Dance should be joyful …
Dance is innate – babies learn how to experience the world through movement. Dance is ancient – humanity danced before the development of language and writing. Dance is connection – historically, it has brought together people for a shared purpose, such as celebration, mourning, worship, marking milestones, and storytelling. And most importantly, in my opinion, dance is joy.
I am a full-hearted believer that dance is inherently joyful. On a physical level, the combination of movement and music releases feel-good hormones and improves brain health. Through dance, we can express ourselves and release deeply-held emotions. When we dance together, as in a dance class, we get the added benefit of being with others and developing relationships, both of which can improve our mental health. Read more about the benefits of dance here: 8 Invaluable Life Skills Learned through Dance.
In this blog post, I’ll share 16 easy ways to foster more joy in your dance classes. You’ll also read more about why dance classes are not always a joyful experience, and why you should take a joy-forward approach to teaching dance!
… but the way we teach dance often diminishes the joy
Yes, dance is inherently joyful. but the way we teach dance often diminishes that joy. Too often, dance classes focus on learning by recreating of someone else’s movement, endless drilling and repetition, and fear-based teaching practices disguised as “respect.” Dance teachers often hold unrealistic expectations for student behavior and performance, without taking into consider what is appropriate for the dancers’ age and developmental stage. Dance becomes about competition, rather than celebration: who does the most turns, balances the longest, has the highest extensions, knows the most tricks, and so on. In our zeal see students succeed, we resort to over-training and early specification, and individual achievement is valued over teamwork and community.
Why dance teachers should foster joy in their dance classes
Of course, not every dance teacher teaches in a way that diminishes the joy of dance. And I do not believe that most teachers actually intend to make the dance experience less joyful for their students. They may not even realize that there are ways to foster more joy in the dance classes that they teach. However, I believe that all dance teachers should consider the impact that a joy-focused dance education can have on their students’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
When we foster more joy in our dance classes, we can improve the well-being of our students. Focusing on joy can help dance students relieve stress and improve their emotional health. It creates an environment in which students can build healthy relationships – with themselves, their fellow dancers, and even with the art of dance itself. In a joyful teaching and learning environment, students learn that the dance experience is not just about how well they do a particular trick or how “on” they feel on any given day. Perhaps most importantly: they remember that dance is fun, in and of itself. And when dance is fun, students are motivated to continue dancing, which leads to better engagement and retention!
To note, focusing on joy does NOT mean we create a toxically positive dance environment. Dance is hard work, and the process of learning to dance is often filled with frustrations, struggles, and adversity of all kinds. We must acknowledge those truths, and support our students through the difficulties that they will face. But I believe that we can do so in a joy-forward way: understanding that hard work can lead to great joy, and that working through adversity makes us stronger and more capable to experience a range of emotions – even joy!
How to foster joy in dance classes as a dance teacher
There are many ways to foster joy through dance. How you choose to do so will depending on your own personal preferences, your dance studio or program culture, and the needs of your dance students. For some dance teachers, taking a joy-focused approach to class will simply require a recommitment to your current practices or a few minor tweaks. Other dance teachers may find the ideas on this list quite foreign. If this approach to teaching dance feels daunting, remember that you can always start small. Implement one or two ideas at a time. See if they make a difference for yourself and your students. Before you know it, I think you’ll find that fostering joy in your dance classes has become second nature. You’ll never want to go back!
In my experience, the best way to foster joy in the dance classes that I teach is to focus on the joy that dancing brings me. It’s easy to get caught up in the stressful parts of teaching dance – planning lessons, managing behaviors, finishing choreography, and all the extra administrative stuff that comes with the job. When I can set all that aside for the hour or so that I’m teaching a dance class and instead actively remember on how joyful it is to move my body to music, I find that it is much easier to take a joy-forward approach to teaching dance. BUT – we all know that it can be hard to put the stress aside! So I also keep a few tricks up my sleeve to help foster joy for my dance students, even if I’m not feeling it myself. Read on to learn more …
16 simple ways to foster joy in dance classes as a dance teacher
1.) Set an intention of joy before you teach
Before each class, take a moment to set an intention of joy. It can be as simple as, “I will choose to notice, appreciate, and foster joy as I teach this class.” You can do this privately, or invite your dance students to join you in the practice. Learn more about intention setting here.
