Dance teachers are on the frontline of a dancer’s journey through audition season. Celebrating successes, navigating rejections, and formulating backup plans are just some of the responsibilities that many educators experience alongside their dancers. But audition season is also a vulnerable time for dancers who may be feeling, more than ever, the pressures of an […]
As a dance educator, it breaks my heart when I hear my students talk about how they were discouraged from pursuing ballet or jazz growing up because they didn’t fit the bill for what their teacher deemed an “acceptable” body type. The truth is, the words and opinions of dance teachers matter to their students. […]
Dear Dance Colleagues, DanceTeacher+ is now live—and you’re invited to join us! Whether you’re a dance teacher or a studio owner, you know that investing in your own professional development is key to inspiring and advancing the next generation of dancers, leaders and thinkers. With DanceTeacher+—our all-new informative and impactful digital platform—you’ll receive access to […]
These days, it’s not unusual to see the word “welcoming” in a dance studio or dance institution’s messaging or marketing materials. Indeed, as dance education evolves to recognize the ways in which dance studios aren’t always healthy spaces and have historically excluded certain dancers, creating spaces that are truly welcoming to all is a much-needed […]
Teaching isn’t just what happens inside the dance studio. Thoughtful dance educators know that preparing for class—developing combinations, laying out a structure, readying their minds and bodies to teach—can be as crucial as the actual time spent with students. Here, five dance teachers from across genres and settings share how they plan for class and […]
Spacing students in formations for a recital number, corps de ballet ensemble or competition routine can be like solving a Rubik’s Cube. Not only do you need to make sure every student is seen, but you also need to account for what best serves the piece choreographically. Whether it’s considering your students’ confidence, stage presence, […]
Dear Dance Colleagues, I have a question for you: Why did you choose to become a dance teacher? It’s one of the questions I’ve been asked most frequently through the years. The reality is that, for many of us, becoming a dance teacher wasn’t something we chose to do, like becoming a dentist or lawyer. […]
There are many dance teachers who have made me who I am today, but the main influence in my dance training is Risa Kaplowitz. She became my teacher in 2006, three years into my time dancing at Princeton Dance & Theater Studio with Susan Jaffe. For the next seven years, Risa took over my training […]
When it comes to her adult ballet class at Brookline Ballet, Haruka Tamura has one primary goal: to have fun. “Whether their joy comes from accomplishing goals, like retiré balance, or simply making friends within the community, I just want everyone to have a good time,” she says. Thankfully, this proves to be a fairly […]
Pointework is often considered the pinnacle of ballet training and a fundamental part of our modern ballet culture. If you have adult dancers working hard in class, it’s natural for them to aspire to pointe. And while technique requirements are the same for ballet students of any age, beginning the pointe journey as an adult […]