The number one reason you should be performing in your recital is to SET THE EXAMPLE. We can talk the talk all we want, but if we want our students to encompass all that is necessary to become a successful dancer, performer, entertainer, artist, and HUMAN BEING, we must show them. When we perform, we show our students…
Tips for Success. Time is probably the biggest factor keeping many teachers out of the spotlight. We are busy humans! This is why I recommend performing choreography that has already been created. We choose dances from past recitals. As you can imagine, our students get super excited to see our interpretation of their old dances. We use recital videos to learn the choreography on our own, then come together for 2-3 hours to rehearse. Remember, we are professionals performing choreography intended for our students… it’s less stressful for us but really special for the kids who were in the dance and those who remember the dance from previous years. Parents love it too! To build suspense and add an extra touch of fun, we let the students vote on the style we will perform. We create a ballot of four different styles. The dancers choose the style they want to see us perform and add a dance request (if they have one). They don’t know which style won UNTIL the rehearsal. It is a fun surprise! If your time is really limited, consider coming out for a few 8-counts during the finale or curtain call. Again, it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Lastly, parents and students WANT to see you on stage. If you were lucky enough to see your teachers perform, you know the magic it creates inside a little dancer’s heart. I specifically remember watching my “Miss Sally” perform when I was little. It is one of the reasons I got into this biz. I thought, “I want to be just like her!” Fast forward and here I am planting those same seeds in my dancers’ dreams. How cool is that!?!? So, let’s hear it… Do you perform in your own show? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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It's the most wonderful time of the year! Here are a some activities to bring festive fun into your classes. Enjoy! Winter Movement Cards Download these fun-themed movement cards for FREE! You can laminate to make them last for years to come. These are great to include in your obstacle courses, lay them around the room for open exploration (great for parent/tot classes), or send them to your dance families so they can continue the dance fun at home! For older dancers, make it a fun choreography game! Divide your class into small groups. Have dancers randomly draw cards and place in an order. Dancers work together to create a short choreographic phrase they can share with the class. Winter Playlist I’ve put together some of my favorite winter action dances here. These are great for ages 2-6. If you approach your classes conceptually, here is a list of the songs and the concepts they explore. There are also some freeze dances on the playlist you can include in your winter lessons. North Pole Party Freeze Dance- PLACE Walk and Freeze- PLACE, ENERGY Shake Them Santa Claus Bones- BODY PARTS The Christmas Action Song-PLACE The Winter Hokey Pokey- BODY PARTS, RELATIONSHIPS Jingle Bell Opposites-DIRECTIONS, LEVEL, SPEED Reindeer Pokey- BODY PARTS, RELATIONSHIPS Snowflakes, Snowflakes- LEVEL, DIRECTIONS Did You Ever See a Penguin?- DIRECTIONS, PATHWAYS Ring Those Bells- PLACE Jingle Jingle Little Bell-SPEED, LEVEL Moving Story-PLACE, LEVEL Frosty- SPEED The Reindeer Dance-DIRECTIONS Santa Shuffle-DIRECTIONS, LEVEL Xmas Hop- DIRECTIONS, BODY PARTS Swirl and Twirl: Step #1 of The Snowflake Dance- PLACE Swirl, Twirl, Melt and Pop Up: Step #2 of The Snowflake Dance- PLACE, ENERGY Happy winter exploring!
