Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
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.
Featured teacher, Caroline Creggan has been a qualified dance teacher for two years and is principal of her own dance school. Caroline Creggan Dance School (C.C.D.S) is based in Northern Ireland. In it’s second year, the school trains students for dance exams in Modern Jazz, Freestyle, and Choreography. For her Top Three Caroline shares three activities that she uses regularly in classes for junior dancers to build their confidence and skills.
Transitions make all the difference in managing your class of young dancers. Use these creative ideas to get kids from one part of the room to another, or from one activity to the next while maintaining the focus and flow of the class and providing more ways to learn and explore.
It is important that children understand that Native American people are not characters in a Thanksgiving story, but a people with a rich and deep culture. And one way to explore a culture is through its dance.
To illustrate this, I ask my students to become aware of how their body feels as it works against gravity. I ask them to put their hands above their heads and then to be still. I remind them, “you are in charge of your body,” “your brain tells your body what to do,” and then we wait.
“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!”
I’m probably a great example of some of the moms at your studio I suppose, who can barely find the time to get the lunches packed and get to school on time. Let alone read the many papers and emails and notices that come home on a regular basis. Here’s just a few reasons why:
Dance classes (and the experience of your students) can be enhanced with the use of props. This article lists products, links, and tips for various classroom aids, plus links and suggestions for homemade props.
Tips for managing, engaging, and interacting with young children. Problem solving and strategies for short attention spans and behavioral challenges typical of the preschool (3-6 years) age group.
As children prepare for preschool and begin to participate in more structured activities, dance class may be the first time some are separated from their parents. Parents of these young children may be unfamiliar with the procedures of a dance class or operations within a particular studio. These parents, whether they have had experience with [...]
Creative Dance for Children A creative dance class designed for children will help them prepare for a future in dance and other physical activities. In class, dancers are provided with the opportunity to use their imagination, creativity, and self expression while developing skills that are the building blocks of all movement and dance activities. They [...]
