Online Dance Resources

Teaching Tip: Dealing With Difficult Dance Students

March 4, 2010 by 4dancers

If you have taught dance for a while, chances are good that you have run across a difficult student or two in your time. If you are new, you may be caught a bit off-guard by some of the things that can happen in the classroom.

Having some strategies in place to deal with things such as outbursts, resistance to certain exercises or too much talking is key. Some tricks you learn as you go, but there are also resources out there that can help you anticipate these issues and be ready with a response. Here are a few good ones that you can draw from:

+ If you have a “bully” in your class, check out Dance Advantage’s post on that topic and stop things before they get out of hand.

+ This sheet isn’t designed specifically for dance class, but it has good tips on how to cope with behaviors like shyness, complaining and talking in class.

+ Having rules and reminding students of what those rules are can help cut down on bad classroom behavior. The rules will vary based on the age of the students, as well as the philosopy of the teacher, but it is a good idea to have some in place.

Review: Musique Pour Le Cours De Danse Classique IV (Music for Ballet Class IV)

February 22, 2010 by 4dancers

The CD: Musique Pour Le Cours De Danse Classique IV (Music for Ballet Class IV)

The Details: Piano Composition & Interpretation : Ellina Akimova (Bolchoï Dance Academy 1990-1995)

Exercises & Instructions : Franciska-Elisabeth de Mikhnevitch (Opéra of Paris 1960-1984)

Sold by: Mediaphorie

The Review: I have listened to this CD now over 30 times and am currently using it for my adult ballet class. I have found it to be very refreshing–the compositions are original and extremely well-played by Ms. Ellina Akimova. There is music here for an entire ballet class, and the barre tracks are all repeated for the convenience of the instructor.

Although the music is clear and measured, this is not a CD I would use for a beginning class. It is probably too complex for new students who do better when phrases are repeated often and the music is simple. For more advanced students, however, I found the tracks to be quite inspirational–especially those for the center work. The barre music is also a departure from the typical ballet class fare.

One of the best features of this CD is the fact that the tracks are lengthy. Some ballet class CDs have short tracks that necessitate pausing the exercise to re-start the music. This is extremely distracting to the students and teacher alike. More advanced classes have longer exercises both in the barre and the center, and this CD allows plenty of time for longer combinations.

There is also a nice mixture of music here so that you can get a lot of use out of the CD. There are tracks for pirouettes, petite variation, tours en l’air and adagio, among many others. This will allow you to mix and match exercises and create several different classes while still utilizing the same CD.

Ms. Akimova’s skill is considerable, and all of the music is completely measured and steady. I’ve always appreciated the difficulty that goes with playing ballet music for students. In order to do it well, you have to be able to play flawlessly, yet infuse some emotion into the pieces you are interpreting. This is no easy task, but it is done extraordinarly well here. The tracks for small jumps and tendus have a sprightly feel to them and the slower ones have an ebb and flow that encourage artistry.

I have not heard the other CDs in this series (I, II, III), but based on my experience with this one, I would definitely say they would be worth investigating. I’ve been very pleased with this one and recommend it without hesitation.

My students enjoy it too.

Buy this CD

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Harkness Center For Dance Injuries

February 8, 2010 by 4dancers

What dancer hasn’t had an injury? I was speaking with a dance collegue today and we got to talking about how age impacts the body, and about the importance of warming up. So true. Still, no matter how careful we are, injuries still happen from time to time…

The Harkness Center For Dance Injuries is a great resource, and although it is not by any means a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment, it still provides useful information. For example, do you know what a “Dancers Fracture” is? Or what about “Jumper’s Knee“?

Here are some interesting facts from the site…

+ The knee is the largest joint in the body

+ The Achilles tendon is able to withstand forces equal to (or greater than) 1,000 pounds

+ Together, the wrist and hand have 27 bones, as well as ligaments, tendons and muscles

Find those facts interesting? Check out the site for more info…it’s very educational.

Teaching Tip: For The Barre

February 1, 2010 by 4dancers

It’s so easy for bad habits to develop at the barre if you are not careful. Left unchecked, these little problems will eventually unfold into major issues when you take your technique to the center. The good news is that certain things can be prevented if you know how to deal with them ahead of time.

I wrote an article for Dance Spirit on this subject that you can check out for tips on everything from how to avoid using the barre for leverage to how to know if you are at the right distance from it. I talked to a few great teachers and got some terrific advice.

The more you can perfect your work at the barre, the better you will be as a dancer. Use that time to your advantage and don’t be tempted to “cheat” and do things that will ultimately have a poor impact on how you develop your strength and technique. Do it right–and you will reap the rewards!

Men In Ballet

January 28, 2010 by 4dancers

Just a quick note to point out a guest post I did for My Son Can Dance, a blog written by recent guest poster Nina Amir. It is about gender stereotypes and ballet. If you get a chance, drop by and check out her blog–it’s quite interesting!

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