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Beginner Musical Theater Lesson Plan- Across the Floor

Type:

Teacher article

Category:

Dance Teachers


Below are three of my favorite beginner across the floor exercises to get you started or change up your own warm-up. Try varying music choices from swing, to Latin to classic Broadway show-tunes & pump up the energy in class!

Exercise #1: Jazz Walks & Battement Combo:
4, “Tip & Bevel” Jazz Walks 1-8
2, Battements front-R & L 1-4
Battement R leg to second (pivoting and facing mirror- be careful of hip placement as the dancer transitions to position) 5,6
Chainé, dig 7,8 (Make sure dancers end in a nice bevel position out of the chainé)
Repeat

Progression:
Add relevé to the battements
Add arms
Add a pirouette (s) instead of the chainé

Exercise #2: Lindy Kick-outs & Pirouettes
In demi plié, 4 lindy/jive kick-out flicks traveling. Opposite arm shoots out with leg 1-8
2, parallel first jumps straight up with arms shooting up 1-4
Step, 5
Prep 6
Pirouette 7,8

Progressions:
Change direction with every kick-out to work on spotting
Add a more challenging jump in the second set of eight such as a barrel turn, sissone, x jump, firebird, etc.
Add multiple pirouettes

Exercise #3: Traveling Combo combining above exercises
Start with sugars traveling either straight or in a circle. 1-8
Jazz Walks (walking forward) 1-4
Jazz Walks walking side, facing mirror with arms extended 5-8
Two battements front 1-4
Step pirouette 5-8
Kick-outs 1-4
Parallel first jump with arms shooting up 5,6
Chainé dog and bevel 7,8

Author

Jessica Rizzo Stafford

Jessica Rizzo Stafford

Jessica Rizzo Stafford is a native New Yorker and graduate of NYU Steinhardt's Dance Education Master’s Program; with a PK-12 New York State Teaching Certification. Her double-concentration Master’s Degree includes PK-12 pedagogy and dance education within the higher-education discipline. She also holds a BFA in dance performance from the UMASS Amherst 5 College Dance Program where she was a Chancellor's Talent Award recipient. Jess now works extensively with children, adolescents and professionals as choreographer and teacher and conducts national and international master-classes specializing in the genres of modern, contemporary, musical theatre and choreography-composition. Jess’ national and international performance career includes works such as: The National Tour of Guys & Dolls, The European Tour of Grease, West Side Story, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, Salute to Dudley Moore at Carnegie Hall, guest-dancer with the World Famous Pontani Sisters and IMPULSE Modern Dance Company. Jess has been a faculty member for the Perichild Program & Peridance Youth Ensemble & taught contemporary and jazz at the historic New Dance Group and 92nd Street Y in NYC. She was Company Director at the historic Steffi Nossen School of Dance/Dance in Education Fund and in 2008 traveled to Uganda where she taught creative-movement to misplaced children. The experience culminated with Jess being selected as a featured instructor at the Queen's Kampala Ballet & Modern Dance School. She has conducted workshops for the cast of LA REVE at the Wynn, Las Vegas and recently taught at the 2011 IDS International Dance Teacher Conference at The Royal Ballet in London, UK. She is also on faculty for the annual Dance Teacher Web Conferences in Las Vegas, NV. Currently, Jess is a faculty member at the D'Valda & Sirico Dance & Music Centre and master teacher & adjudicator for various national and international dance competitions. Recently, she has finished her NYU Master’s thesis research on the choreographic process of technically advanced adolescent dancers and is the creator of “PROJECT C;” a choreography-composition curriculum for the private studio sector. Jess is also faculty member, contributing writer and presenter in the choreography and “how to” teaching segments on the celebrated danceteacherweb.com. For more info, visit her website at www.jrizzo.net.

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