What are distracting behaviors in the dance studio?
Distracting behaviors can happen in any dance class setting – from preschool creative movement classes to upper level collegiate technique courses. Distracting behaviors may include things like talking out of turn, moving around the studio at inappropriate times, using equipment inappropriately (like hanging on the barres), making physical contact with other dancers without consent or at inappropriate times (such as hitting or poking others), or not following stated directions.
It can be incredibly frustrating as a dance educator to have to manage distracting behaviors in the dance studio, as it takes time away from all of the learning and fun we want to share with our dance students. But distracting behaviors are not only irritating to the teacher! They can disrupt the dance class experience for the other students, and even lead to safety concerns, such as increasing the risk of injury.
Why do students demonstrate distracting behaviors in the dance studio?
There are many reasons why dance students demonstrate distracting behaviors in class, some of which are out of the instructor’s control. Dancers with different needs, including dance students who are neurodivergent, may need special care to help them manage disruptive behaviors, such as a dedicated assistant, caregiver intervention, or to be enrolled in a private lesson or dedicated dance class for dancers with different needs. The advice in this blog post may not be helpful for dancers with different needs, and a compassionate conversation with parents or caregivers is always recommended in such classes.
It is important to realize that all kids – neurotypical and neurodivergent – act out for a variety of reasons. Everything from how we teach and enforce the expectations of the class, to the dance students’ unmet needs, to the class level and teachers’ behaviors can impact student behavior in the dance studio. The best thing that we can do for all of our students is to meet them where they are at during any given class with compassion and grace. After all, our dance students are MORE than their behaviors! For an in-depth look at why dance students may be acting out, and ideas for preventing those behaviors from occurring, check out this blog post: Why Your Dance Students Are Acting Out – And What You Can Do About It!
Managing distracting behaviors in the dance studio
Even if you’ve made adjustments to your dance teaching practice to help mitigate student behaviors in the dance studio, distracting behaviors may continue to occur. Here are a 21 tips to help you manage distracting behaviors in the dance studio when they happen. (Fair warning: This is a long post! Save it to refer to when you are out of ideas for managing those tricky behaviors!)
1.) Set expectations and stick with them – This will always be the most important thing that a dance educator can do to help manage distracting behaviors in the dance studio. When you clearly explain the expectations for student behaviors and enforce those expectations consistently, distracting behavior is less likely to occur and easier to manage to when it does happen.
2.) Set a class routine – Many dance students thrive on routine. Having a consistent class routine can help dance students feel comfortable and safe. When dance students know what is coming next, they are less likely to ask unnecessary questions or act out due to anxiety.
3.) Use short, choreographed transitions between class activities – For many dance students, downtime leads to distracting behaviors. Choreographing your transitions between class activities can eliminate the downtime that leads to distraction. For example, dancers can become chatty and distracted when changing formations in the studio, such as moving the group from a circle to 3 straight lines facing the mirror. Try asking the dancers to perform a specific movement, such as 16 counts of prancing, chasses, or marches, as they travel to that formation.
4.) Minimize the environmental distractions – Consider arranging your class music on playlist in order to prevent downtime that occurs from shuffling songs. Having designated question times as you teach a new dance step or combination. Put physical distractions like props or mats that you aren’t using out of sight.
5.) Use attention getters – Attention getters are a great way to help dancers refocus if they get distracted. Some time-tested ones include: “If you can hear me, put your hands on your head!,” “One two three, eyes on me,” or call and response patterns like the ones found here. If most of your dance students go to the same school, try to learn the attention getters used by their teachers! These will be familiar to the students, and can help reinforce the idea that dance class is a learning experience, just like school. You can also lean into current trends and harness them for good with your attention getters, such a call and response pattern in which the teacher says “1 2 3 4 5 ….” and dancers respond with “6 7!”
6.) Use hand signals instead of talking – Hand signals can cut down on unnecessary questions and keep the flow of the class moving. My dance students know that if they have to use the restroom, they just need to raise their pointer and middle fingers in a crossed pattern (“R” in ASL fingerspelling) and wait for me to nod at them. For water, they raise their 3 middle fingers (“W” in ASL fingerspelling). I also use a “thumbs up/thumbs down” scale to quickly assess how dancers are feeling about class material or determine if they want to run an exercise again or move on. If you choose to use hand signals, be sure to review the signals and their meaning at the beginning of the season so that everyone is comfortable with them.