2.) Develop a growth mindset
Growth mindset is the belief that abilities can be increased with time, practice, and effort. Growth mindset can lead to joy because it helps us to believe in our potential and value our efforts, rather than getting our sense of self-worth from other people’s approval or from what we are able to accomplish. Learn more about growth mindset and how you can implement it in you dance teaching practice in this podcast episode by dance coach and sport psychologist Dr. Chelsea Pierotti.
3.) Practice meaningful self-care
I know, I know – you are tired of being told that self-care is the answer. But here’s the deal: how you feel about teaching dance is often directly related to how well you take care of yourself. Teaching dance simply won’t be fun if you are always underfed, over-caffeinated, injured, exhausted, and overwhelmed. It is true that real joy is not dependent on your circumstances, but it’s a lot easier to feel joyful when you are in the right frame of mind. Self-care can help increase your capacity for joy. Check out this list of simple, meaningful, practical, and inexpensive self-care practices for dance teachers. You might also like The Holistic Dance Teacher Self-Care Bundle!
4.) Connect with the interests of your dance students
Every dance student is unique … but I suspect you know that by now. Tapping in to each dance students’ interests is a way that you help cultivate joy for them. Spend some time getting to know your dance students at the beginning of each season. This can happen through discussion, class activities, or student surveys. Then, use what you learn to help create a dance experience that is fun and full of joy they can relate to. Use references, metaphors, music, and activities that they will enjoy. For more ideas on how to connect with your dance students, check out this blog series that I authored for the National Dance Education Organization’s Blog.
5.) Honor community in your dance classes
Even as an introvert, I recognize the power of community. Being in relationship with others is important for our well-being – and science backs this up! Oxytocin is a natural hormone associated with trust and relationship building, among other things. Scientists are currently researching the role of oxytocin in various conditions, including addiction, anorexia, anxiety, and depression. Healthy levels of oxytocin can help increase happiness. Spending time with friends and physical touch are two ways to naturally boost oxytocin levels. In dance class, you can honor community and boost oxytocin by using team-building games, team bonding activities, partner work (with consent), and activities to boost social skills.
6.) Employ novelty as a dance teaching tool
Many dance teachers thrive on routine, but there is good reason to consider shaking things up in your dance classes once and while. Novelty – a new or unfamiliar thing or experience – can actually be a very helpful tool to foster joy in the dance studio. Novelty directly activates the dopamine system. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that supports positive mood and emotions. The dopamine produced through new experiences can help lower perceived stress levels, reduce anxiety, ease depression, and increase motivation. Learn more about the connection between novelty, dopamine, and positive emotion here. You can introduce novelty by making simple changes to your usual class routine, such as switching your warm-up, using new kinds of music, facing away from the mirror, going across the floor in a different pathway, or adding improvisation or dance games to your lesson plans. For more ways to shake up your dance class routine, check out this blog post.
7.) Incorporate more play into your dance lesson plans
In my opinion, play is the ultimate teaching tool – especially for fostering joy in the dance studio! Children of all ages (and even adults) learn through play, as this article from Harvard University explains. Think about all the joy that your childhood play evoked. You can harness that power of play to bring more joy to your dances classes through gamification, imaginative improvisation prompts, creative movement, and dance games. Learn more about the benefits of play in dance classes for students of all ages in this blog post. You might also like The Holistic Dance Teacher Dance Games Bundle!
8.) Don’t be afraid of simplicity in your dance classes
Dancers often love for a challenge. As dance teachers, we pride ourselves on creating interesting, dynamic, challenging class exercise and choreography. But I urge dance teachers not to underestimate the power of simple, beautiful movements that feel good to perform. Dance doesn’t always have to be complicated, and complicated does not always mean better in dance. Having the opportunity to do simple movements really well can be a confidence booster for many dancers. Going back to the fundamentals in your dance classes can inspire confidence, and in turn joy, for dance students.
9.) Choose gratitude in your dance teaching practices
I believe that joy and gratitude go hand in hand, especially in the dance studio. When you can focus on being grateful for the opportunity to move, connect, and express yourself, the dance experience becomes infinitely more joyful. There are many ways to practice gratitude in dance, including setting intentions of gratitude before class, ending class with an expression of gratitude, and using dance activities that cultivate a spirit of gratitude. For more ideas on how to practice gratitude in your dance classes, check out this blog post.
