hey guys. I'm struggling with this age group for lyrical. I have no problem with my 11-teenagers, but this age group has proven to be a little challenging for me with lyrical. How do you guys structure your class for this age group? Any exercise suggestions and improv stuff I can do to get them to understand the meaning of this art form??? Thanks so much!!!

colourblind
candle on the water
just around the river band

You can do a lot of improv exercises and just call out different emotions. I think you would be surprised what a group of 7-9 year olds could come up with before you even explained lyrical. I have 5 and 6 year olds who tell me after watching the recital that they want to dance lyrical because they like dancing to a story. Also, play them different songs and have them listen and try to pick out the emotion of the songs.

As far as strucuring my class I do a center floor warm up standing first, I use ballet positions and parallel. Incorporate a lot of various port de bras and upper body movements trying to get them to use their back. Then across the floor, lyrical walks, then adding port de bras to the lyrical walks. Simple chaine turns, piques without a turn, lyrical lindy, balances, fanny rolls.

At the end of the class I will teach a short combination to string movement together or I will do one of the emotion exercises I mentioned.

Also, at my school the kids are required to take ballet with lyrical so this helps a lot!

Great stuff here. I'm actually starting a beginner lyrical class this year and this stuff helps a lot. Just one quick question..what's a fanny roll and a lyrical lindy. I'm sure I know them by sight just not by name.

A fanny roll is just the simple roll on the floor ( on your fanny). I have my students start standing in 2nd position, twist to one side, tuck and roll without the knee touching and then stand up and reverse, checking for pointed toes.

Lyrical lindy is side chasse ball change but with a much more fluid, dragging quality. There's a lot of arms you can incorporate there too.