Help, I am starting up a new studio and as such have small classes with ability levels that very greatly. I have a jazz class with a 13 year old who struggled with step ball-change, a 15 year old who can do double pirouettes and is a fast learner, and a 21 year old who could do fouettes when she was 15 and I taught her. How can I make this class work for everyone?

Also I have a beginner class with a 2 1/2 year old (I wanted 3 years as a minimum but with my numbers so low I couldn't turn her away)and a 5 year old who has taken dance before....Please help!

The Jazz class you need to do lots of across the floor and give them different combos. The good thing about it being so small is they get more 1 on 1 attention and you have more time to spend with them teaching them a different combo. For example, have the 13 year old do cross ballchange (maybe throw in a few pas de bourres, chainnes, etc.) across the floor. Then have the 15 year old do a pirouette combo across the floor. Then have the 21 year old do a more advanced version of the 15 year olds with some fouettes thrown in. The good thing is the 13 and 15 year old will see the 21 year old and have some motivation to work to be like her. And just keep pushing the 21 year old so she doesn't get bored.

As far as the 2.5 and 5 year old, that's tough. See if you can get a student assistant and she can go slower with the slow group (or fast with the fast group). Good luck!