10.) Change you dance environment to cultivate more joy
Some of my favorite dance experiences in college and graduate school were the ones in which we took class outside. There is something incredibly joyful about dancing in the fresh air, feeling the sunlight on your face – or even the raindrops on your shoulders! If you are able, consider holding an outdoor class. It could be in a parking lot, an alley next to the studio, or a nearby field or grassy area. If you can’t take class outside, try to bring some of the outdoors to the studio. Open doors or windows to get fresh air and sunlight, or add potted plants and greenery to your dance space. Doing so can help increase serotonin levels for the dancers. Serotonin is hormone is responsible for boosting mood, relieving stress, influencing learning and memory, and regulating body temperature and sleep. Learn more about the connection between serotonin and spending time outdoors or in nature here.
11.) Utilize silliness in your dance classes
Here is where we can all take a page from the preschool dance teachers! I believe that a little silliness can be incredibly impactful for dancers of all ages! As dance teachers, we tend to take what we do very seriously. But in reality, it’s just dance! Not that it isn’t a valuable and worthy pursuit – but we don’t always need to be so serious about it. Consider ways to use a little silliness in your music, imagery, or feedback, to make bad jokes or cheesy references, to play goofy games. Yes you may get some eye rolls, at least at first. But in my experience, 95% of the time the students are actually enjoying the silly stuff, even if they are too “cool” to show it, As a bonus – laughing with friends is a bonding experience and can give dancers a good boost of feel-good oxytocin!
12.) Give your dance students a little challenge
While I generally believe in keeping classes appropriate for the dancers’ age, development, and skill level, sometimes it can be helpful to employ a leveling-up physical or mental challenge in your dance classes. A physical challenge, such as a skill that is just slightly above their current level or an intense cross training session, will release endorphins. Endorphins are natural hormones that can alleviate pain, lower stress, improve mood, and enhance your sense of well-being. Mental challenges, such as solving a movement problem or creating choreography, can help in the production of dopamine, as described here. As a bonus – overcoming challenge together as a group activity is great for team bonding.
13.) Consider how you talk to your dance students
As dance teachers, our language is an incredibly powerful tool. How we talk to our dance students matters! Speaking life, encouragement, and positivity to them is a great way to foster more joy in our dance classes. When giving feedback to dancers, choose to focus on the dancers’ effort, growth, and potential for success. (Tip: Find more tips for giving feedback to dancers in this blog post!) Tell your dancers that you are proud of them and that you will always be here for them. But also, be careful not to sugarcoat things! Our students also need to recognize that we realize how hard dance can be, how frustrated they might find themselves, and that we support them no matter what – even if they decide they need to take a break from dancing. For more advice on what your dancers may need to hear from you, check out this blog post.
14.) Ditch comparison
You’ve heard this one time and time again, but as Theodore Roosevelt said – “Comparison is the thief of joy.” If you want to become a happier dance teacher, stop comparing yourself to others. And if you want to help your dance students find joy in their dance classes, then help them ditch comparison as well. Remind all of your dancers that they have unique gifts and talents to share with the audience. Point out these out when you see them in action during dance class or in rehearsal. Feature them equally in choreography. Encourage them to get off social media, where the comparison game is strongest. For more encouragement, check out this piece of dancers’ wisdom – a personal favorite!
15.) Encourage your dancers to acknowledge and reflect on their emotions
Raise your hand if a dance teacher ever told you, “Leave whatever you are feeling at the door and just dance.” I’ll be honest – I’ve said it myself on occasion. And it’s not always a bad idea. Sometimes, it really is best to leave our worries behind and focus on the joy of dancing. But other times, it’s ok to bring the stress, worries, and concerns into the studio, so we can work them out through movement. In fact, if we want to encourage our students’ development as artists, we need to encourage them to use their full emotional range in their dancing.There are many ways that you can do this, including journaling and thoughtfully designed improvisation activities.
16.) Don’t forget the importance of rest
Sometimes, the best thing we can do to foster more joy is to acknowledge our need for rest. We cannot always be “on,” and neither can our dancers. Taking time to rest is vital for our wellbeing. Try incorporating these creative rest activities into your next class or rehearsal to help your dancers make time and space for joy in their lives.
How do you work to foster joy in the dance classes that you teach? Please share your ideas in the comments … I love learning from you.
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