Do you use imagery when teaching little ones? I personally DO but would love to hear of other examples.

I don't teach, however I remember some imagery I was given when I was a toddler dancer...

e.g. hugging a big beach ball for arm positions...
well, and the obvious: pas de cheval/ pas de chat - image of horses/ cats
or "think of wearing a princess' crown" for correct head position

Is that what you were thinking of?

A couple of favourites:

When opening arms from 5th position imagine you are drwaing a rainbow with your fingers.

To get little ones used to turning out toes, keeping knees turned out, imagine their toes have had an arguement and aren't talking so they have to keep apart. Little-ones seem to be very amused by this.

There are others I use but my mind is blank at the moment - will post again when I have thought of some more.

I don't know much (read: "anything") about teaching dance, but it seems to me that using images like that at an early age would go far towards teaching the little tykes that dance is an art, full of metaphor, and not just physical technique.

Joanne - I love the imagery of toes having an argument to help promote turnout. will definitely use that one with my Primary students. another good one that can at first be done physically and visually that then becomes imagery later on, and works well with all levels from beginner through to adult. to promote turnout whilst performing tendu (also works well with rond de jambe). place a sticker of a star on the inside ankle and a sticker of astar in the middle of the knee. when the foot is pointed devant in tendu, show the star to the audience and the star on the knee to the wings or dancers waiting on the side of the stage. it truly works wonders (I also for the same exercises get the students to imagine two torch lights on their hip and pretend that they are small headlights shining straight ahead like a little car - these two images work absolute wonders and are also a bit of fun. but actually do work!

Just a quick add on to previous post.

When using imagery also take into consideration

Body and Spatial Awareness
Fine Motor Skills
Co-ordination
Balance Skills
Group Participation

cheers

Spangles - I have also used those two and they do work wonders. Little ones love stickers anyway so to use them as a teaching aid is great.

Stickers work absolute wonders. I mark each class out of 100 (points for different areas of class). if any one student receives a mark 100/100 they receive a gold start on a certificate (gold star program). once the student has received 5 gold stars, they then can trade the certificate in for a 1/2 hour private lesson FREE of charge (they are then given a beautiful certificate of congratulations as a momento). The student (senior/junior) who receives the most gold stars throughout the year, is awarded a small trophy of achievement. works absolute wonders as the marking system is a system that must be done for each and every class throughout the year and then produced at time of examinations to the assessor.

20 points Effort
30 points Concentration
20 points Etiquette
10 points hair
10 points uniform
10 points shoes

is a wonderful way to get students to comply with rules and regulations of the studio also and is a wonderful threat tactic as the marks each week are averaged out and then in essence can effect the outcome of an examination. in other words, the assessors take into account the work done throughout the year also not just on the day of the examination.
The teachers provide the averaged score to the assessors and this becomes the attitude score. the teacher also then provides an ability score. these scores are then combined with the examiners/assessors and put onto a scaling factor. extra points then can be picked up this way.

just a thought

I'm not sure how this image would work for very little kids, but it works well for kids at least 8 or so (I started in a class of 8-9-year-olds, though I was older): to achieve a sustained slow port de bras, feel as if you're moving your arms through water -- you can't move them very quickly, and it requires enough tension that you avoid that limp, too-floaty look.

djb. Water imagery is a wonderful concept right across the board.
Speaking of water, it is also wonderful in the warmer months to practice developpe in the swimming pool. fantastic way to feel what resistance should feel like (usually one can also developpe much higher in the water than on land too but it is an exercise well worth trying out.(hmmm I am wondering if there is a water ballet syllabus in existance which in turn would aid ballet on land? food for thought) petit jetes in water too are wonderful because the buoyancy of the water lifts one so that one can really pointe the foot in the air (so to speak). maybe this would be worth investigating at a cross-training exercise.

When I was on holiday I used to love practicing ballet in the swimming pool - it felt so good.

djb - love the imagery of arms travelling through water. Must use that in class.

Another one I have used is for tendu. Imagine you are standing on a beach and that you are pushing your toes through sand, to get students used to using the floor and getting that nice slide out to a point.

At this rate we could devise a whole class using beach imagery.

A class at the beach sounds like fun. Why not? I have seen many people practicing Tai Chi along the sands of sunny Australia. Any takers?