Studios – Page 27

Dance Teaching Tip: Left-Handed Students

March 17, 2010 by 4dancers

Let’s get this out of the way…I’m a lefty. And yes, that is why I am doing this post.

As a left-handed dancer I know that there are a few special challenges that teachers should be aware of. For one thing, learning turns may go better on the left side. This is actually a safety issue when you are working on teaching pirouettes for the first time.

I always ask my students if there are any lefties in the room, just so I am aware of the fact that they may have more difficulty picking up combinations that are demonstrated and done first on the right side.

Not all dancers follow handedness in the dance classroom, however. For example–even though I am left-handed, my turns are better on the right. Each student will need to be assessed individually to discover their strengths and challenges. Still, if you are aware of them, you will be more effective as an instructor.

If you have not yet asked your students about this…consider incorporating it into your class. For some students it can really make a world of difference.

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.

Dance In The US: Connecticut Concert Ballet

February 28, 2010 by 4dancers

From Colorado, we move on to the state of Connecticut for our series on Dance in the US…

Name: Connecticut Concert Ballet

Location: (Two locations)

280 Garden Grove Rd., Manchester, CT 06040 and 599 Matianuck Ave., Windsor, CT 06095

About: Founded in 1973, this school has over 200 students who have been accepted into programs at places such as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet and Ballet Austin, among others. Opportunities for students outside the CCB classroom include The Nutcracker and a Spring Performance, both of which take place each year.

The school includes the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE^® National Training Curriculum in Primary through Level 3. These classes are taught by ABT^® Certified Teacher, Wendy Fish-Lawrence, who is also one of the Artistic Directors of Connecticut Concert Ballet. The other Artistic Director is David Lawrence who has been involved with The Ruth Page Dance Foundation in Chicago, Ballet Pacifica and The Orange County Performing Arts Academy, among other prestigious dance organizations.

Teaching Tip: Challenging Your Students In Class

February 22, 2010 by 4dancers

Sometimes it is good to give your students a bit of a challenge in ballet class. Change things up a bit. Students get used to certain patterns, and breaking from the routine will keep them from getting complacent.

For example:

+ Start class facing the opposite way from which you usually begin at the barre.

+ Have students face away from the mirror to do their exercises in the center.

+ Teach a combination, then have the students reverse it.

+ Do exercises in both single and double time.

+ Have students come up with their own simple combinations.

Just throwing a new thing into the mix will help keep your dance classes lively. It will also challenge your students to think outside the box and stretch a bit as dancers. Try to do things like this from time-to-time and the result will be a happier class that is more able to respond to change.

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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