As the New Year begins and students return from the Holiday break there is a chance that as you get into the months of February and March you may experience a lull in both attendance and enthusiasm. Chances are it has nothing to do with whether or not you are doing a good job of teaching but it probably has more to do with the outside factors. Colder weather, a big germ, homework load and the fact they may be finding that the time, energy and effort needed to dance is more than they anticipated.
The key is to keep changing up your classes. At this point even the beginner students are starting to develop a sense of how each class will run and what to expect. A class of unexpected content will be a great boost to any class. It is important to give attention to every student, especially the ones who are not very outgoing or proficient. I recommend that you try this in all levels and styles. Here are some pointers on what you can try to help give your classes a lift.
Change up your warm up. If you are teaching jazz class try to mix in some new exercises or do some isolations. For your ballet class instead of starting at the barre do a center barre. New music can also create a big lift for your class. The thought here is that when class starts the students will hear and feel something different. That will get their focus and energy back onto what they may perceive to be the boring part of class.
Add in coordination exercises. This is always a fun and challenging exercise for your class. It will generate a lot of excitement and give them something to practice at home. Next month we will present a fun coordination exercise in the how to section of the web-site. If you are creating one yourself think of doing one thing with your right arm while doing something different with your left arm. For more advanced students try adding in foot work. These exercises are always a big hit in any style class!
Do some improvisation. This can be fun but also a bit intimidating to the students. Beginner students will need a lot of input and encouragement to get going. We like to do this in small groups. It is a good idea for you, as the teacher to pick who will work together. If you leave it up to the students then some dancers will be left out and feel like they are not as good as the others. We also make sure that it does not turn competitive. We stress that there are no rules. Just fun and self expressive movement.
Change the style of a routine. If you are teaching a hip hop class, sprinkle in some lyrical. If you are doing jazz, try some musical theater. If you teach ballet, try doing some modern or contemporary. Angela loves to do this even in a pointe class. She is currently working on something that has a Tango feel to it. The dancers love it! This is also a great way to have the dancers experience a style they may not be that familiar with. This may be just the ticket to get them into that ballet, jazz or lyrical class.
Finish the class with a flourish! This is what they will remember the most as they leave the studio. Try finishing up with a jump or leap combination that is continuous using different groups. You could also do a leap of the dancers choice from each side of the room. This way they will do something that they feel really good about as they finish class. The key here is that you increase their heart rate and keep it up for the last five minute of class. This will release endorphins that will lead to that, feel good mood swing! Now youre cooking and your studio owner will be happy with the results as well.
So there you have it! The side benefit of changing it up is that it will be fun for you too! If you are having fun with something new, your class will have fun as well. So go ahead and experiment with some new ideas. One changeup class per month will keep your students on edge and eager to return! Thought of the month; If you plan your class content well, you will not find yourself standing in front of the room wondering what to do next. The best class is the one that is well planned. Keep in mind that you must also be prepared to change at a moments notice if you need to, for the benefit of your students. Planning, Acting and Adjusting = Success!
