Why is team bonding important for dance teams and companies?   Have you ever watched a dance performance and been mesmerized by the way the dancers move together on-stage? The formation changes are seamless, the choreography is precise, dancers flow easily into lifts and partnering, everyone’s energy is on the same level, the moments of human connection seem genuine, and everything just feels … cohesive? It might seen like magic (or just really good luck!), but I believe that performances like this are often the result of intentional dance team bonding strategies, facilitated by the dance ..read more

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Dear Dance Students, Hello again … it’s me, your dance teacher. I wanted to talk about something really important today. It might be a little hard to hear, but it’s something that we need to discuss more openly in the dance industry. Honestly, I think will change your dance life. Here it is: Dance is hard, but that’s what makes it worth it. It might sound counterintuitive, especially in our culture today. People don’t really want to do hard things anymore. We are inundated with influencers and celebrities who seem to have it all, right away, effortlessly, and live glamorous lives filled with e ..read more

Why should you be teaching empathy in your dance classes?   What’s the most important thing we should be teaching in our dance classes right now? Pliés? Alignment? Musicality? If you ask me, it’s EMPATHY. Hear me out: I know that as dance teachers, we should “stay in our own lane” most of the time. But when it comes to social skills like empathy, I would say, “That IS my lane – all day everyday!” Here’s why: 1.) Only a small percentage of my students will go on to a professional dance career. But they will grow up to be members of our society, who go to work, patronize businesses, maybe h ..read more

Get set for a great new season of dance   If you are a dance teacher gearing up for a new dance season, chances are you might want to implement some new practices in the dance studio. The “fresh start” of back-to-dance dance season allows us an opportunity to reevaluate our teaching methods, class management strategies, team-building tactics, and personal practices for self-care and creativity. It’s a perfect time to start new habits related to how we teach, choreograph, build relationships with our students, and take care of ourselves. But let’s not lie to ourselves: back to dance season ..read more

The importance of establishing good habits at the start of the dance season   The beginning of a new dance season is full of possibility for dance students … Will this be the year I master that trick I’ve always wanted to be able to do? Will I get the role I’ve always dreamed of? Will I place well at competition? Will I get into that prestigious summer program? Will I move up to the next level? Will I make friends and fit in with my classmates? Will I connect with my teachers? Will I look forward to coming to every class?  No matter what you are hoping to accomplish this year, or how ..read more

Dear Dance Students, Hi, it’s me again – Your Dance Teacher. As I am writing this, we are at the tail end of another spring performance season. Maybe you have another recital or two coming up, are preparing for a summer intensive showcase, or are gearing up for Nationals. Maybe you’ve booked a summer gig at a theme park or with a community theatre, or are a graduate looking forward to the start of a company contract in the fall. Maybe you won’t have another show until Nutcracker or even until next year’s recital. But no matter what your upcoming performance schedule – and no matter what time o ..read more

What is meaningful self-care for dance teachers?   Okay, I’ll admit it: the term “self-care” kind of makes me cringe these days. So often, I find it gets applied to practices that aren’t really that meaningful, or don’t have a long term impact. I mean, I love the occasional pedicure, but I don’t find getting one to be a truly transformative experience. In my opinion, meaningful self-care practices do have the power to transform our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Meaningful self-care can help reduce our risk for career-ending injuries,  prevent the stress and frustration ..read more

Refresh your dance pedagogy and teaching methods   We all get stuck in a rut with our dance teaching methods from time to time, right? It can be easy to fall into habits as a dance teacher: our favorite exercises, our go-to corrections, our usual metaphors and imagery. We find ourselves “teaching as we were taught,” copying the dance pedagogy and teaching methods of our favorite teachers. While there is nothing wrong with relying on time-tested and effective dance teaching methods, it can also be really helpful to expand our pedagogy. We get tired of doing the same old thing in class afte ..read more

The challenge of giving students feedback on their dancing   During my conversation with Joe Nickel and Michelle Tolson as a guest on JAM: Joe and Michelle’s Dance Podcast, the topic turned to how to give feedback to our dance students. Many dance teachers have found that giving feedback, such as corrections or constructive criticism and even compliments, can be difficult with today’s students. Some students get noticeably upset when they are corrected, and do not seem to be able to handle the idea of not doing something “right.” Some misinterpret any kind of feedback as an attack on them ..read more