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12 Simple but Meaningful Self-Care Practices for Dance Teachers
What is meaningful self-care for dance teachers? Okay, I'll admit it: the term "self-care"...
Recommended Reading: Books on Dance Pedagogy & Teaching Methods
Refresh your dance pedagogy and teaching methods We all get stuck in a rut with our dance...
How to Give Dance Students More Effective Feedback
The challenge of giving students feedback on their dancing During my conversation with Joe Nickel and Michelle Tolson as a guest on JAM: Joe and Michelle's Dance Podcast, the topic turned to how to give feedback to our dance students. Many dance teachers have...
How to Teach Social Skills in Dance Class
Social skills are the skills we use everyday as we interact with the people around us, and our vital for success and happiness. They help use have positive interactions with those we encounter through the day, develop strong friendships, and maintain appropriate relationships with peers and authority figures. When we have strong social skills, we are able to effectively resolve conflicts, speak up for ourselves when necessary, and demonstrate empathy for others. In this blog post, I’ll share six easy ways to teach social skills in your dance classes, as well as make the case for WHY these skills are so important! You’ll find fun activities that will improve your dancers’ social skills – and possibly solve some common behavioral issues as well!
Dance Improvisation Tips and Activities for Advanced Dancers
It is increasingly important for dancers of all levels and dance styles to be skilled in dance improvisation, as it has exploded in popularity throughout the dance industry in recent years. Dancers – especially advanced students who want to have a professional career – need to be comfortable with improvisation. This blog post features tips for teaching improvisation to advanced dancers, and dance improvisation exercises to use with them in class.
Recommended Reading: Books on Choreography and Creative Practice
In this blog post, I’ve compiled a list of books on choreography, dance composition, and creative process that you can use as a resource in your own creative process or with your students. These books make great additions to your library if you are a dance composition student, novice choreographer, or experienced choreographer looking to shake up their creative practice.
Four Habits for Dance Studio Owners to Start in the First Six Weeks of Class
This blog post highlights four habits for dance studio owners to start at the beginning of the dance season. Implementing them will not only help dance studio owners get their season off to a great start, but they will also make studio life much easier during the entire year. It is important as dance studio owners that we set healthy boundaries, lay out expectations, and develop good relationships with our students, families, and teachers. When these become habits – especially habits established at the beginning of the season – they become second nature for us and our students.
Dance Improvisation Tips & Activities for Beginning Dancers
This blog post features tips and strategies for teaching dance improvisation to beginning dancers who are new to improv. Discover why you should teach improvisation to beginning dancers, challenges that beginning improvisers face, and dance improvisation exercises to use with beginning students.
9 Choreography Adventures Inspired by Summer
Take advantage of the creative spark that season can ignite by trying out these summer-themed #ChoreographyAdventures – short and simple choreography prompts that encourage choreographers and dance teachers to reignite their creativity through regular choreographic practice.
How to Use “Gamification” in Your Dance Classes
Gamification is a tool used in marketing and education. It can also be used in the dance studio, to help students learn and improve their skills through play. In fact, it is likely that you have incorporated gamification into your dance classes without even realizing it! Many dance teachers gamify their classes by using simple activities meant to encourage a bit of healthy and fun competition among dancers. This blog post covers different ways to use gamification as a learning tool in your dance classes.
Your Ultimate Guide to Play in the Dance Studio
In this blog post, you’ll learn all about play in the dance studio: what it is, the benefits of incorporating play and dance games into your classes, strategies for using play and dance games in your classes, and what NOT to do when incorporating play in the dance studio.
Dancers’ Wisdom: Be A Light, So That Others Can Shine, Too
The other day, I logged into Facebook and read some devastating news. Marnie Schulenburg, who I had the pleasure of knowing during our time together at DeSales University, had passed away at age 37 of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Marnie was a presence, a force, a...
Easy and Fun End of the Year Dance Class Activities
The end of the dance season is a perfect time to introduce some playful dance activities and games into your dance classes. In this blog post, you’ll find dance class games, designed for students age 7 and up, to help you celebrate the end of the year. They include dance games to review what was learned, seasonal dance games for spring and summer, prompts for dance improvisation and student choreography, dance history activities, and more! Help your students celebrate a great dance season, and get excited to register again next year, with these dance class games.
How to Overcome Choreography Block
This blog post features seven strategies to help choreographers overcome choreography block. Choreography block can look or feel different to everyone, but may include feeling stuck in your creative process, uninspired to choreograph, burned out, or more. These strategies can be used by choreographers of most dance genres, working in any dance environment, overcome choreographer’s block and reignite their creativity.
Embracing Creative Rest in the Dance Studio
Creative rest can help dance industry professionals reconnect with their bodies, relieve stress and tension, rejuvenate their teaching and creative practices, and reignite their passion for the art of dance. This blog post details what creative rest is and how it can be used in the dance studio. It also provides two creative rest activities that you can use in your own personal practice or with your dance students.
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