You’ve asked, and we’re here to help! If you’re looking to introduce modern dance technique into your curriculum, this beginner-friendly class plan is a great place to start.

Whether you’re a studio teacher adding modern to your existing classes or you’re simply looking for fresh ways to introduce dancers to movement beyond traditional ballet technique, this lesson offers a foundation you can build upon.

This is intended as a template—not a rulebook. Use the exercises as a starting point, then add your own progressions, musical choices, movement phrases, and creative inspiration. Modern dance is all about exploration, so give your dancers room to discover how movement feels in their own bodies.

Throughout the class, dancers will explore foundational modern concepts including contraction and release, breath, weight, suspension, spirals, floorwork, level changes, and traveling movement.

Center Warm-Up

C-Curve Roll Downs

Begin standing in parallel with the body aligned and the weight evenly distributed. Lead with the top of the head and slowly roll down through the spine over eight counts.

At the bottom of the roll, gently bend the knees and initiate the roll back up from the base of the spine. Repeat three times.

On the final repetition, walk the hands forward into a plank position. Hold for 15–30 seconds, then press back into Downward-Facing Dog. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds to one minute.

Transition to a seated neutral position with the legs folded comfortably in front.

Seated C-Curve Roll Downs & Contractions

Repeat the C-curve roll-down from a seated position, allowing the movement to progress into a flat-back stretch for eight counts. Reverse the movement to return to neutral and repeat three times.

From a lengthened neutral position, introduce four two-count contractions using the pelvis and center. Keep the arms neutral and emphasize the connection between breath and movement, exhaling with each contraction.

Repeat four times.

Seated Spirals

Transition the contractions into seated spirals, alternating right and left.

Encourage dancers to “lift before they twist,” creating length through the spine before rotating. Extend the palms outward to create a sense of opposition and openness through the upper body.

Take four counts in each direction and repeat four times on each side.

Floor Stretch

Finish the final spiral by continuing the movement into a roll down onto the floor in a lateral T position.

Cross the left leg over the right and gently twist through the spine to stretch the back. Hold for approximately one minute before repeating on the opposite side.

Plies & Suspension

Begin in parallel.

Introduce a gentle center swing combined with a demi-plié and a lifted suspension. Repeat four times, encouraging dancers to explore the relationship between grounding and release.

Progress to a turned-out position, moving through first, second, fifth, or third position as appropriate for your dancers.

Continue with gentle plié-relevés in parallel, finishing with a balance and the arms in fifth position.

Tendus & Degagés

Begin with foot pedals to gently warm and articulate the feet. Perform two slow sets of eight counts, followed by the same movement at double time.

Start in parallel with the arms extended in second position and the palms facing the audience.

Perform slow tendus to the front, side, back, and side, using a plié between each direction. Repeat on the left.

Repeat the exercise with dégagés.

To develop the combination further, incorporate another swing sequence followed by a stretch and balance in parallel passé or an extended leg to the front or into arabesque.

For an additional challenge, alternate between pointed and flexed feet during the extension.

Across the Floor

Prances

Begin traveling across the floor with small prances, keeping the movement underneath the body.

Encourage dancers to emphasize the downbeat and plié, focusing on groundedness rather than simply moving quickly.

Gradually increase the size of the movement until it develops into larger traveling runs in plié.

Progression: Travel backward or add a quarter turn every four counts.

Triplets

Introduce a basic triplet traveling across the floor, moving from high to low and brushing the floor as the body rises and falls.

Encourage dancers to connect the movement to their breath, using the inhale to rise and the exhale to release downward.

Progression: Perform two triplets traveling forward, then change direction and travel backward.

Chassé Swings

Perform a deep plié chassé in second position while the arms circle overhead in the direction of travel.

Encourage dancers to allow the arms and torso to contribute to the momentum of the movement rather than treating the arms as separate choreography.

Progression: Add a low leg extension off the floor, keeping the leg turned out and lengthened. Repeat on the opposite side.

Sparkle Jumps

Begin with a sauté, extending one leg toward the back as the dancer travels forward.

As the dancer pushes away from the floor, extend the arms and allow the hands and fingers to burst open or “sparkle.”

Focus on creating a sense of expansion, energy, and forward momentum.

Rolls to the Floor

Begin by having dancers step naturally into a roll to the floor and return to standing. The initial goal is to help them understand the direction of travel and become comfortable transitioning between standing and floor levels.

Once dancers are familiar with the movement, add a chainé leading into the roll.

This progression introduces the concept of level changes while continuing to develop momentum and spatial awareness.

Tuck & Contracted Jumps

Have dancers begin with a pedestrian run or chassé before moving into a contracted tuck jump.

Experiment with the supporting leg either bent or extended.

Repeat across the floor, switching the initiating side so dancers have an opportunity to develop coordination and control on both sides.

Center Combination

Finish the lesson by combining movements from the class into a short center combination.

For example:

Triplet right → Triplet left → Chainé → Roll to standing

Then progress to:

Triplet right → Triplet left → Chassé swing

As dancers become comfortable with the material, continue layering in movements from the warm-up and across-the-floor exercises.

This final combination gives dancers an opportunity to apply the modern concepts introduced throughout the lesson—contraction and release, suspension, breath, weight, momentum, floorwork, and level changes—within a cohesive phrase.

Teaching Modern Dance: Make It Your Own

The beauty of teaching modern dance is that there is room for exploration. Encourage your dancers to think beyond simply executing steps and begin discovering how and why the body moves.

Remind them to connect movement to breath, explore the relationship between weight and suspension, initiate movement from the center, and use the floor as part of the movement rather than something to avoid.

Most importantly, remember that this lesson plan is a starting point. Adjust the exercises, timing, music, and progressions to fit your dancers and your teaching style.

Take what inspires you, build on it, and make the class your own.

 

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