Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
The very first ballet class I played for was a big surprise, because I had no idea what to expect or what would be expected of me by either the teacher or the dancers. I walked into the studio and the first person I saw was the teacher (who seemed to me to be very old), holding a lit cigarette in one hand and a cane in the other!
Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick, Jack Jumped Over the Candlestick
I have the students run and jump over our “candlestick” on the word OVER. We accent the third beat and the children clap along. (one, two, Three, four/one, two, Three, four/one, two, THREE, four/ one, two, THREE, four.)
“If you are a teacher you probably know how hard it is to find great music to use in your classes that are all on the same album. Here are my top 3 picks that have it all. They are creative, inspiring, and leave a don’t-forget-it-at-home impression on me. I am always looking for new music to spice up my classes, so I hope these will help you! I tried to feature a little something for everyone!”
It is a very short list of tap teachers that teach tap in way that embeds it in the heart and soul and fosters a love for the art form at a profound level. Ballet teachers like that? Much easier to come by. Lyrical? Contemporary? Jazz? They’re a dime a dozen these days – teaching classes that are emotionally charged and full of gripping content that draws those elusive adolescents in and keeps their attention.
Richard Maddock is an accomplished musician as well as a seasoned dance class and exam accompanist. He has graciously offered five of his CD’s for review here. To top it off, he agreed to donate nine CD’s to give away to nine lucky Dance Advantage readers!
There are many inventive ways that dance teachers can lay a foundation for musicality and a competency in musical theory within their classes. The suggestions (or perhaps more accurately, principles) below are by no means a complete guide to accomplishing the task but, hopefully they’ll prime the pump of your own creativity.
Today I’m sharing with you a list of five albums from my own class music collection. I have put these to use and would recommend them for classes with young children.
The Importance of Music Selection Backstage.com recently featured this article about music for ballet class. It highlights the importance of music selection, the role of music and the accompanist (if there is one) within the class, and encourages students and teachers to “understand and be sensitive” to this role. It’s a good read. FREE Music [...]
