I have taught pre-ballet (ages 2-5) for seven years now, and I’ve picked up a few things about kids and dance and separation anxiety.  Here are three pointers for parents and teachers on working with the little ones.



1. It’s okay if they cry.

I’ve had kids cry for the entire 45 minutes because they’re so focused on the fear and anxiety that they can’t focus on the fun they could be having. In a class of 5, I had 3 screamers (like, belly-scream, this-kid-might-throw-up-and-pass-out scream).

By the end of the year they were all fine. But they took some time. Luckily I had 2 assistants to help me out.

But I’ve learned that cryers are gonna cry, so get the crying out of the way and move on. A parent who is reluctant to hand their kid over might ask to come into the studio with the student. I’ve learned this only makes it worse. I’ve also learned that it’s good to find out in advance how a child responds to being picked up. I had one who would cry a little but be okay if I took her hand and walked her back, but if you grabbed her, it was over.

2. Do not give them more than one piece of instruction at a time.


This also applies to multiple people talking to them at once.

Situation: Child goes into dance studio a little late.

Good scenario: Parent apologizes, teacher answers it’s okay, tells student to come into the classroom and shuts the door. Assistant remains quiet and demonstrates what the student should be doing.

Bad scenario: parent tells student to go into classroom and apologizes to parent, teacher tells student to come in and go to their color, assistant tells them to get into first position.

Why is that a bad scenario? Too many instructions. They have too many people telling one kid to do too many things. Same thing happens with an older student when the teacher tells them to stand on their spot, the assistant tells them to be quiet, another assistant tells them to put their hands on their hips. They can handle two instructions at a time, tops, until they get practice later in the year and they know what they’re doing.

3. Let ballet class be the “special treat.”



So many times I’ve heard “good job, let’s go get ice cream!” or “If you do well, momma will get you a treat,” or “if you are a good listener, then you will get a surprise.” This teaches the child that if they want something from mom, they need to jump through the hoops and satisfy her requirements.

 That’s not what you want. 

You want their love for dance to grow and flourish, for them to desire to put forth hard work and effort for their own personal success, for them to feel good about their dancing. In order to make that happen, they need dance to be the special treat, not the chore they accomplish to get their reward.


Do you have any pieces of advice you’ve picked up from teaching little ones?

Feed Your Athlete: A Cookbook to Fuel Your Performance by Michael Kirtsos and Joseph Ewing (Amazon, Goodreads)
Genre: Cookbook, Health
ISBN: 9781465435378
Published: June 2nd 2015 by DK
Rating: 5

I am extremely impressed by this book. The sheer amount of work that went into making this such a valuable tool will, I hope, bounce back to benefit many people.

This is not just a cookbook. This is a reference book. The book starts with a rundown of the different kinds of athletes and their specific dietary needs (with constant reminder that everyone is different and you should check with your doctor or dietician to confirm diet changes). Then it provides practical's on how to meet those needs. Not just recipes (that are all divided up by high or low fiber, low fat, high carb, and high protein) but also meal plans, detailed appendix, water replacement recipes, recovery meals and drinks, and even athlete-friendly deserts. It covers how to determine how many calories you need, how to balance your energy, measure your BMI and BFP, and eating for each stage of training, up through recovery from a performance or event.

The recipes themselves are detailed and easy to follow, and most of them fall into the Easy category (which automatically gives it a plus). It includes a rundown of the categories, prep time, ingredients, yield, make ahead and freeze plans, substitutions in case you want to make it gluten-free or vegetarian, and the breakdown of nutrition information.

There were a few recipes, mostly baking recipes like muffins and breads, that I thought could have used less sugar. There are lots of ways to substitute sugar, oil, and eggs by using things like avocado, apple sauce, peanut butter, honey, agave, etc. and I thought there could have been more of that happening. There were a few drinks that seemed like they had too much sugar in them as well. Sugar really is an athlete’s poison (actually it’s everyone’s poison). And honestly I don’t see how a fudge pop with pudding and whipped topping as the only ingredients belong in a healthy athlete cookbook. But even including those few recipes, this book still blew me away. It should be a staple in every health-conscious home, and every athlete’s shelf.

