Over on facebook, a dear reader wrote “Im looking for a song, story, dance on losing a tooth. I have a class full of little ones that are all losing teeth and every week have a story about it. Thought it would be fun to dance about losing teeth.” Isn’t that a genius idea?! So I . . . → Read More: I Lost A Tooth (Tooth Fairy) Dance]]>

Over on facebook, a dear reader wrote “Im looking for a song, story, dance on losing a tooth. I have a class full of little ones that are all losing teeth and every week have a story about it. Thought it would be fun to dance about losing teeth.” Isn’t that a genius idea?! So I went searching and here is an idea I gave her.

I was looking for songs on Itunes but oddly, there are not very many. The ones I did find were about sharks loosing their teeth. Sharks? The loose teeth? Who knew!

I then went searching for words and I found this poem…

When the Tooth Fairy heard you lost a tooth
do you know what she did?
She made a map to visit you
’cause you’re a special kid

First she got your home address
and checked her fairy map
Then she flew to your place
where she saw your brand new “gap”

Of course she took your worn out tooth
just like she’s always done
but she’s left you something nice instead
to help you have some fun

-Author Unknown 

Isn’t it perfect? Here are some ideas for the words…

Make T’s for Tooth! Have each dancer make a shape that makes them special! Remember, every tooth is different.

For the map part you could have them all make a different pathway map on the floor. HOW does the fairy get to your address? She flies! Does she/he (i’m pretty sure the tooth fairy could be a boy or a girl;) fly straight, in circles, down low, up high, in a zig zag? Ideas are endless! To make it a bit longer you could stop at red lights, bounce on fluffy clouds, or find animals along the way.

For the end you could dance for fun! Or give each child a chance to say what the tooth fairy left them and then dance about it. Typically, the tooth fairy leaves money but they can use their imaginations and share what the tooth fairy left them in this dance. They could also share what they bought with the money the tooth fairy left them.

I can’t wait to pull this one out when I get a bunch of my littles are loosing teeth! Have you ever tried a tooth fairy dance? Do you know any songs or books or poems that might work for a dance about loosing teeth? I would love to hear!

Hi Friends! Can you believe it’s February? This week marks the first week of the new semester. I always have mixed feelings. I know that after a few weeks things will settle in and it will be just fine, but it always seems to a bit of craziness on the first days. The part that confuses . . . → Read More: Tricks Of The Trade]]>

Hi Friends! Can you believe it’s February? This week marks the first week of the new semester. I always have mixed feelings. I know that after a few weeks things will settle in and it will be just fine, but it always seems to a bit of craziness on the first days. The part that confuses me is that I have returning students and new students all in the same class. Of course I just pick up and keep going through the curriculum but the dancers who just joined have a lot of catching up to do.

What are your tricks of the trade for the first week of the new semester? How do you catch the new students up? How do you build a quick connection with new students? For my young students, 1 and 2, I just plow right through as the repetition for them is what works for them. As always, the kids were smiling and it probably wasn’t as bad as I saw it in my head because I am that hard on myself.

Please tell me you feel the same way on the first week of a new semester? I’m so invested in my teaching that I loose sleep over things that don’t go just right. I’m doing better of letting go of things, but I would love to hear your feelings and stories on this. xoxo

Hi Friends! Guess what? I’m now writing for Dance Advantage! You know the one, the big huge mother dance blog that we all love? My first column went up yesterday! Tips for Teacher Toddlers Accompanied By Adults: Part 1. Check it out and let me know what you . . . → Read More: Take Advantage Of This!]]>

Hi Friends! Guess what? I’m now writing for Dance Advantage! You know the one, the big huge mother dance blog that we all love? My first column went up yesterday! Tips for Teacher Toddlers Accompanied By Adults: Part 1. Check it out and let me know what you think! xoxo

Setting goals is a huge topic. When I think of my own goals, I think of how many I have accomplished since graduating college. I also think of how many more I want to accomplish. Eeek, makes my head hurt! If you ask my husband, he says I have a new goal every week! He’s right, . . . → Read More: 6 Goals To Set For Your Littles: AKA My Hidden Agenda]]>

Setting goals is a huge topic. When I think of my own goals, I think of how many I have accomplished since graduating college. I also think of how many more I want to accomplish. Eeek, makes my head hurt! If you ask my husband, he says I have a new goal every week! He’s right, it is just in my nature to be ambitious. It’s good to have goals, but sometimes I dwell and think about them too much; I’m still working on the balance.

I also think about setting goals for my littles. When teaching, especially the young ones, goals are most important. I call it my “hidden agenda.” I don’t tell them about goals, instead I show them. Can you imagine their faces if I tried to explain setting goals to them? haha.

These goals are rather simple ones that teach them about life. Skills they could take to school or any class and use. I become their role model and set the goals for them. Just like you have a goal for every lesson, you should be clear on “hidden goals.” Goals that you never really say out loud, but you know you are working towards them in every class.

So without further ado.. never before shared…I’m introducing you to My Hidden Agenda!

