Hello everyone...I'm new to these forums, so let me introduce myself. I am 22 years old and have danced from age 4-18, then headed to college for 4 years (took dance off for the majority of the 4 years).....just graduated in May 04. I am teaching dance again at my dance studio and I'm sooooo excited because I miss it so much! My favorite types of dance are tap above all else, jazz, and ballet. I do not have the strongest ballet background because I was not taught as much ballet until I got older around middle school/high school. Anyways, I do like ballet and am trying to learn more in it all the time. But, I was wondering-->I'm teaching a 2-hour class of 9 & 10 year olds ballet/jazz/tap. What are some good ballet warmups/technique/etc to teach this age of kids? My studio is starting much much younger now with teaching ballet since it's a great center for all types of dancing.....but since I've been out of dance for 4 years, I was wondering what type of things are 9 & 10 year olds even supposed to learn these days? I know I need to assess my class when it starts back up Sept7, and see where they stand in terms of technique but any pointers until then? Thanks, I appreciate it!

P.S. I have some exercises ready to teach and I hope they will work, but anything would be helpful! Thanks

My best advice, if you wish to teach ballet, is to study ballet as much as you can at a school that teaches only ballet. Find a teacher there who will work with you, and discuss what you see in your children with that teacher.

Thanks for your advice, but that is not possible for me to do. I work fulltime and attend grad school full time. I am teaching dance as a supplement thing because I love to do it. So, assuming I can't do anything like that....like take additional classes myself, what would you recommend? I'm just looking for some simple things here if that helps. Thanks!!!!

DancingFeet666...

Given the situation you describe, I must recommend that you do not teach ballet until you have had the opportunity to engage in more serious ballet training yourself. I'm sorry to have to say that. I know you love to dance. Beyond working and studying, any time you have left to devote to dance at this point would be better spent studying dance yourself rather than teaching it. I understand graduate school, I suffered through 9 years of it before graduating.

The hard reality here is that you are about as qualified to teach ballet as a sophmore pre-med student is qualified to teach medicine. Teaching is serious business because your students' future is in your hands. You may love teaching and your students may love dancing and love you as well. But if you try to teach them without being adequately prepared yourself, they will not learn what they need to learn. Those who might have wanted to dance ballet professionally will be shut out of the profession due to poor training. And then they will end up in the same situation as yourself --- loving to dance, but not qualified in classical ballet. Worse, your students could end up suffering injuries due to your negligence. How would you feel if one of your students ended up with permanent knee damage due to improper ballet technique?

I know it is difficult, but the mature thing to do here is to not teach the ballet class, even if the studio wants to hire you for the job. If you wish to teach ballet, it is certainly possible for you to learn how to do it safely and correctly. But that process will take time, it's not an instant thing. Life is long, you will have plenty of time after graduate school to teach ballet.

What I am saying here applies only to classical ballet; I don't understand the qualifications needed to teach tap and jazz dance. Given your experience, you certainly might be well qualified to teach tap and jazz to 9 and 10-year-old children.

<small>[ 24 August 2004, 06:50 PM: Message edited by: citibob ]</small>

I have to agree with citibob on this. Maybe you could only teach tap and jazz and after you have studied ballet seriously begin to teach a class.

I started in a school that had a class with ballet, tap, and hula. I learned nothing and spent most of the class changing my shoes.