What’s Next After Little Dancer?
I remember the day I bought my oldest son, his first pair of ballet shoes. I was trying SO hard to contain my excitement! Being a boy mama, I figured my chances of ever buying ballet shoes for one of my children were pretty slim.
When my son saw the pair of black ballet shoes I'd picked out for him to try on, he exclaimed, "Mom, these are BOY ballet shoes!" He was SO excited they were black. Apparently, he'd been worried I was going to make him wear pink ones!
I don't really have a point to that story. I just wanted to share a little moment of joy from my day. :-)
At the time, I was preparing to work through exercises from my Storybook Ballet Curriculum with him. The curriculum was designed for children ages 7–12 who are beginning more formal ballet training, using stories from classical ballets to introduce technique, musicality, and the art of ballet. Teaching beginning ballet to this age group is a little different from teaching preschoolers. While we can certainly continue using stories and imagination to make our classes interesting, students are also ready to begin focusing more closely on how they're performing each movement. And whether your students are moving up from a preschool dance program or beginning ballet for the very first time, I think there are a few things worth remembering.
1. Keep Beginning Ballet Combinations Simple
When teaching beginning ballet, it's tempting to introduce more complicated combinations as soon as students begin learning the steps. After all, older children can remember longer sequences than preschoolers, and we want to keep them interested and challenged. But just because students can remember a combination doesn't mean they're ready to execute it correctly.
In the beginning levels, I prefer to keep combinations very simple so students can concentrate on their technique. At the barre, an exercise might consist of just two tendus en croix. In the center, we might practice a simple piqué to sous-sus across the floor. These combinations may not look particularly impressive, but that's not the point. We're giving students an opportunity to understand the movements and learn to perform them correctly before adding more complicated coordination or changes of direction.
Think about everything a beginning student needs to consider during a tendu. She needs to maintain her posture and alignment, keep her supporting leg properly placed, articulate her working foot through the floor, and return to a correct position. If she's also trying to remember a long combination with several changes of direction and complicated arm movements, it's going to be much more difficult for her to concentrate on those details. Of course, combinations should gradually become more challenging as students develop. But in the beginning, don't be afraid to keep things simple. Your students will have plenty of opportunities to learn more complicated combinations later!
2. Focus on HOW Students Perform the Steps
This is probably one of the most important things I would emphasize when teaching beginning ballet. In the early levels, we should be focusing on HOW students execute their movements, not simply WHAT steps they can perform.
It's relatively easy to teach a child the general shape of a ballet step. A student may be able to imitate a tendu, relevé, or passé after watching a demonstration. But performing the movement with correct alignment, coordination, and muscular control takes considerably more instruction and practice.
For example, a student may understand that a tendu involves stretching the working leg and pointing the foot. But is she maintaining proper alignment through her hips and supporting leg? Is she articulating through the foot as it travels along the floor? Is she maintaining her turnout appropriately without twisting through the knees or ankles? Those details matter, and they're much easier to address when students aren't distracted by trying to remember a complicated sequence.
I also think it's important to remember that children ages 7–12 can be at very different stages of physical development. Some will have the strength and coordination to perform certain movements correctly almost immediately, while others will need more time and practice. Rather than rushing through the syllabus because students are a particular age, give them the opportunity to develop the control and understanding they need before moving on.
3. Build a Strong Foundation Before Adding Complexity
One thing I learned throughout my own ballet training is just how important the fundamentals are. More advanced ballet technique depends on the strength, alignment, coordination, and movement habits developed in the beginning levels. And that's why I wouldn't hesitate to simplify an exercise when students are struggling with a particular element of their technique.
For example, if a student is having difficulty maintaining her alignment during a barre exercise, you might have her continue practicing while facing the barre with both hands supported. This allows her to concentrate on the movement of her legs and feet without also having to manage the coordination of her arms. Likewise, if students are struggling with the coordination of their arms and legs during a center exercise, you might temporarily simplify the port de bras or have them place their hands on their shoulders while they concentrate on the footwork. You can also reverse that approach and practice the port de bras separately before putting the movements together.
