Parent and child. Mommy and Me. Whatever you call the class, teaching tiny dancers comes with a unique set of challenges. Maria to the rescue! She’s been teaching this group for 5 years and has some fantastic tips to share.
creative movement
Teacher’s Top Three: Learning Fun and Games
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.
Convincing Parents to Value the Creative Dance Process
Process-based exploration of movement is actually great preparation for, and an integral part of the art form of dance. But do you have parents that just don’t get it? Here are some strategies and ways to cope with this frequent frustration of creative dance teachers.
Preparing Little Dancers For The World of Clara and Beyond
Introduce students to narration, divertissement, characters, and themes by exploring The Nutcracker through creative movement. Stacey Pepper Schwartz breaks down the ballet in a way that young dancers can understand, providing an enriching experience that will enhance dance appreciation.
Bringing Native American Dance into the Classroom for Thanksgiving
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.
Teaching Dynamics: It’s All In The Effort
The way we use our body’s weight can be light or strong. Think of weight in terms of force. How much force are you putting behind a gesture, or a leap? How much force to you use to lift a feather? Barely any. But a brick can take lots of effort, making you use a lot of strength or force. You can play around with weight by guiding a blindfolded person around the room. Do they like to feel a strong forceful touch or light touch?
