Learn How this Elementary School Teacher Turned Dance Teacher Sparks Imagination in Students

Visit Briarwood Ballet in Birmingham, Alabama and you’ll likely see Once Upon A Ballet Certified Teacher Danielle Brabston sparking the imagination of her three to eight year-old students. “I think it’s really important with that age group to use imagination as much as you can in the classroom, that really seems to help inspire them. It keeps them engaged, and they just come alive with that.”

Spotlight SeriesAshley HartfordJuly 13, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, beginning ballet, toddler dance, preschool ballet, once upon a ballet, certified teacher, contributing teacher

A Little Pixie Dust for Your Children's Dance Classes

When Once Upon A Ballet Licensed Studio Owner Kari Novikoff found the OUB program, she immediately fell in love. “I love how sparking their imaginations helps in getting them to dance with correct technique, but in a fun way! They pretend they are princesses and pretend they are wearing a beautiful necklace or tiara. It improves their posture immediately, and I don't have to just tell them, they do it automatically. They are learning and it is fun.”

Spotlight SeriesAshley HartfordJuly 6, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, beginning ballet, toddler dance, preschool ballet, once upon a ballet, certified teacher, contributing teacher

How Studio Owner, Vickie Szeplaki, Sets Her Studio Apart

As a Once Upon a Ballet Licensed Studio, fairytales and dreams can certainly be found at Kidz Gym and Dance. Owner Vickie Szeplaki makes a point to empower and spark her students’ imaginations by bringing creativity and fantasy into her classes. “I love the program. It’s one of those things that made my studio in my area stand out and be different.”

Spotlight SeriesAshley HartfordJune 27, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, beginning ballet, toddler dance, preschool ballet, once upon a ballet, certified teacher, contributing teacher

What is a brand?

Previously, I talked about why your dance studio’s brand is important for growing your business. But what exactly is your brand?

It does comprise your logo, and the fonts and colors you use. Visual design is important, of course!

Dance Studio OwnerAshley HartfordJune 20, 2022brand, branding, grow your studio, teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, beginning ballet, toddler dance, preschool ballet, once upon a ballet

Teaching Dance to Children in a Positive, Inspirational Way

Walk into Autumn Cantrell’s North Carolina dance studio and you’ll be swept into a world of creativity and inspiration. “I try to be as creative as possible… keeping the studio space very positive and inspirational too. We have all kinds of cute things in there, motivational things,” she tells us.

Spotlight SeriesAshley HartfordJune 13, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, beginning ballet, toddler dance, preschool ballet, once upon a ballet, certified teacher, contributing teacher

Three Pillars of a Successful Preschool Dance Class

When you understand child development, so many things change in your classes. First, you'll see your young students differently. I can remember when I first started teaching preschoolers. I THOUGHT my students would stand in lines, wait their turns, and work hard just like my older students had.

teachingAshley HartfordMay 30, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, beginning ballet, toddler dance, preschool ballet, once upon a ballet

Inspiring Children to Dance through Imagination and Make Believe

Over the course of her dance career, Once Upon A Ballet Certified Teacher Kristin Mueller has discovered that to inspire her students, she can’t just watch them imagine and make believe— she has to participate in the magic herself.

Spotlight SeriesAshley HartfordMay 23, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, beginning ballet, toddler dance, preschool ballet, once upon a ballet, certified teacher, contributing teacher

How to Teach Technique Correctly to Children

We focus a lot on posture in Once Upon A Ballet even from early on. Posture is important in the early years to promote good habits in the future. We focus on students’ posture mostly during the more technical portions of class like centre barre or barre, centre allegro, and traveling exercises.

teachingAshley HartfordMay 16, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, beginning ballet, toddler dance, preschool ballet, once upon a ballet

Why I Started Once Upon a Ballet

I want Once Upon a Ballet to help teachers inspire their youngest students. All of our materials are meant to bring FUN into the dance classroom, but in a way that is educational, age-appropriate, fosters child development, and gives students a strong foundation for beginning levels of dance later on.

Spotlight SeriesAshley HartfordMay 9, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, certified teacher, contributing teacher, once upon a ballet

Setting the Foundation for More Rigorous Ballet Training in a Fun and Engaging Way

To see the [OUB] curriculum lay everything out… and have things that you’re really focusing in on… I really enjoyed having that plan laid out.” Now that Lee Ann has gone through the OUB training and is implementing it in her classes, she wants to take all of her upcoming apprentices through it who are wanting to learn how to teach.

Spotlight SeriesAshley HartfordApril 25, 2022teaching, pre-ballet, creative dance, creative movement, certified teacher, contributing teacher, once upon a ballet