Q: How do I stand out on social media if all the other dance studios seem to say the same things I do? A: Social media works best when you stay true to your unique studio culture. Be relatable, engaging and responsive. Here are some tips we have found useful. Use the kind of tone, […]
Q: Balancing school and competitive dance can be very challenging for dancers, especially in high school. How can I help my dancers manage their stress? A: I believe it’s important for dancers to have as much time to study as possible. Freeing them up to focus on schoolwork will help them avoid burnout. Our senior […]
Q: How do you approach a K–12 class when one of your students has a disability? A: Growing up watching my deaf sister get left out of conversations made me sensitive to ensuring everyone in my classroom feels included. If you have a student who is disabled, you’ll need to put in a little extra […]
Joelle Cosentino is on a mission to shake up dance education with an alternative model for pre-professional training. Because she turned her competition dance background into a star-studded career (she’s worked with Beyoncé, Mick Jagger and Lenny Kravitz), you might think her teaching goals would include a quest for rhinestones and first-place trophies. But by […]
In a contemporary dance class at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, instructor Kira Blazek Ziaii gives a stationary exercise inspired by Countertechnique, the movement system developed by Anouk van Dijk. By directing parts of the body away from each other in space, dancers learn to work with an ever-changing dynamic balance. […]
I remember it like yesterday. Those days, when I could step to the front of my classroom and guide students through enchaînement—demonstrate the combination, offer tidbits of advice, cue my accompanist and walk around offering detailed corrections. If you told me a month ago I would be forcibly holed up in my apartment as I […]
Vicky Shick’s voice echoes in the cavernous dance space of St. Mark’s Church in New York City’s East Village. A sinking plié gets a heavy “uhhhhh,” while a swing-and-recover movement is accompanied by a joyous “whoo!” It doesn’t take long for the students to join in with deep sighs and sharp yelps of their own. […]
Q: I’m having such a love-hate relationship with mirrors right now. They can be distracting, as well as cause emotional distress for my students. At the same time, they’re a really useful tool. I know some teachers remove theirs altogether. Is this something you recommend? A: I too have mixed feelings about having a mirror […]
Q: I have a 15-year-old student who has problems keeping her heel fully on the ground during a demi-plié. How can I help her? A: Her problem is tightness in the calf muscle. Start by having her roll her foot on a tennis ball or pinkie ball. This will wake up her feet so she […]
It’s a common scenario in dance. You currently have three part-time teaching gigs around town, plus rehearse a few days a week. You might even nanny, house sit and dog-walk here and there to bring in a little more income. Another teaching opportunity just came your way this week—a pre-ballet class just added at the […]