Goal #1) Listen: It’s important to teach littles how to listen, but it’s almost more important that you listen to them. I try to carve out some time in every class to listen to what they have to say. Give them a chance to be heard. Let them share their ideas, and by you being a good listener, you are showing them how to listen.

Goal #2) Move: When shy dancers come to class, it’s my goal to get them moving as soon as possible. I know that once they start dancing they will love it and want to come back and not be the wallflower. Do whatever you need to get them moving — play their favorite song, dance with their friend in class; trust me, it works.

Goal #3) Share: In life, we have to share everything. I think this is the hardest goal to teach of all, but most days the kids surprise me. You know that saying “you get what you get and you don’t get upset?” I know they use it at school, but I try not to use it in my classes. I allow my dancers to choose their own color scarves or spots. I explain that if the color they want is not there, they need to pick another color. If someone is upset about not getting the color that they want, I facilitate helping them work it out. 9 times out of 10 it works. And voila, the role model of sharing.

Goal #4) Engage: This might be more of a goal for me than for them but they help me measure it. I try to engage them for 45 minutes. I am silly, loud, quiet, big, small, fast, slow, and much much more. If you were someone who never saw a dance class before you might think I am a little looney. If your students are engaged, that’s less time for them to misbehave and that’s good news for you. Make your transitions seamless and they will stay with you!

Goal #5) Mistakes: Show them you make mistakes. “oops, I put on the wrong song” “oh no, I called you the wrong name!” Tell them if you made a mistake. Don’t try to cover it up or sweep it under a spot. Be honest and they will love you even more.

Goal #6) Confidence: I think the goal closest to my heart is to teach confidence. If my littles leave dance class with a little bit more confidence that I gave to them, I feel satisfied. Even if they don’t remember chasse or plie, having confidence is key. You need a ton of confidence to live in this world and to be honest until I became an early childhood dance teacher I hardly had any myself. I guess you could say my littles give me just as much confidence as I give them. What an awesome feeling!

If I can give you any advice on setting goals for your littles it would be to build them up. Let dance be a safe place for them to look forward to coming once a week and where they can be themselves without judgement. There are not many places like that left, the least we can do is offer that space. Right?

Do you have a hidden agenda for teaching your classes? What goals do you think are important for your littles beyond balancing on one foot? I would love to hear!

p.s. This post is entering circle time at Dance Advantage!

Have you heard about the book My Princess Boy? A mom wrote it about her little boy who wanted to wear dresses and jewelry instead of pants and baseball caps. She decided to not make it a big deal and allow him to express himself with whatever he wanted to wear. When I saw this, I . . . → Read More: What Would You Do If Your Boys Wore Tutus?]]>

Have you heard about the book My Princess Boy? A mom wrote it about her little boy who wanted to wear dresses and jewelry instead of pants and baseball caps. She decided to not make it a big deal and allow him to express himself with whatever he wanted to wear. When I saw this, I thought “wow, how awesome is that?” A brave mom who isn’t allowing the world’s impressions of gender roles affect her son. She is letting him decide for himself.

The reason I am telling you about this book is because yesterday in class something similar happened to me and it’s the first thing that came to my mind.  I think it is important to write about it. Not to mention, a very important lesson and I am actually feeling really proud.

I started my 3-4 year old ballet class late because the fuse broke in the studio and the music wasn’t working, besides the point really, but I want to try to give you a visual picture. There are approximately 9 girls and 1 boy in class. Let’s call the little boy Chris. I adore Chris, he’s up for anything and always comes eager to learn. His smiles say, Miss Maria, there is no other place I would rather be right now than at ballet class! His mom and dad rave that he practices at home and talks about it all of the time.

Yesterday, Chris came in with his sister, who is also in the class. He was wearing what he always wears. Black pants and a plain white tee, but yesterday in addition he had on a bright blue tutu. Yep you heard me right, a tutu. I think that one thousand thoughts went through my head at that moment. Not because I was freaked out, but because in all of my years of teaching this has never happened.

Thoughts going through my head were as follows: What will I say if the 9 girls in the class ask me why he is wearing a skirt?Will I acknowledge Chris in his tutu? I wonder what Chris is thinking? As I was teaching I followed my gut and armed myself with answers I could believe in and stand behind. Talk about thinking on your feet! Here’s how it played out…

One of the girls said– “Boys don’t wear skirts” My answer: “Sometimes they do”

Another girls said- “Why is he wearing a tutu?” My response: “He wants to”

While I was setting up, I heard one girl say– “Why are you wearing that skirt?” Chris stood up for himself and said “because I like it!” after this, I did a mini cheer inside. Go him!

Those were all questions from the kids. Not surprised there weren’t more, but there could have been a whole discussion about it if I would have let it happen. I didn’t say anything to Chris about his tutu and I think that probably spoke louder than any words I could of said. I do want to say something to him now though.

