Tag: it's the final countdown

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #1: Learn an Easy-But-Impressive Lift in 3 Minutes

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. The side hip suspension is a basic lift, common in contemporary dance, that requires both partners to use their weight efficiently—the key to effortless and dynamic partnering. Let Talli Jackson, a member of the Bill T. […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #2: Let Yourself Chillax With a 3-Minute Yoga Flow

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! Yoga classes that incorporate all aspects of the practice, from philosophy and breath work to poses and meditation, have the most to offer. A good class will balance internal and external […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #3: Put a Lid on Motormouth Minis

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! No specific classroom etiquette is categorically right or wrong for every studio. But clarifying what your rules are and how they’ll be implemented—to students, parents and staff—ensures a consistent, effective learning […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #4: Your Students Will Spin Like Tops with This Lesson

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! Well-placed turns enhance choreography and dazzle the audience. When teaching pirouettes, Kathryn Warakomsky has her Texas Ballet Theater School students watch videos of legendary ballerinas Maya Plisetskaya, Alicia Alonso and Galina […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #5: Up Your Fundrai$ing Game

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! Fundraising for your studio—whether it’s to raise money for your competition team dancers, fund a much-needed renovation or offer a family in need a scholarship—can feel like pulling teeth. You’ve done […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #6: Move Your Students Out of Their Comfort Zones

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! Shuffle your faculty. Studying with a different teacher can inspire a new approach to movement and help students learn more about themselves. Tanji Harper, artistic director of The Happiness Club in […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #7: Streamline Your Registration Packet

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! Although there may not be one perfect way to run a dance studio, smart directors gravitate to certain practices that make life better for the whole community—owners, teachers and students. We […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #8: Treat Yo'self to Some Me-Time

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! As a teacher, going to class yourself isn’t always an option. If you’re devoting your full attention to students during class, it’s important to make time to warm yourself up beforehand. […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #9: Get Your Parents to Agree to ANYTHING

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! Be positive in your communications. “If you’re not excited, no one else will be—especially when you’re making changes,” says Danie Beck, former owner of Dance Unlimited in Miami, who shared that […]

COUNTDOWN TO 2017 #10: Let Your Faculty Know You've Got Their Back

We’re counting down to January 1st with great ideas for your studio and teaching practice in the new year. Check back each day for a new tip! Hold performance reviews. Mid-year staff evaluations will help you measure your employees’ progress and track their goals. Have each teacher fill out a form (ahead of time) asking questions like: What’s […]