I am trying to make some new lesson plans over the summer for my Ballet/Tap classes and wondering if anyone wanted to share theres, to help us all get more ideas? Thank you.

~Meadow

Meadow,
I don't have a whole lot of my lesson plans they are on my speed stick and I left them at the office...but I have ONE that I wouldn't mind sharing...:) At the studio I teach we have a weekly concept that we focus on. And this week just happened to be Pathway. We have a new concept that we introduce for three weeks and the 4th week we review all our concepts. Hope this makes sense. It is a word document and I just pasted it, so I hope it looks okay.

Class: Pre-Ballet I Teacher: Miss Becca
Date: Thursday, 10/12/06 Time: 5:30 – 6:00 PM
Students: Sydney, Julia, Taylor, Alicyn, Adison, Annika, Jasmine, Dariahn, Hannah, Marina

Lesson Concept: Pathway – Straight, Curved & Zigzag

Warming Up
Warm-up Activity:
1. Shake Your Feet Rhyme – “Shake your feet up high, shake your feet down low, shake your feet above your head, shake them below, shake them to the left, shake them to the right, shake them all around and shake with all your might!” Try other movements such as poke, stretch, kick, etc.
2. Stretch & Release body parts
3. Warm-up Dance (Baby’s First Playtime Songs - #6 Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes)

Dance Exercises / Technique:
1. Review 1st postion
2. Learn tendu (butterfly foot), and degages (caterpiller toes). “Caterpillar, caterpillar, butterfly, lands on a branch and comes back home”

Introducing the Concept: Pathway – STRAIGHT line, CURVED or circular line, and ZIGZAG or sharp, angular lines

Exploring the Concept
Exploring the Concept:
1. Drawing – Give each of the dancers a piece of paper split into 3 sections. On the top section have them draw a straight design, the middle section a curved design, and the bottom section a zigzag design. Have them dance their designs. (Funtime: Toddler's Next Steps - #11 Oodles Of Doodles)
2. Strings – Give each dancer a string and have them make a straight, curved, & zigzag shape. Have them jump, march, tiptoe walk their shapes. Last have them throw the string in the air, and see what kind of pathway it creates when it lands. (Funtime: Toddler's Next Steps - #12 Brand New Shoes)

Shaping:
Instruments:

Developing Skills
Developing Skills: (Funtime: Toddler's Next Steps - #6 Waddaly Atcha)
1. Kicks (Straight Pathway)
2. Tiptoe Walks (Curved Pathway)
3. Jump (Zigzag Pathway)
Turning:
Combining Movements:
Leaping:

Creating
Free Dancing / Improvising: Word Cards—Choose words that travel in different directions and have dancers arrange them in sequence to perform (Funtime: Toddler's Next Steps - #19 Natural Rhythm)


Choreographing: (Butterfly Kisses)
1. Tendu (Forward) x4 RLRL, Tendu (Side) x4 RLRL, Tendu (Backward) x4 RLRL
2. Demi-Plie (arms en bas), Rise (arms en haut)

Cooling Down
Goodbye Dance: Curtsies
Relaxation / Alignment:
Stretching / Reviewing Concept:
Sharing / Evaluating Choreography:

Thanks for sharing - love the lesson plan.