These aren't necessarily exercises you'll use forever. They're ways of breaking a movement down so students can develop the individual skills needed to perform it correctly. I think sometimes teachers feel pressure to keep introducing new steps because students or parents want to see progress. But progress isn't always about learning something new. A student who performs a simple tendu with better alignment and articulation than she did a month ago has made real progress, even if she's still practicing the same basic exercise.
And when students develop a strong foundation, they'll be better prepared for the more challenging technique and combinations they'll encounter as they advance.
4. Remember That Age and Ballet Level Aren't the Same Thing
One challenge with teaching ballet to children ages 7–12 is that you may have students with very different amounts of previous dance experience. Some seven-year-olds may have been taking preschool ballet since they were three. They're familiar with basic ballet terminology, understand classroom expectations, and have already begun developing coordination and musicality through age-appropriate dance activities. On the other hand, you may have an eleven-year-old who has never taken a ballet class before.
Both students may be ready for more formal ballet instruction, but their previous experiences will influence how you introduce certain concepts. This is one reason I think it's important to consider students' actual abilities rather than relying entirely on their ages when determining class placement or choosing exercises.
Older beginners may be able to understand verbal explanations and remember combinations more easily than younger students, but they still need to learn the same fundamental principles of ballet technique. We shouldn't skip over those simply because a student is older. At the same time, a younger student with several years of appropriate preparation may already be familiar with many of the movement concepts you're introducing. The goal is to meet students where they are and give them instruction that helps them progress without rushing through the fundamentals.
5. Don't Abandon Imagination Just Because Students Are Older
While beginning ballet classes for ages 7–12 should include more formal technical instruction than preschool classes, I don't think that means we need to abandon imagination or storytelling altogether. Children this age can still enjoy learning through stories, particularly when those stories introduce them to the ballets they'll eventually see performed onstage.
For example, a lesson inspired by The Sleeping Beauty might introduce students to the characters, music, and story while incorporating appropriate ballet exercises and combinations. A Cinderella lesson might explore the difference between movements performed at the ball and those that communicate the characters' personalities. The story doesn't replace technical instruction. Instead, it gives students an opportunity to connect the movements they're learning with the music, history, and artistry of ballet.
This was one of the ideas behind my Storybook Ballet Curriculum. Just as younger children can learn movement concepts through fairy tales and imaginative themes, older beginners can begin exploring classical ballet stories while developing their technique. And I think there's something particularly valuable about introducing children to ballet as an art form, not simply a collection of steps. Students can learn about the music, characters, and stories that have been part of the ballet tradition for generations while also developing the technical skills they'll need as they advance.
6. Help Students Recognize Their Own Progress
One thing to remember when teaching beginning ballet is that technical progress can be difficult for students to recognize. A child may be excited to learn a new step, but less enthusiastic about practicing the same tendu exercise for several weeks. And while we know that repetition is necessary for developing correct technique, our students may not always understand why we're asking them to repeat something they've already learned.
This is where I think it's helpful to explain what they're working toward. For example, you might point out that a student is maintaining better alignment during her pliés or that she's beginning to articulate her feet more clearly during tendus. You can also help students recognize how the skills they're practicing now will eventually prepare them for more advanced movements.
Of course, corrections are an important part of ballet training, and students need to learn how to receive and apply them. But we should also make sure they recognize when they're improving. Sometimes a small technical accomplishment represents weeks of hard work, and that's worth acknowledging!
Give Your Beginning Ballet Students Time to Develop
Whether you're teaching seven-year-olds who have progressed through your preschool program or older children who are just beginning ballet, I think the most important thing is to give them time to develop a strong technical foundation. Keep combinations simple enough that students can concentrate on how they're performing the movements. Pay attention to alignment, coordination, and proper muscular control, and don't hesitate to break exercises down when students need additional practice.
And remember that ballet is more than technique. As students grow, we can introduce them to the stories, music, and artistry that make ballet such a wonderful art form. There's no need to rush through the beginning levels. When students learn to perform the fundamentals correctly, they'll have a much stronger foundation for everything that comes next.
