Teaching Class vs. Taking Class: What I’ve Learned
By Andrea Hines, DWC Ambassador
pronunciation: And-rea High-ns | pronouns: she/they
As someone who has been dancing now for over 20 years, I never considered the challenges and differences that would happen standing at the front of the room rather than at the barre. I started out with just substituting classes here and there, but at the beginning of the 2023 school year, I joined the amazing staff at Body Language Studios (BLS), and was on a rotation of substitute teachers at Evergreen City Ballet (ECB). There is still a sense of feeling like the new kid on the first day of school; I had only taken one class previously at BLS, so it was an atmosphere I was very unfamiliar with. Now with some time teaching under my belt, and a more familiarity with different technique levels, here are a few things I have learned:
The corrections you give in class are the ones your younger self got
I remember one of the BIGGEST and most frequent corrections I got as a student was the use of my head and my alonge. Now as a teacher, it’s one of the things I harp on the most with my students. When I am taking class, I give my self a body scan checklist. Before the combination starts, I’m thinking “Where are my back muscles?” “Am I engaging my core and glutes already?” “What muscles do I need to engage for this first tendu?” The amount of significant body awareness I now have I feel has made me a better dancer as an adult than I ever did as a student, and I love that I now get to pass along how to be aware of your body to my students.
Stamina
I know this seems like a weird one, but hear me out! When I am showing a combination, I show it as full out as I would if I was taking class. Reason being I want my students to see more than just what my arms and legs are doing. I want them to see the accent of where in the music I want things. I show them know what muscles I am being aware of during certain parts, all the while, I am projecting my voice to everyone in the studio can hear me. I find my stamina while taking class has improved, just from using my voice while teaching and dancing simultaneously. And oh boy, don’t even get me started on pointe work! (Sorry to my dancers who hear me wheeze through pointe class)
Body Awareness
Until now, I have never been more aware of the little things. Are my fingers too stiff? Am I actively turning out my tendu a la seconde? Like I mentioned in #1, that body scan checklist I mentioned is now almost like a mantra. When I was younger, I felt as though I was just able to do the combination- but now, not only my mind but also my body are exhausted just from the shear amount of mental energy this takes! When I’m teaching, since I am also verbally telling these things to my students it is almost impossibly to NOT think about your body!
Time Management
Funny enough- as a mom, and someone who also works in Corporate America, I didn’t think time management was something I ever had to consider as a ballet teacher! Making sure that I’m not overfixating on corrections, taking up 5-7 minutes of class on that one thing, and to ensure the flow of the class is stable so we are not skipping any pivotal combinations! Even when I go to take open class, I am always so impressed with teachers who are able to give corrections, but not skip frappes or adagio at barre, and also end class on time!
click below to shop the look:
Learning how to be a dancer is one thing, but learning how to teach effectively is a whole other world! I am so grateful for the teachers I had growing up, but also teachers and colleagues I can take note from and apply to my own classes! At the end of the day, we all want to see our students succeed, and nothing feels better than seeing tangible success from your classes. Being a little over a year back into dancing again, I feel as though this past year has shown more result in my technique than ever! These are just a few of the things that I have learned, and I can’t wait to see what else I learn! Happy teaching, but most importantly, happy dancing!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.