As a former dance teacher, I know how hard it can be to inspire dancers, especially during that middle-of-the-season slump between the spring recitals and end-of-year shows. The summer for dance teachers & studios can turn into a long few months.
But, you have to keep your dancers inspired, motivated and pumped to dance, otherwise you risk losing them. Bored dancers either won’t perform at their peak or they’ll eventually fade away without enrolling next year. For the development of your dancers and your studio, here are some great dance teacher tips on how to inspire your dancers:
1. Go Slow
There’s a common misconception that the more you learn, the more motivated you are. This can be overwhelming. Instead, take it slow and cap your instruction at 1-2 dance steps per week for little ones. With older students, you can step that up significantly.
No matter how old your dancers are, always do a refresher at the start of next class. It cements the moves in their mind and starts off every class with an accomplishment, not a challenge. By not overloading your students, you’ll keep them feeling successful and happy to practice.
2. Attendance Prizes
Attendance prizes are especially effective for older students who may be more likely to skip out on class. Try offering a prize for, say, eight weeks of consecutive attendance. You could give out a t-shirt or leotard with your dance studio logo or a gift certificate for your studio.
3. Fresh Routines
While you shouldn’t rush your students, introducing fresh routines and new little dances are a great way to keep them motivated. Doing the same routine week after week can lead to boredom and apathy.
4. Performance Opportunities
The opportunity to perform is the perfect amount of pressure to keep students excited and motivated. Make sure you provide at least two to three performance opportunities per year. A good performance schedule and just a pinch of pressure is truly one of the best ways to inspire dancers.
photo:grongar
With the bases loaded you struck us out with that anewsr!