Standing Stretch: As with beginner levels, I always suggest starting class with slow, continuous movement; starting from top of the body to bottom, introducing a nice opening of the different muscle groups but also taking the time to pay attention to detail through each part of the body. This will get the dancers ready for the next section of isolations. Exercises to include: slow head circles, slow shoulder circles, arms circles, wrist circles, slow lateral reaches side to side through rib-cage, stretches through flat-back forward and on diagonal, large under-curves and over-curves of the arms to include deep breathing, three bounces in a low level (with knees bent and hands on floor) which straightens into a straight leg stretch-(vary stretch with slight stretch in this position right and left to enhance hamstring stretch,) slow roll-downs and roll- ups through the spine to feel the articulation and stacking of vertebrae to find correct verticality and alignment.
Isolations: Starting with the top of the head, start with isolations to include: Looking right, left, down and up; Repeat. Reverse direction. Progressing from beginner level- add arms; i.e. jazz hands with arms bent at 90 degree, elbows to ribs. As head goes right, hands start facing in, as head goes left, jazz hands open, etc. etc. Repeat 2-4 times. Repeat two slow head circles. Repeat increasing the rotation to include upper back. Reverse direction. Progress this exercise to shoulder, ribs and hips. Essentially becomes a full body movement. I also always like to include slow “tip and bevel” walks with hip initiation, lateral traveling hip circles and “showgirl” walks in the center with a pivot and quick head spot as a preview of what the dancers have just done and what they will see in bigger traveling combinations when they get to across the floor.
Plies: As in my beginner lesson plan, I like to stay pretty traditional. Include two demi pliés, relevé-3/4 pointe and release into a grande plié. Jazz first port de bras into second port de bras when straightening the legs. Stretch over the legs out of the grande plié to warm-up the large muscles group of the legs. Enhance the stretch in grande with a lateral stretch of the right arm opening and extending up to ceiling while looking at the hand. Come back to neutral stretch, looking through legs and repeat left side. Add a bevel weight-shift change in between positions, snapping wrists rolls, etc. to further enhance the genre for a stylistic element.
Tendus: Again, I still like to stay pretty traditional with my intermediate dancers and want them to really focus on the stretch of the feet (especially if they are going to eventually be working in heels!) and working in the turned out-parallel position. Start turned out in 5th. Give three tendus in each position counts 1-5. On count 6 come to coupé or passé position. Count 7 extend to tendu, count 8, close 5th. Front-side-back-side. Repeat left. Add jazz arms or jazz port de bras. Transition to parallel first for degagés in each direction. Repeat same tendu combination but now in parallel and replacing coupé or turned out passé with parallel passé. Continue to plié into forced arch stretch (two counts of eight) into plié-relevé (two counts of 8.) Balance in relevé. Add focus/head change, looking right-left-down and up. Reverse direction. This is a great way to slip in a spotting exercise while inserting these turns when transitioning right to left side and again slowly introducing the style element!
Rond de Jambe and Pirouette Preparations: With rond de jambes, I always like to work in a turn-out first with my beginners and intermediates with arms in a second position port de bras. I usually work the right side, then the left and include: 2 rond de jambes front- to-back, swing the leg through the air in attitude,three times-front-back-front. Repeat exercise starting to the back. This progresses to a pas de bourree into preparation for a parallel jazz pirouette. There is then a repeat of the exercise reversing the rond de jambes back -to- front. Teachers can also progress to single or multiple turns based on their class level.
Cardiovascular Aspect: A great break from the technique aspect here for a few minutes and great way to condition your dancers! I always have a set series of run around the room, crunches, sit-ups, pilates based exercises, plank variations, mountain climbers “burpees, push-ups, floor jacks, jumping jacks, high-knee runs, butt kickers, jump rope with a tuck, and sautés in turned out first, parallel and second position for a solid 5-10 minutes straight! The kids might moan and groan a bit but you will get them energized for sure!!!
