If you're looking for a fun, creative way to get your little ones understanding the incorporation of action words and emotions within movement, this exercise is for you! I devised this a few years back and have had great success …
As a long time competition adjudicator and teacher who has set endless solos for dancers, the debate over competing multiple solos often comes up every year. With students and parents alike, sometimes the notion is to showcase their talents in …
Do you ever dare to step out of the box and try something new and exciting with your students; perhaps veer off the beaten path? As teachers who teach multiple classes year in and year out, we too can carry …
As dance teachers we spend countless hours researching music, coming up with creative concepts, figuring out movement, formations and transitions and get excited to set new pieces with our dancers. So what happens when your enthusiasm for a new piece …
Teachers, that time of year is quickly approaching when studio schedules are being finalized and directors are rounding out their faculty for the new season. If you are lining up some interviews yourself for some new teaching gigs, I'd like …
Conditioning programs for dancers should be an essential part of any training program. Along with regular technique classes, "cross training" efforts will help provide increased cardiovascular, strength, flexibility and endurance benefits. It will also increase core strength and muscle tone …
Having just returned from this year's 2015 Dance Teacher Web Live Conference and successful class session on "Lesson Planning for _Dance in the K-12_," I'd like to contribute some more information regarding many of the attendees' passionate questions on _assessment …
Have you ever wanted to just get _"really real"_ with your students? I mean **_"really real?"_** Not in a way that's going to ruin their self-esteem or deter them from their accomplishments or anything, but tell them what's up in …
As a dance teacher, think about the aforementioned quote this week for a second. Think about all your years of training and the "norm" which makes up a technique class. Think about the format, the environment, the habits in which …
As dance teachers, we are always trying to safely increase turnout while balancing strength & flexibility within our dancers. This is not something that develops overnight and is usually host to a whole list of variables including how much time …
Teachers, if you have been trying to increase your dancers' range of motion in terms of building demi plie, here are 3 quick, easy exercises you can show them. Sometimes a muscular or skeletal issue, the culprit though also can …
Teachers, we have all been in the position where we have taught for dance studios that started off as a wonderful experience; where we have invested a number of years only to discover that at a certain point, it's time …
At the end of the year or semester it is typical that we assess our student's progress , we look at how much they have learnt over the past year and we see if they are ready to move on …
As dance teachers, we are always trying to get dancers to understand the importance of the core, spine and pelvis. Without proper fundamental association of anatomy, dancers at some point will become limited in terms of their progression and visceral …
OK teachers, it's that time of year when we're in the post-holiday, dead of winter stretch where our students are beginning to drop like flies. While it's an inevitable ritual we have all become accustomed to, what do we do …
Ever think of what you can do to enhance the learning curve in your dance class? While dancers are often taught "how" sometimes we forget the "why's," "when's," and "where's" things came from and happened…. In a time of abundant …
