance studios between April and June. It is a busy time and parents and students are often left scrambling to find just the right thank-you gift for their teacher. Gifts for teachers need not be expensive. In fact, I don’t know any teacher who would not cherish a simple thank-you letter from the heart! However, there are plenty of cute, easy, and useful craft ideas online.
If you are hoping to discuss changes with a teacher or director, follow this plan for making your approach. 1. Take a breath 2. Develop an argument 3. Time your approach 4. Buffer your complaint 5. Be willing to listen 6. Be willing to walk away
Versatility is the real strength of Up, Down, & All Around. Parents (or educators) with little experience can pop in the DVD and get every member of the family or classroom up and moving in no time, yet there are opportunities for new discoveries and learning with repeat viewings.
