Have you ever watched a dancer who was just stunning technically – extensions to to the ear, super coordinated, gorgeous use of weight and space, incredible jumps and turns – but just doesn’t make you feel anything? It happens all the time,...
We’ve all been there … Ms. Shannon? My (stomach, big toe, left elbow, eyebrow, etc.) hurts so bad I can’t even move right now! Or … Ms. Shannon? I fell off my bike two days ago and banged up my knee and my mom says I can’t dance until I...
It’s almost recital time! Creating choreography for and with my students has become one of my favorite parts of teaching. But if we are being honest with one another, it can also be one of the most stressful aspects of the job. There can be a lot pressure to...
It’s resolution time, dance teachers! Whether you love the practice of making New Year’s resolutions or hate it, the changing of the calendar can be a great time for us to reflect on our teaching practices and set some goals for the next twelve months and...
As dancers, we tend to love routines. Plie, tendu, degagge. Warm-up, progressions, combo. Pre-show rituals. Post-performance commemorations – mine was always a cheeseburger and Coke! Routines are necessary to our dance training and can make performances special....
This particular blog series – “My Top 5 Skills Your Students Should Know” – was inspired by a question posed in a dance teachers’ group on Facebook a while back: What are the 5 skills that you think are most important for your students to learn? As I’ve written in the...
