When we set numbers we need to give further thought as to how clean they are. How the musicality is sitting with dancers. How crisp the unison and transitions are, etc. While coming up with clever concepts and original choreography …
The debate over competing multiple solos often comes up every year. With students and parents alike, sometimes the notion is to showcase their talents in every genre and take center stage as much as possible. While it's commendable for a …
We all have our favorite type of dancer we love to teach. The ones that really inspire us. For some of us it's the older, advanced levels, for some it's the little ones and for some it's the recreational. So …
Helping your dancers set their individual goals and revisiting these goals frequently helps students and yourself understand where they are at- physically, mentally and emotionally. It helps to move the goal post, if necessary, in order to continually work towards …
Studio Directors, what is your view on re-auditioning your company members every year? It’s definitely, food for thought.
We’re back at it for another round of building core strength! We all recognize that core strength is essential to any strong, technically sound dancer and the lower abdominals can be a particularly weak spot for any age and any …
Watch industry leaders Angela D’Valda Sirico, Misty Lown, Julie Kay Stallcup and Steve Sirico who will present the seminar... Super Charge the Final Months of Your Season!
Another competition season is here, studio owners. While your faculty is hard at work choreographing and cleaning those amazing pieces for your dancers, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty and get real about what competition judges will always …
I am a dance teacher who expects excellence. But, expecting excellence from your dancers doesn’t mean what you think it may mean. There is a clear distinction. One that should be clear and transparent so your students understand the difference...........
Many times a dancer’s flexibility develops more quickly that their strength; particularly in terms of leg extensions. While this delayed lack of control can increase injury, implementing exercises that balance the two components can increase the range of motion as …
We are all trying to promote unity and fair play, consideration and support, an end to bullying and equality among ALL of our children. This makes the concept of “peer competition” amongst students a tricky concept...
An attendee at this year’s DTW conference recently asked me where we as a dance industry should collectively be headed in the near and far future. I thought this was an extremely poignant and timely question as there is always …
Elements of a good warmup should include bringing your heart rate up, improving and reinforcing technique, increasing strength and stamina, and improving range of motion and flexibility.
Studio owners, how much thought have you given to assessing yearly progress amongst your dancers? Sure, the “eyeball it” method works when your teachers are in the studio with them, day in and day out, but sitting down and actually …
As dance teachers we spend countless hours researching music, coming up with creative concepts, figuring out movement, formations and transitions and get excited to set new pieces with our dancers. So what happens when your enthusiasm for a new piece …
Teaching has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. Students learn differently and teaching can become a bit frustrating at times. This is especially true when you are having a hard time trying to get through to a class that …
