Dance lessons offer an opportunity for children to build their social skills and learn about the world around them. Whether you are looking to teach them to perfect their first dance as a couple or to ace their next big gig, it is important to know how to keep students engaged, active, and learning.
The simplest way to do this is to get kids moving with a wiggle warm-up, introduce new dance terms and concepts with a fun activity, and practice a few steps before transitioning into the routine. This helps them understand that the whole routine will take time to master and gives you a chance to see how well they are following your instructions.
When you have a new routine, try using visual cues or videos of someone performing the choreography to help students grasp how it should look and what they are doing right and wrong. This also makes it more exciting for them and keeps their interest through the harder parts of the routine.
Some students will need to focus on the details of a particular step or sequence while others need to grasp the overall gestalt of what it is all about. Include both types of learners by describing the same step in different ways, and offering a choice between different notation systems (such as ordinal numbers: primero, segundo, etc or prepositions that relate to spacial use: hacia, desde, hasta, al lado de, a la izquierda de, a la derecha de).
Teach the most difficult step early on in your class. Studies show that people have the best retention of the first thing they see and do, so having a more challenging part of your dance lesson first can give your students a better shot at successfully mastering it.