From Goodreads: Feed Your Athlete features 150 nourishing whole-food meals and snacks for training, competition, and recovery for both endurance and strength athletes, plus fast and easy preparation tips and nutritional information. Athletes know how important it is to get the right fuel for their workouts and events. Feed Your Athlete makes it simple to fuel yourself or your athlete before, during, and after sporting events and training with 150 all-natural, real-food recipes for meals, snacks, portables, sports drinks, and more. Icons and assessments help determine optimal nutrition for any type of sport, and include high-carb, high-protein, low-calorie, low-fat, or high- or low-fiber options.
Created for endurance and strength athletes (but great for athletes of all kinds), Feed Your Athlete shows how to cook easy meals and take-alongs that taste good — and make active bodies feel great by delivering the fuel that they need to perform at their peak.

I learned to teach by first being an assistant. I was completely silent in front of the students. The teacher slowly coached me into being a good assistant. I learned more about the do’s and don’ts when I went to college. I tried different methods of assisting, and I had some people assist me. I learned that there is a difference between teaching, coaching, tutoring, and assisting.

I have learned that some people really don’t know how to be a good assistant. Maybe because they haven’t been taught, maybe because the teacher hasn’t given them any instruction. But an assistant really can make or break a class.



Don’t try to be a second teacher. In dance class, there is really only space for one teacher. A teacher doesn’t need another teacher, they need to be empowered to be the only teacher. It makes it easier for the kids to know who the authority is in the room. So if you’re not a teacher, what are you?

Do be the best student in the classroom. The students will learn appropriate dance-class behavior by watching the assistant. They will learn when it is appropriate to talk if you only talk when asked a question or when you raise your hand. They will learn that when the teacher says “Ready?” they should immediately get into preparation position.

Does anyone know who owns this image? I'd love to give credit!

This was very evident to me when I was in college. I was a student in a dance class, but I acted as an assistant because I had significantly more experience than a lot of the other students. I stood up front all the time, across from the teacher instead of just in the front line (but by her request). This allowed her to be in the front towards the music, while I could be in the front towards the other side of the room (so she didn’t have to turn on the music and run so far). It also allowed her to call out a correction instead of the combination (since they could watch me).

One of the hardest things was not correcting the teacher when she made a mistake. I remember one time she got passé and retiré switched. But I didn’t say anything. And that was the right choice.
Later in the semester, she had me teach the class and she acted as assistant (since I was a pedagogy student, she wanted to watch me teach and give me some pointers). I watched as she fell into the role flawlessly and did the same thing I did: she assisted, she didn’t try to be a second teacher. And the class went much smoother than if she’d accidentally undermined me as the teacher (even though she was the one with the degree).

Don’t just show up for class when the students show up.

Do show up five to ten minutes early and talk with the teacher (if possible). Ask the teacher specifically how you can be the most useful to them, what their goals are for the class, the lesson plan for the day, etc. If you need them, you could even ask for the combinations ahead of time!

Don’t rephrase or re-correct a student.  Say we’re laying on the floor with one leg up in the air and one leg long on the floor. I tell the student to “flex the standing leg and point the working leg.” the student is doing the opposite. I say the same thing again. The student still doesn’t respond. As an assistant, don’t say, “Switch your feet.” would it be easier to say that? of course. But as the teacher, I want the student to make the connection between want I’m asking them to do, and what they’re doing, and I want them to figure out what they need to do to change it. I don’t want them to “switch their feet.” I want them to listen to directions.

Do follow the teacher’s correction very clearly. In the example above, if you are doing it correctly, simply hold the position. The student may look at you and try to see what they’re doing wrong. They may not look at you at all. But you’re not moving because you are following the teachers directions.

Really what it comes down to is communication. Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher “what do you want from me!” Because don’t worry, they’ll tell you!

 Photo credit: ronan.odonohoe via Visualhunt.com / CC BY