I cannot even begin to count the number of times a mother has come in to register her daughter for classes and told us that her child didn’t want to do ballet because they wanted to have fun! It always struck me as rather sad that so many children and parents have such a negative opinion of ballet when it was so important for them to learn and master the technique. I would always ask the parent why the child didn’t want to do ballet and the reasons were almost always the same. It was too slow, it was boring, there was too much discipline, the music was lifeless and it just wasn’t fun.
I started to think about all of these reasons that were presented to us and decided to try to find ways to counteract them. The dancers who had turned their backs on ballet were usually somewhere between 10 and 14 years old. I knew that in order to win them over the number one thing I needed to show them was that they could do it and feel good about it and from the earliest ages. Quite a tall order in some cases, but I have always loved a challenge!
First of all, I constructed my classes to make them as simple but effective as possible. Next I listened to music to try and find classical or neoclassical music that was bright and uplifting for all the work. I then chose some props that would be helpful in getting the dancers to move. As far as the discipline was involved, that was a tough one because as we know discipline is inherent in ballet training, I decided to use the reward system. Finally I looked for different ways to give the dancers a feeling of fun and joy in their ballet class.
The purists might say that I sold out, but what good is dance if we are not able to bring it to all types of dancers? The reality is that we all have students who are recreational, but with the right training there is always the possibility that you might find a diamond in the making or at the very least help open up new avenues to those dancers who were only one dimensional. Here are some suggestions of ways to make your beginner dancers feel more like ballerinas.
1) Limit your barre work to six exercises: Plies, tendus, glisses, rond de jambes, retires and grand battements. Keep the exercises simple. If they are complete beginners, I would recommend doing demi and grand plies facing the barre to give them additional support. Concentrate your grand battements going devant and a la seconde, face the barre for grand battement derriere. Work on flexibility in second position on the floor and also splits. The majority of recreational dancers have limited flexibility, so go easy and encourage them to work at it regularly. I give incentives, such as split contests. In the center go over basic arm and foot positions—I give out flyers showing all of those plus the directions of the body. It helps them to learn when they can see pictures. Center work can comprise of port de bras, tendus, releves in 5th and devant, classical walks, balances de cote and en avant and en arriere, soutenus, sautés, soubresauts, changements, echappes sautés to 2nd, pas de bourrees, unfolding skips, spins and sways. I also like to start chaine turns and grands jetes. These types of steps are good ones to get the dancers moving. Most classes you will only have time to work on a few of these exercises at a time. I like to give them easy combinations using some of these steps and with some kind of a prop, like a mat, to get them to jump over so they get a better idea of extending their legs.
2) Choice of music is important. There are classical class CDs that have Broadway tunes and I have found that by using happy sounding tracks it seems to help the students loosen up. Also, using music from Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella is fun.
3) Scarves both large and small can be used, preferably made out of a silky fabric so that it flows. Umbrellas, fans and hoops are also useful tools that help the dancers feel the character of the movement. Mats are useful for jumping over.
4) Discipline is always tricky especially with beginners. I reward with small inexpensive gifts when the dancers come to class correctly dressed, with neat buns and the right clothing. I encourage my dancers to carry a small book with them to write down their corrections. When they have made a correction I make a big deal out of it so others will follow.
5) Fun and joy of movement is so important for any dance student, but especially for beginners as they don’t yet have the dedication to get the joy out of just studying. Including humor in your classes will go a long way and feeling the joy of moving through space effortlessly is something your dancers can achieve by carefully constructing your classes. My best reward from a beginner was when she told me that my class was the first ballet class she had ever taken where she felt she could actually do something. After all, it is not only about teaching dance, but also building confidence and self esteem.
I always try to keep in mind with my beginners that everyone has to start somewhere and that if nothing else we are building good audiences for the future. Teaching beginners can be rewarding as long as it is approached with the right mindset.
