I can spend hours defining the technical and physical benefits of ballet; I find a reason for that discussion in almost every dance setting I’m in. What doesn’t get discussed as much is the level of discipline our students gain …
I am the first person to barrel through pain, injury, illness, etc. It’s not only in my nature, it’s how I was trained as a young dancer. It is what I have always done throughout my career and was also …
Enjoy this month's featured article as Jessica Rizzo-Stafford offers an approachable intermediate modern lesson plan for all. Read ahead for more!
Teachers, we all recognize that core strength is essential to any strong, technically sound dancer. While we aim to teach our students to always move from the inside out vs. from the extremities (i.e. arms, legs, etc.,) getting started to …
With over 30 years in the Dance Studio Business and teaching worldwide for over 40 years. Steve and Angela share their expertise and knowledge with Dance Teacher Web members
As I have been providing virtual lessons for my own students, I have compiled a list of sample lessons that I have created that are both effective, and efficient. Keeping the goal of safe learning in any environment at the …
When lesson planning for any class, there are infinite avenues a teacher can take to teach the genre effectively. Jazz itself, in nature, is one of those idioms where teaching the technique correctly should also be compounded with other important …
As teachers, our goal is to move our students forward. To help them progress so that they can continually build upon the knowledge we give them. We do that specifically in their technique classes where we aim to start with …
Center Warmup THis month I'm sharing a version of my intermediate musical theatre warmup. It’s always important to remember to include a solid technical warmup which progresses form your beginning level fundamentals. It is also important to include stylistic, cardiovascular …
As dance teachers who spend countless hours with our students in the studio week after week and year after year, it’s sometimes easy for the lines of the relationship to blur in terms of dance teacher to student vs. friend …
It’s true, those who are passionate about their work are most susceptible to burnout. Along with the fact that usually, when the signs start to appear many keep working through them, once it finally hits, it hits really hard.
When choreographers have a vision, it’s usually about the work in its entirety. The concept. The story. The feelings they hope the movement evokes. That’s what touches the audience and speaks to their soul; the essence and the spirit of …
One might think that the natural progression for every ballet student is to progress from a pre-pointe class to a pointe class. That is true for many, but there is a demographic of dancers who are either not ready, not …
Tell me if this sounds familiar. “Can we get up from the floor this way instead of that way because it’s easier for me?” Or, “Oh good, I can come on from that side? It’s easier.” Or, “Can we just …
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 …
When I am teaching musical theater to beginners, I like to start instilling not only movement quality and technique, but the beginning nuances of style and musicality as well. If we remember, musical theater is a genre which incorporates many …
