by Kathleen McGuire | Apr 7, 2021 | Teaching Tips
As a teacher, you know how challenging it is to become a dancer. Pre-professional dance training has always been tough, and students need to be resilient to handle the realities of the industry, from casting disappointments to injuries. But how do you most effectively...
by Sarah JG Chenoweth | Jul 14, 2020 | teacher stories
In Aiano Nakagawa’s creative-dance class at Acorn Woodland Child Development Center in Oakland, California, a student wanted to run really fast instead of exploring shapes as planned. Nakagawa didn’t dismiss or correct the desire. Instead, she yelled,...
by Lisa Traiger | Jul 8, 2020 | Teaching Tips
As well-trained as pre-professional students are, how many are ready to move into a company environment at 17 or 18 years old—and succeed? Runqiao Du, artistic director of the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC, has seen many dancers struggle as apprentices and...
by Kathryn Holmes | Jun 9, 2020 | Teaching Tips
A lot goes into crafting a successful Zoom class. You can’t simply download the app and launch into your usual syllabus. Is your teaching space set up properly? Are you wearing an outfit that will pop on-screen? These and other factors can make or break your...
by Kat Echevarria Richter | Jun 4, 2020 | Teaching Tips
Like most educators, I have been teaching online since early March. My undergraduate Dance and Culture course was relatively easy to deliver remotely (as long as I could pre-record lectures while my son was taking a nap), but my tap classes? Not so much. This is...
by Andrea Marks | Jul 11, 2018 | Teaching Tips
In fond memory of a legendary teacher, we wanted to revive some timeless wisdom David Howard shared with us back in 2001. • Instead of talking to students for 15 minutes, put what you are trying to say in the steps. • Give students a physical analysis to see the kind...
by Rachel Caldwell | Feb 1, 2016 | Uncategorized
1. Turn their backs to the mirror. When students face away from the mirror, they have to remember the dance without watching each other. —Kasey Cosentino, Silicon Valley Dance Academy, Cupertino, California 2. Introduce improvisation exercises. Not only does it warm...