Andrea Trench Halloween is my favorite time of the year. I love the crisp air, dressing up, and a good scary movie. I even get the whole fam involved in my excitement! :)
 You can add your own kid-friendly Halloween fun to your classes with the ideas below! Halloween Movement Cards Download these 10 fun-themed movement cards for FREE! You can laminate them to make them last for years to come. They are great to include in your obstacle courses, lay them around the room for open exploration (fun for parent/tot classes), or send them to your dance families so they can continue the dance fun at home! For older dancers, make it a fun choreography game! Divide your class into small groups. Have dancers randomly draw cards and place in an order. Dancers work together to create a short choreographic phrase they can share with the class. Halloween Playlist I’ve put together some of my favorite Halloween action dances here. These are great for ages 2-6. If you approach your classes conceptually (if not…what are you waiting for?? :) ), here is a list of the songs and the concepts they explore. There is also a welcome and goodbye song on the playlist you can include in your October lessons. Enjoy! Halloween Freeze Dance Song- PLACE, WEIGHT Witches on their Broom-PLACE, ENERGY Shake Them Skeleton Bones and Dry Bones- BODY PARTS Horns, Fangs, Knees, and Claws- BODY PARTS Ring Around the Pumpkins- PLACE, RELATIONSHIPS The Monsters Stomp Around the House- PLACE, SPEED Halloween Finger Family- PLACE, BODY PARTS Bats Are Sleeping- PLACE, LEVEL Spider, Spider, Spider- DIRECTIONS, LEVEL, BODY PARTS Spider Up and Down- DIRECTIONS Spooky Loo-BODY PARTS, RELATIONSHIPS If I Were-PLACE, ENERGY Fly Little Bats-PLACE, SPEED Can You Make a Happy Face- PLACE, SPEED, SIZE Knock, Knock, Trick or Trick- PLACE, ENERGY, WEIGHT, SPEED Halloween Shark- SIZE, PATHWAYS Scarecrow- PLACE, LEVEL Halloween BraindanceFor your older dancers (ages 6-8), check out Kate Kuper’s Haunted House Braindance. Listen here. Learn more here. Happy Halloween Exploring!
Andrea Trench  Today I am sharing Kate Kuper's album, AlphaBeat. This is my all-time favorite album for teaching the little ones. I play some of these songs every week in my early childhood classes. Let’s dive in!
Class Staples: The More We Are Together- This familiar tune is perfect as a welcome or warm-up song. For my Discover With Me (Parent/Tot) classes we perform this song seated. For my DiscoverTots (Age 2/3) we perform this song standing. Imaginary Journey- Although there are many dance concepts explored throughout this song, this is the perfect track to have on hand when you need to change up the class or have extra time at the end. Your dancers will LOVE travelling through this creative journey. The blue jello is my personal favorite! Concept Explorations: Body Shape Jam- explore BODY SHAPES or BODY PARTS with this fun song that can be done seated or standing. Show Your Feelings- explore SPEED to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”. This song takes you through many feelings from mad to sad to sleepy to excited. I recommend this song for ages 4-6 as the “scared” feeling music is a bit…well..scary! :) Action Dance- explore PLACE or ENERGY with this fantastic song. This is my FAVORITE song to do with my classes. Locomotor Movement- explore PLACE with this catchy tune. Kate guides you through many locomotor movements. There is a time for reflection at the end of the song so the dancers can think about all the moves they just performed. Near and Far- explore SIZE or RELATIONSHIPS with this fun track. It teaches the dancers how to move in and out of the circle as well as around the circle. Don’t forget your campfire! Little Seed- explore SIZE or LEVELS with this imaginative song that guides little seeds to grow to big, high trees. Dancers start curled up small on a low level. The teacher “sprinkles” their backs with water so they can grow high. Developing Skills: Drumtalk- This is a great song to work on listening skills. There are some tricky parts so they REALLY have to pay attention. This one always gets them giggling. Travelers in a Magic Forest, Swirl and Twirl, and Swirl, Twirl, Melt, Pop Up - These songs teach dancers how to take turns in groups. Dancers have to remember what group they are in as they take turns dancing away from their spot then returning back “home”. Don’t miss these fun songs! The Snowflake Dance- This poem was written by Walter de la Mare and is set to beautiful music. I use this song in my 1st-4th grade Creative Dance classes in the winter time. We choreograph the dance together. Swirl and Twirl Instrumental- This song is great for a winter pre-ballet dance. Best Part: The album includes four guided warm-up songs. Sometimes I like to do these songs to change class up a bit. They also come in handy if I’m not feeling well and want to save my voice. You could do an entire class using just this one album. So, if you are subbing or don’t have time to plan anything out, whip this cd out and you are good to go! |
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