Video of the Month: Something for Everybody
Takeaways from Anthony Morigeratoâs convention tap classes
Congratulations to Anthony Morigerato. “Tap: The Next Level” is Editors’ Choice for the Dance Teacher June Video of the Month.
A popular convention teacher, Morigerato gets around. And he’s become a pro at catering to multiple levels of dancers at once, an essential in the convention scene. To start class, Morigerato creates exercises with various levels of difficulty, starting off basic and getting increasingly more complicated. “The exercise keeps the same pattern or formation, but I keep adding ornaments that make it more challenging,” he explains. “If some students get stuck at level 3, they can keep practicing level 3 while more advanced dancers move all the way up to level 8. But they are still dancing with the class and staying engaged.”
Students’ comfort levels often vary when it comes to improvisation, says Morigerato, who warns that kids should start as early as possible to quell the fear of inventing movement. Since older students tend to hold back more than younger students, he offers a little more guidance when playing improv games. “I limit the options, telling them to only improvise using their heel drops, for example,” he says. “Taking all the other steps away from them forces them to realize how much they can do with just one step. As they get comfortable with the simplicity of it, they want it to become complex because it feels so limited.” By the end of this exercise, even the most reserved students can feel confident making it up as they go along. “Remind them that improvising is not perfect,” Morigerato says. “And that’s what’s fun about it.”
To watch the winning video, go to dancemedia.com/v/5572.
Want to build buzz about your studio, workshop or class? Posting videos to the Dance Teacher Video of the Month Contest is quick, easy and free—and it’s a great way to get noticed. If your video is selected as Editors’ Choice, you’ll be featured on this page, and you’ll win a free subscription to DT for one year! Don’t miss out on a great opportunity—visit www.dancemedia.com, share your videos and vote for your favorites. Any and all kinds of dance are welcome.
Photo: Anthony Morigerato taps into every level at NUVO Dance Convention. (by Laura Haley, courtesy of Anthony Morigerato)
