Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
Puppets are powerful to young children. They are magical, which could be why I like them so much too! A few years ago, I had to face it. I am not as cool as a puppet. It’s fine, really. Who wouldn’t like a colorful, soft animal that moves and talks? I have been incorporating puppets [...]
If I had a studio space to call my own I would have a lot of fun decorating it. Big empty walls and mirrors, windows and doors at my disposal. I would be in dance studio heaven. Since I don’t have my own walls, my refrigerator is decorated with splashes of color and drawings of [...]
Dance teachers teach a lot of classes to earn a living. Repetition makes it easier to organize but harder to keep things fresh. Maria has adapted these 5 ideas to stop feeling like a robot in her preschool dance classes. Try them for yourself to beat burnout and enjoy your classes again.
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.
