Reasons to Dance: ‘Scientifically’ fit
“... [dance] can speed up your heart rate, it can enliven your being, it can change your life.” Richard Alston [1] Anyone who has taken part in a dance class will be able to attest to the fact that…
Reasons to Dance: “Because I’m Happy…”
Today at 4pm Sir Ken Robinson will urge “devote equal time to dance and maths” in The Educators, a new series on BBC Radio 4. And (of course) I whole-heartedly agree! There is a real buzz about dance at the…
Dance ideas for a performance
Coming up with ideas for a dance project or show concept can be time-consuming, but the rewards for putting in the effort are huge! Whilst it’s great to teach one-off dance classes to children, it’s amazing working towards the goal…
Teaching Basic Choreography
In a high quality dance class, it is important to allow the children opportunity to choreograph. This process helps the children to develop their creativity and enhances their knowledge of the techniques they have learnt and the topic they are…
10 ways to rehearse a dance
I am in the midst of rehearsals for Jump2it, a new dance festival that I have set up in conjunction with the South Charnwood School Sports Partnership. I am working with 7 primary schools who will learn / choreograph a…
Developing a Dance Lesson Plan
How do you make a topic into a dance class? When I plan, I first brainstorm the theme I want to explore. To develop my ideas into dance material, I then select 2 or 3 movement objectives that link with…
The Principles of a Good Dance Class
I’ve been teaching this week at Leicester College – students on the Foundation Degree in Dance. Today’s workshop focused on how to teach dance in primary schools, which got me thinking about what actually constitutes a good dance class. Your…