7.) Start class with an energy releasing activity – Many dance teachers tend to start their dance classes by sitting on the floor, taking attendance or asking a “question of the day.” This is a good way to foster connections with your dance students, but it may also backfire! Many dancers are coming into class after a long day of school or time in the car. They need to get some energy out! Trying starting class with a fun, high energy dance game or cardiovascular warm-up to help them release that energy before moving on to activities required sustained focused attention.
8.) Use energy releasing activities after period of focused work – In addition to starting the dance class with a high energy movement activity, try incorporating them after periods of focused work. For example, allow dancers to travel from one spot at the barre to another between exercises, using a high every movement like prances or gallops. Play a dance game that helps build performance skills in the middle of a long rehearsal block. Or, give the dancers time to improvise their way to the side of the studio after performing an intense combo.
9.) Use assigned spots in the room – For younger students, I recommend using assigned spots in the room during dance classes. Keep dancers who are prone to distraction close to you, and be sure to separate friend groups who tend to chat during class! I don’t assign spots for older students, but do encourage them to find a place to stand that will help them to work with their best effort and focus.
10.) Be creative with space – In a typical dance class, dancers stand in lines facing the mirror. But sometimes, this can lead to distracting behavior. Some dancers may be distracted by their reflection in the mirror, so facing away from the mirror can be helpful. Circle formations (instead of straight lines) allow for all dancers to see and be seen, which can keep them connected and engaged in the class activities. Try facing the dancers and mirroring the movements, rather than standing with your back to the dancers when demonstrating. Eye contact will create a stronger connection, and dancers may be less likely to act out when the dance teacher is facing them.
11.) Allow time for socialization – It sounds counterintuitive, but allowing time to socialization can cut down on chattiness and other distracting behaviors. Read more about this phenomenon, and find activities to help you incorporate socialization activities into your dance classes in this blog post: How To Teach Social Skills in Your Dance Classes
12.) Put responsibility on the dancers – Many dance students will rise to the challenge when given responsibility, autonomy, and ownership for their learning. Challenge the dancers to manage their own behaviors, with the incentive of a reward when behavioral goals are met. Use goal-setting worksheets to encourage dancers develop a plan for their own success in technique, artistry, and well-being. Give class jobs, such as responsibility for the music, prop, or even leading the warm-up and cool down as age and developmentally appropriate. Allow the class to give their input on what they are learning, the music you use, and their choreography for recitals.
13.) Give positive attention, ignore negative behavior – A common strategy for many dance teachers is to give attention to dancers who are demonstrating positive behaviors, and ignoring negative behaviors. This plan can often be highly effective, however, it is important to remember that unsafe behaviors must never be ignored! Also, when a dance student who was demonstrating negative behaviors starts to show positive ones, be sure to recognize it immediately with lots of lavish praise!
14.) Incorporate more creativity, imagination, and play – One of my favorite quotes comes from Mr. (Fred) Rogers: “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” Modern dance training has children performing drills, progressions, and exercises at an incredibly young age – even when it might not appropriate at that point in their cognitive or social-emotional developmental. When kids are asked to work in a way that is not does match where they are at developmentally, they are more likely to act out. Try incorporating more creative activities, imagination, and play into your dance lesson plans to keep dancers of all ages engaged in their learning. The Dance Games Bundle makes it easy for you!
15.) Utilize challenge elements effectively – It is always necessary to teach in a way that is appropriate for the dancers’ age, development, and skill level. However, sometimes introducing a challenge element can be a great way to reengage dancers who are acting out. Giving the dancers a step or sequence to learn that is just slightly above their skill level can incentivize dancers to give the additional focus and attention they need to master it. At the same time, some dancers may act out because they are frustrated that they can’t perform a specific skill or sequence. If this is the case, try stepping back a bit and giving an easy but fun combo that they can engage in. The Holistic Dance Teacher Dance Technique Skills List Bundle includes beginning, intermediate, advanced intermediate, and advanced skills to teach in six dance styles. These lists can help you adjust the level of a class quickly and efficiently to keep your students engaged.
16.) Try grounding techniques, breathing, stillness, or sensory input practices – There are many well-being practices that can be used efficiently to help break dance students out of distracting behavior pattern and help them to regain their focus. You can try:
- Grounding techniques – When dancers are acting up or being disruptive, grounding techniques can be a way to bring them back. Ask the dancers to find 5 things they can see, and name them out loud in a whisper voice. Then, ask them to find 4 things they can touch, and name them out loud in a whisper voice. Repeat this practice with 3 things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they could taste (such as the minty taste of their toothpaste or the aftertaste of the juice they had with lunch).
