Dance legend Joan Myers Brown, Philadelphia-born and -bred, founded the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts in 1960 to train Black dancers, who at the time had little opportunity to train in dance (particularly ballet) at segregated dance studios. Ten years later she founded the now renowned modern dance company PHILADANCO for similar reasons. Myers Brown […]
Dance teachers have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to stop the cycle of erasure and one-sided history to give their students a fuller understanding of dance history. Even more, it isn’t enough to discuss the histories and contributions of other cultures solely during their heritage months. To be truly inclusive, it’s important to acknowledge dance legends like […]
With her new appointment as director of education at Paul Taylor Dance Company, life has come full circle for Carolyn Adams, who began her dance career there in 1965. Adams has had a distinguished career in the dance world, including being faculty emerita at The Juilliard School and former director of education at Jacob’s Pillow. […]
Dance teachers and studio owners can be so passionate about their work that they often end up overextending themselves quite easily. It’s easy for them to fall into the trap of saying “yes” to everything almost all of the time. But the lack of setting clear priorities can eventually lead to stress and the feeling […]
Let’s face it: Adult students can be a challenging demographic for dance teachers and studio owners. Despite numerous requests for classes, their actual class attendance can be disappointing. As the founder of The Dancer’s Workout®, an adult dance-fitness program for ballet, jazz and contemporary dancers, I’ve learned that adult students are not inherently unreliable, as […]
For Amit Shah, a Bollywood and bhangra instructor and the founder of AATMA Performing Arts, the head and the neck play a central role in class, with numerous exercises dedicated to the placement and movement of the head. “In classical Indian dance, a lot of head, neck and eye movements were really meant to tell […]
Summer intensive video auditions, once mostly reserved for international students, are the new normal. While this may expand opportunities for your students, video auditions also give you, their home dance teacher, a whole new set of responsibilities. At the Michigan Ballet Academy, Ericka Goss often does everything from vetting the program to planning the combinations […]
Welcome to DanceTeacher+—I’m so thrilled you’re here! Now that you’re part of our community, you’ll get access to more insight and inspiration to advance your teaching practice or studio business. Let me show you around and give you a sampling of what’s in store: Teaching Resources Open the doorway into dance history and rediscover the […]
There’s a reason why plié is one of the first steps that ballet students learn. It’s the foundation for nearly everything else they’ll do—from jumps to turns to balances—and without a solid one, it’s nearly impossible to advance to more difficult steps. Ideally, a plié should marry function and form, providing enough stability, power and […]
In this video, NYU Tisch School of the Arts professor Pamela Pietro demonstrates how students can learn to activate their backspace to become a more confident, three-dimensional dancer. According to Pietro, “The backspace is really a source of untapped energy, it just takes time to understand and find.” For more insight on how to help your students develop […]