How I'm Planning For Virtual & Hybrid Dance Classes

Just like you, I love a good dance teacher tip or hack. Having an arsenal of quick, easy, and go-to tools in our dance teacher tool kits are a must. Especially right now, as we continue to navigate being in a global pandemic and keep our dancers dancing through the upheaval.

Over the past several months of 2020, I’ve shared lots of resources here, which I continue to use in all my classes, and that you can use in your in-person, virtual, and hybrid dance classes.

Here’s a quick recap…

Here’s a download for dance concept coloring pages you can use with young dancers.

I’ve made my Dance Studio BodyPosi Challenge available as a condensed, free, 3 day workshop. If you’ve been curious about how to bring body positivity into your classes and studio, this is the place to start.

Growth mindset in dance is vital to a long and healthy career. These worksheets are a great thing for your tween, teen, and even adult dancers to use.

Give your dancers easy to follow warm ups and cool downs with this playlist of BrainDances.

I’ve also made a BrainDance specifically to address anxiety and stress for young dancers. Pair this movement sequence by engaging all of your senses: play some soft music, get a diffuser or candle going, and maybe have a tasty treat after you finish the video.

And here’s another warm up that’s great for littles that gets them relaxed, focused, and ready to dance.

Moving Mantras are a tool you’ll find in the Dance Studio BodyPosi Challenge as well. These are short, easy and gentle movements combined with positive affirmations, and totally transformational.

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I’ve created and shared these, because I know the importance of having a plan, and having that plan be something that sets your mind at ease as a teacher who has a lot on her plate, and something that will benefit your dance students.

And while I love a quick tip, the honest answer for how I’m planning for virtual and hybrid dance classes, is that I’m in it for the long haul. I’m just as hopeful as you are that we find a vaccine and kick ‘rona to the curb, but until we do, the long term (aka not quick) fix I’m using to plan my classes is…

Prioritizing Dancer Wellness

And this means:

• meeting my students where they’re at

• incorporating things like social/emotional wellness, mindset, and mindfulness into class

• adjusting and reassessing my expectations about how much dance/technique my classes cover

Why am I prioritizing these things? Because of statistics like these.

Now, these studies were done before COVID, so you can only imagine that these numbers have increased.

We have the power to be part of the solution to these very concerning problems.

And our power lies in what we’re teaching, and what we’re prioritizing in our classes. We can teach plies along with social/emotional check ins. We can opt out of rehearsing one more time, and instead offer dancers mindfulness techniques. We can choose to let go of the expectation that dancers should show up and participate like they always used to, and instead choose to focus on giving students coping skills, for inside the dance classroom, and outside of it.

I know when I plan my classes this way, I can stop worrying and losing sleep over wondering if I’m doing enough, or guilt tripping myself over not doing more, because I know I’ve made my dancer’s health the priority, and I know that’s the best I can do, and the most I can give. I know that when they leave my class, they may not have improved their pirouettes, but that they have improved their outlook on life.

If you too, want to prioritize dancer wellness and help your students feel better, but aren’t sure where to start, check out StudioZen. It’s a monthly membership program I created specifically for this purpose, and to give you long term planning solutions for your studio and classes.

Because it’s my birthday week, I’m offering a BOGO special on StudioZen! Buy for December, and get November’s materials totally free! Click below to claim this special offer, and take a peek to your right to see what dancer wellness topics you’ll have coming down the pipeline!

When you start to feel overwhelmed planning, just remember how far you’ve come and all you’ve done so far to get to this point. You’ve survived 100% of your challenges and worst days, and you will continue to. And on the days where it feels extra hard, remember you have the support of me (plus all the resources in this post), and all your fellow dance teachers around the world!