This entry was posted on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 8:17 pm and is filed under dance classes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
SalsaCrazy
What are some benchmarks for dance classes?
I’m trying to find some benchmarks for my preschool dance classes. Tap, ballet and tumbling.
Any suggestions? I have some but I’m curious in others’ input.
If they are preschool and under 6 years of age, there is not all that much you can do with them. Physically their bodies are not really ready for real ballet. That is why they put kids that age in pre-ballet. You can teach the 5 positions, but don’t expect them to do it with correct turnout. Actually, you should not have them do 5th position. Just 1st through 4th. They could damage their knees if they attempt 5th without proper turnout.
I would just keep it simple and let them express themselves moving to the music. Nothing structured at all. For tap the simplest basics like shuffle hop step down on both feet. Tumbling, just somersaults.
@Chloe- did you misread this? These are Preschool age kids. (You should really learn how to spell ballet terms. Some of those are not even close.)
2 Responses to “What are some benchmarks for dance classes?”
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July 9th, 2010 at 1:51 am
BASIC: Piccaes, shasays, glissades, jettes, bourees, ballet walks
MODERATE: small grand jetes, grand battements, chainees, tombloves(SP??)
CHALLENGING: single pirouette, shasay en tourne,
Make sure the steps flow well together. Often in variations, repetition is used, so you can repeat certain sequences. Don’t go for big tricks so much as a clean, well executed dance,
- balances and pas de bourres
- "ballet walks"
- marches
- pas de chats
- chaines (if she can do them)
- arabesque jumps and passe jumps
- pique turns
- jetes (if she can do them)
- port de bras
think these videos may help you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo-F2pIdd…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxUz0lLsB…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSKNSLV5p
References :
July 9th, 2010 at 1:58 am
If they are preschool and under 6 years of age, there is not all that much you can do with them. Physically their bodies are not really ready for real ballet. That is why they put kids that age in pre-ballet. You can teach the 5 positions, but don’t expect them to do it with correct turnout. Actually, you should not have them do 5th position. Just 1st through 4th. They could damage their knees if they attempt 5th without proper turnout.
I would just keep it simple and let them express themselves moving to the music. Nothing structured at all. For tap the simplest basics like shuffle hop step down on both feet. Tumbling, just somersaults.
@Chloe- did you misread this? These are Preschool age kids. (You should really learn how to spell ballet terms. Some of those are not even close.)
References :
Academy trained ballet dancer NYC.