Dear Chris,
Thank you for teaching us that it is OK to be different.  I love that you showed us who are and at only 4 years old you are not afraid to express yourself. You challenged my teaching and my thoughts today and I am so happy about that! Can’t wait to see what you wear next week.
love,
Miss Maria

Ok, now friends a few other things entered my mind during class, like is my class gender specific? Does it sway to girls more than boys? Even though the majority of my students are girls, I make triple sure that my class is for both boys and girls. At any time a boy could walk right in and take it and it would be fun for them. It’s important, right? I don’t teach princess dances. In fact, I don’t even like the word. I like to connect dance class to real life, and being a princess is not real life, so I leave it out.

After class I went out to speak to the grown-ups. The mom said nothing to me about Chris and his tutu and I didn’t bring it up either; I loved that. Remember, I live in New York City. What will be interesting is next week is Grown-Up day at ballet, which means the parents are invited to watch the class. I am interested to see what Chris wears and what the reactions of the other parents are. Good, Bad, or Otherwise. After all, dance is about self expression and Chris might understand it more than all of us.

Have you ever experienced anything like this while teaching? If you have a son and he asked to wear a tutu to class, what would you say? Agree or Disagree, I would love to hear your thoughts on this!

I love doing partner dances with my littles. It’s such a great lesson to teach them about teamwork and plus it’s always more fun when you have someone to dance with. Right?  That’s where the magic string comes in…

My Magic String is a string that connects two partners together. I make up a whole story about . . . → Read More: My Magic String]]>

I love doing partner dances with my littles. It’s such a great lesson to teach them about teamwork and plus it’s always more fun when you have someone to dance with. Right?  That’s where the magic string comes in…

My Magic String is a string that connects two partners together. I make up a whole story about the string. ” I forgot the magic string at home today, but I went back home to get it! ” “Let me find it in my pocket” “See, look how stretchy and bendy it is!” The dancers love to pretend there really is a string, but then they tell me how silly I am. Haha!

This image makes it easy for them to remember which body parts are connected. We use the magic string for partner chasses. I connect their belly buttons together and you better believe they stay facing each other! We attach our elbows, our knees, and our hands all with the magic string.

I think the magic string would be fun to try from a distance too. Take a partner team and put one dancer on one side and the other dancer on the other side. Then see if the magic string can allow them to stay together. It reminds me of the mirroring game but the magic string adds a little more flexibility and room for you as the teacher to connect bodies.

Do you use magic images with your students? A simple idea that acts as your assistant can be so helpful! I would love to hear your ideas!

A few weeks ago I tried . . . → Read More: Retrograde: Dancing Favorite Songs Backwards]]> Do you ever tire of singing the same songs? Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good itsy bitsy spider and ABC song. BUT if you teach many classes of the same age group like I do, you might start to feel a little crazy! Here’s something new to try: 

A few weeks ago I tried singing our standard class songs backwards. Retrograde if you will. It was so silly and perfect, that now it’s become part of our class. If I even try to leave it out, they will remind me. An example that is successful is head, shoulders, knees, and toes.

A-hem (at least you can just read my singing here, and don’t actually have to listen to it! haha)

Forward:
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Knees and Toes
Head Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Knees and Toes

Eyes and Ears and Mouth and Nose
Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Knees and Toes 

Backwards:
Toes, Knees, Shoulders Head
Shoulders Head
Toes, Knees, Shoulders Head
Shoulders Head

Nose and Mouth and Ears and Eyes
Toes, Knees, Shoulders Head
Shoulders Head 

I always start out very slow even with the forward version. If you go to fast, then they can’t sing along, then they get lost and frustrated. Once they got the hang of  it backwards they wanted to do it over and over and over. They  also wanted to try to do it as fast as they could. I love this because by the end they are rolling on the floor laughing! It gets so silly.

I have also tried point and flex backwards, and if you are happy and you know it. It’s fun to play around and see how creative you and your dancers can be, isn’t it? Go ahead, try it!

Have you tried singing or dancing favorite songs backwards? I would love to hear some other songs that work well in both directions.

p.s. thanks to your votes I am a top 20 blogger! We got #12! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. xo

The Dance Buzz is starting a blogging challenge and I thought I would join in today! The challenge? Post a personal dance first. I didn’t have to think to hard to come up with this one because I think about it ALL THE TIME!  The picture above is the end of the semester showing of my . . . → Read More: The Class That Started It All]]>

The Dance Buzz is starting a blogging challenge and I thought I would join in today! The challenge? Post a personal dance first. I didn’t have to think to hard to come up with this one because I think about it ALL THE TIME!  The picture above is the end of the semester showing of my very first creative ballet class in NYC!

I think back to this class and just want to give them each a big squeeze. These little 2 year olds gave me my big break.  I look at the picture and have so many memories of fun and learning. From one class to now 25 classes (!) I have grown so much and so have they! I am so grateful to these dancers and parents and my boss at the time for allowing me to start the class and keep it going!

Do you remember the first class you ever taught or the class that started it all? I would love to hear about it! Oh, and if you want to join in on the blog challenge, check out the details here.

p.s. Happy New Year!
p.p.s did you vote in the top blog competition? Look for Maria’s Movers in two categories. Wednesday at 12 noon closes the polls, so vote now!  :)