Floor Stretch: Here is a point in class where I will either determine whether to lead a floor stretch or let the dancers stretch on their own. Sometimes the dancers are vocal about whether they are feeling they have specific areas they’d like to stretch on their own so it’s up to you as a teacher to decide what is right on a given day. For intermediate dancers, I always include: stretch in second, stretch with legs extended in front. Point and flex feet slowly. Splits: right, left and center. Laying on back, grab right leg at ankle, calf or thigh- hold 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat other side. Circle the knees to stretch hips. Child’s pose stretch. Downward dog. Pedal the feet for a calf stretch.
Across the Floor: Part I: Leg Extensions:
When working across the floor straight from center warm-up I like to first start with progressions of leg extensions. Have your dancers either work in a second position port de bras or basic, extended jazz hand and travel across the floor in step-degagés. This will help dancers understand how to stretch the feet while traveling and elongating the leg with a full stretch behind the knee. Progress this to: traveling 45 degree battements, 90 degree battements, then full battements (always attending to front, side and back positions)
Part II: Jazz Walks
Jazz walks are essential for any musical theatre class. Not only are there many variations on a theme regarding the “jazz walk” but also serve as a great transition movement within choreography! Jazz walks can be tricky because it’s important for students to understand that there is a distinct style element that coincide with walks whether it is in the position of the hands, the addition of a hip isolation, the sustained follow-through of resistance of the muscles, etc. With intermediate students, start with arms changing from jazz hands in-out- up and down; having them focus on the musicality aspect of walking. Teachers can then progress the exercise to include the additives mentioned above and incorporate focus, facing and direction changes while playing with tempo/ rhythm changes as well!
Part III: Turns
Turns are one of the most important elements to any genre and can be abstracted in many ways to portray style and character work in musical theatre. Always starting with basic clean preparations and single turns for beginner:
Four jazz walks, preparation, 2-3 jazz pirouettes; end in a clean bevel position. Vary with en dehors and en dedans turns.
Add to the pirouette series by starting turn with a low 45 degree, front leg extension in the air and then pulling into single pirouette. Arms go from first port de bras to “v” arms over head. Progress number of turns in each position.
Soutenous turns in plie forced-arch- take two steps, double pirouette or battement-lay back to finish.
Two Chaine turns with jazz hands –chassé- pas de bouree turn.
Or… a combination of some of these turns together integrating the jazz walks as a preparation into turns or coming out of turns to segue into the next set of turns.
Part IV: Elevations
As a musical theatre chorus girl myself, I can tell you it’s unlikely that girls, in particular, will be doing any variation of switch leaps, leaps in second, straddles, etc., (unless cast in a very specific show) should your student go on to become Broadway dancers themselves. However, it is still extremely important to include this in your musical theatre technique class to build flexibility, understanding of execution, etc.! Again, focus on the preparations and clean footwork in and out of leaps and spend ample time on barrel turns, axel turns, rond versé turns, stag leaps, glissades, saut de chats, grande jetés and leaps in second. You might want to add a roll to the floor or some sort of floor work out of the leaps to enhance level work. These exercises will also come in handy if you plan to be setting more contemporary works like Footloose, Wicked, etc.
Center Combinations
Once you get to the center, think about all the movement your dancers have already explored week to week and learned throughout warm up and across the floor. It will be an easy transition to use movement they have already been learning; but now add more stylistic dynamics into the mix than in their previous beginner level class. For example, if you are setting a Latin number from West Side Story or Evita, think about how the arm positions, upper body placement, turns etc., can be adapted to what the dancers have already been learning to incorporate a Latin flavor. If you are using music from a Chorus Line how can you incorporate variations of clean pirouettes, body line and stylized jazz walks into the combo? When doing a 50’s, 60’s combo from Grease or Hairspray how can you incorporate leaps and big battements with jazz runs or walks while representing the period of the piece?
When working with intermediate musical theatre dancers, remember there are tons of variations on a theme to include technique which can inherently start to develop style and understanding of varied movement initiation; suited for a specific piece for a specific show! Remember, as with beginner and advanced dancers, center warm-up, across the floor and center combos seen week to week in class will be a great tool to transitioning into your full length pieces come performance season!