- Breathing – Guiding the dancers through a short breathing practice can be very helpful for managing big behaviors (and the big feelings that might be driving them!). Ask the dancers to sit or lie down in a comfortable position, then guide them in a practice like belly breathing or box breathing. If your dancers are too young to understand these concepts, ask them to take a big breath in through their nose, then slowly blow out a candle as they exhale through their mouth.
- Stillness – We live in a society that rarely stops. Even if we moving our bodies, we often preoccupy our minds by scrolling a phone or tablet. In short, we’ve wired ourselves to not know how to handle boredom – and let’s be honest, sometimes, dance class can be boring! Things like drilling movement, cleaning choreography, transition time between exercises, and even waiting one’s turn can be boring, and dance students may act out as a result of that boredom. Try starting and ending your dance classes with a short period of stillness. Invite the dances to sit or lie in a comfortable position, close their eyes, and stop moving. Start small, with a period of about 15 seconds, and work your way up to 1 minute of more throughout the course of the semester.
- Sensory input practices – When dance students are demonstrating behaviors that feel borderline out of control, sensory input practices can be a way to help them regain their focus. Try things like asking the dancers to push against a wall as hard as they can, tap or brush their bodies with their hands from head to toe, or even do a few very slow pushups. *Note – I never use conditioning or exercise as a punishment. It can lead to disordered body image or an unhealthy relationship with exercise. The goal of push-ups in this exercise is for dancers to get the sensory input of pushing away from the floor and engaging the muscles of the body as a way to focus the mind. This was recommended to me by a therapist, and it is very effective for my own kids!
17.) Stimulate the vagus nerve – The vagus nerve is the body’s longest nerve. It runs from the your brain through your throat, heart, and digestive organs. Stimulating your vagus nerve can direct your body out of a fight-or-flight state of stress and help promote relaxation. For dancers who act out because of anxiety or overstimulation, stimulating the vagus nerve can be a tool to help calm the body and mind to promote behavioral regulation. One way to stimulate the vagus nerve is to gently massage or pull on the outer ear. Try adding this practice to your warm-up or using it when there is a lot of distracting behavior in class.
18.) Implement a reward or warning system – Many dance teachers find a reward or warning system to be a helpful form of behavior management. A reward system can be implemented individually, such as giving each dancer who meets the behavior expectations a sticker at the end of class. It can also be used class-wide. For example, you can offer to show the class a dance movie or use a special prop if everyone meets the behavior expectations for a set period, such as one month. An example of a warning system might be a “three strikes and you’re out” policy. After three verbal reminders, dancers will have a consequence such as leaving the room for a designated time, talking with the dance studio owner, or calling their parents.
19.) Model the behavior you want to see – Instead of saying, “Go stand in the corner and get ready to go across the floor,” try modeling the expected behavior with the dancers. Try saying, “We are going to go stand in the corner now and wait out turn,” then walking with the group to the corner and showing them how to stand quietly in line before you demonstrate the movement. This practice can be especially helpful for younger dancers, who may have trouble following multi-step verbal directions. It can also be effective for those who are prone to oppositional or defiant behaviors. It can lead to a sense of community within the class, with the dancers coming to see you as part of their team, and someone who wants to help them, rather than authority figure who is looking to punish them.
20.) Practice “the look” – Parents will know what I’m talking about with this one! There is something powerful about meeting a child’s eye, holding their gaze, and arching an eyebrow slightly in a way that says, “Are you for real with this behavior right now?” Eye contact and silence can often be more effective than verbal reminders of behavioral expectations.
21.) Give the dancers a movement option – When I have classes that are especially fidgety, I will offer them an option of movements to do when they are tempted to wiggle or wander. For example, the dancers might have the option to prance in place, do relevés, clench and unclench their fists, or stretch out their calf muscles. If I see them start to fidget or wonder, I tell the dancers to choose one of the movements to help them focus.
How do you manage distracting behaviors in the dance studio?
If you’ve read this far, I hope you’ve found some helpful ways to manage distracting behaviors in your dance classes. I’d also love to learn from you! What strategies do you find most helpful for managing distracting behaviors in the dance studio? Please share them in the comments! You can also connect with me and share your ideas at The Holistic Dance Teacher Group on Facebook.
To read more on class management in the dance studio, check out this blog post: Why Your Dance Students Are Acting Out – and What You Can Do About It!
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