Skips can be a difficult step for early elementary to beginning ballet students. They require more technique in a single moment than most other steps done in this age group. And they require a higher level of coordination. Add to that the fact that many kids today don’t run and jump and play outside today like kids used to generations ago, and skips become a challenging step for young children.
Read MorePliés and tendus are two of the most basic steps in ballet. And if you think about it, they’re really the building blocks of just about every other ballet step there is! Here are a few tips and things to think about when it comes to pliés and tendus!
Read MoreToday, I bought my oldest son, Hudson, ballet shoes. I was trying so hard to contain my excitement. Being a boy mama, I knew my chances of buying any of my kids a pair of ballet shoes were slim.
Read MoreToday I want to give you a few quick tips for teaching tots—on helping your students wait for their turn during travelling exercises.
Read MoreWhen it comes to teaching turnout in ballet, there are many schools of thought on when to begin teaching turnout, how much turnout a student should be able to maintain while dancing, and when to introduce what positions.
Read MoreOne way to get children to really learn while having fun in ballet class is to include dance games and movement activities. Learning through play is a wonderful concept that really works.
Read MoreIn Once Upon A Ballet classes, children learn their first dance steps through fairy tales and classical ballet stories. Many childhood care facilities and schools teach theme-based curriculums in their classrooms.
Read MoreMany ballet schools have a set time every month, session, or semester, in which they invite parents into the classroom to watch their child dancing.
Read MoreSkips can be a rather difficult for some students to master. Even after a child grasps the coordination of a skip, the technical aspects can be difficult.
Read MoreWe've all seen it. It's recital time, and it's time for a group of little ones to line up and curtsy. (Of course, boys will bow, but for the sake of simplicity we will say curtsy in this post.) Regardless of whether they are pointing one foot front or crossing one leg in back to curtsy, it always seems in disarray.
Read MoreThere are many schools of thought on turnout in ballet. At Once Upon A Ballet, we recommend the degree of turnout progresses according to each student’s ability and age.
Read MoreDid you know that fairy tales aren’t just for girls? Sure, we tend to stereotype that princesses and fairies are for girls and cars and trains are for boys. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Read MoreRecently, I came across an article on types of play that “skyrocket a child’s social and emotional development”. Did you know we cover 5 of them in children’s ballet and creative dance classes?
Read MoreLast week, we discussed some ways to help you manage your pre-ballet classes. This week we'll continue our discussion with a few more tips.
Read MoreFor seasoned teachers and newbies alike, you can never have too many tips in your teacher’s “toolbox”. If you’re just starting out teaching pre-ballet, here are some tips that will help your classes run more smoothly.
Read MoreToday, we continue our discussion on using props effectively in ballet class. Here are a few more tips for using props, especially in preschool and pre-ballet classes.
Read MoreThe right props can liven up a preschool or pre-ballet class and of course, bring out the creativity in your children. What's more, good dance props can fire up preschoolers to learn faster, and that's great for the class!
Read MoreYou've probably heard this before. These days, children seem to be starting ballet at a younger and younger age. There's good reason for that.
Read MoreBut what if you don’t have any boys in your ballet classes? Or at your studio? Or maybe you just have a few? Here are a few ideas on how to attract more boys at your dance studio.
Read More“But how can my 3 year old learn ballet?” We hear questions like this from time to time. For very young children, they are learning much more than ballet steps in preschool ballet classes.
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