The Handout
The document outlines the most basic grand allegro terminology, includes pronunciation, and a brief description of the meaning and how to execute the step.



This is also a great hand-out for parents who may be a little unclear on what a foutee or a subersaut is!

The Game
After reviewing the proper execution of each step, put your students in groups. Ask them to connect 3 of the steps on the page, plus two more steps that are not on the page, and then demonstrate it for the class!

We are all tired of hearing the same songs (and dancing to the same songs) over and over again... so I've recently started collecting music that I thought you would like! Keep your eyes peeled for more of these posts coming soon!

Have you heard of Noisetrade? The artists put their music online for free in exchange for your email and zip code. You can leave them a tip if you like their music! I've found some of my favorite bands through Noisetrade.

1. Yael Meyer - Warrior Heart - starts folksy and with a good temp, whimsical and inspirational, strong.
2. Michelle Wake - Effortless - smooth, jazzy, sassy, slow
3. Andrew Belle - The Enemy - modern, slow build, steady, powerful
4. Jillette Johnson - Cameron - dynamic, powerful, emotional, LGBTQ themed
5. Thea Gilmore - Got to Run - mysterious, acoustic, minor key, vocal artistry
6. Amberhope - Forever or Never - nostalgic, sad, soft, gentile, vocal artistry, grows in dynamics
7. Lauren Marsh - Promise - lyric, high, steady beat and tempo, inspiring
8. Juneau - Turning to Gold - steady pace, builds, lyric, soft, hint of country
9. Katie Pederson - Consistency  and I Will Sing- slow, deep, somber, beautiful harmony and lyrical
10. Heath McNease - Salem Songs - folksy

You may not be super excited about wearing only a leotard and tights in the studio. You may feel a little awkward, a little naked. And why do you have to wear this anyway? I mean, leggings are form-fitting, right? And can't I at least wear a skirt?

Some teachers are sticklers about dress code; others are pretty laid back. But no matter what kind of teacher you have or how serious a dancer you are, dress code is extremely important.


1. Injury Prevention - I've got news for you. Your teacher wants you to be healthy and functioning. So the short, dress how she tells you to so you don't get broken.

Now here's the long answer.

You have two bony knobs on the front of your hips, and two knobs behind above your glutes (right inside the dimples). The front ones are called the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (or ASIS) and the back ones are called Posterior Superior Iliac Spine (PSIS). These bones are essential in helping a dance teacher see if their student has proper hip alignment, which then will indicate whether everything else the student is doing is correct. If these bones are not lined up, there is a high chance the student will end up over-tucking, forcing rotation, and hurting themselves. Teachers can't see the bones if the student is not wearing correct tights and leotard. We also can't see the bones if the student is wearing shorts, a skirt, or a long shirt covering them.


 Then there's the knees. If a student is wearing leg warmers or sweat pants, the teacher cannot see if the rectus femoris is activated properly (active without gripping). They can't see if the knee is over the toes, they can't see if the knee is straight or bent. Sometimes all it takes is one day of not paying close attention and BAM. blown knee-cap, dancer out, in a compression boot for a year.

I've seen it happen.

In my class these dancers would all be asked to change. I can't see anything.

As far as the ankles (again, leg warmers or long pants) your feet are the foundation of the rest of the body. If the ankles are pronated, supinated, domed, or if the toes are gripping the floor and the teacher can't see it, the dancer is at risk.

Before dancers wore leotards, they wore dresses. Full dresses in dance class! Can you imagine? Teachers could still see the knees and ankles, but not the hips and back clearly. As teachers and doctors started to notice how dangerous certain postures were, they started asking dancers to wear less and less so they could keep their bodies safe. Leotards were actually invented for the circus, but dancers started wearing them as an alternative to the dresses that hid the body.


2 - Tradition. Ballet is one of the oldest forms of dance out there, and we've been wearing Leo/Tights for a while now. It's culturally accepted, and part of ballet is being part of the traditions of it. Respect the tradition and wear your dress code.


You might like: Why does my hair have to be in a bun?


3 - Respect. If your teacher wants you to wear leo and tights, wear it. If she wants you to wear leo, no tights, socks, and high bun (like RAD), do it. If she wants you to wear a tutu to class, wear it. Do what your teacher says. It's their studio, it's their rules. You don't question your school dress code, so why would you question your teacher's dress code?


You might like: Dance Class Etiquette - a student handbook

4 - Some teachers have a good reason besides all of the above. For instance, my teacher had picked out a specific leotard for the level 4 students.

Beginner level 4 dress code leotard (that I am proudly not wearing at the moment)

It had a strip of decor starting at the top of the shoulder strap and running down the body to the hip. It was a pink strip in black.

I liked it but didn't understand the specific need for that leo... until she was training me to teach, and pointed out that she could see if a student's hips or shoulders were twisted from far away just by looking at the strips on the leotard.

You might like: this leotard will hide your bra straps!

5 - Uniformity helps the teacher notice mistakes. If everyone is wearing the same thing, the teacher is able to pick out little things (a hip too high, an elbow in the wrong spot, a wrist dropped, etc) because the eye isn't distracted by a bunch of little differences between every dancer.

In this photo, stuff like bent knees, flat feet, tummies not pulled in, etc are very noticeable... because all the students are wearing the same thing.

All in all, if a teacher has a dress code and they feel it is important, you should feel the same way and respect them by following their rules.

Would you like a printable version of this post to hand out at your studio? From now until August 31, Our Dress Code is on sale for $2.99 ($12 value!)



Want to stay up to date on BTB's awesome content and great sales? Subscribe to my email list! You'll get coupons, exclusive content, and freebies in your inbox... and the best part is, I only send out 1 email a month (if that.).

Photo credit: Yellow Sky Photography via Visual hunt / CC BY-SA
Photo credit: gabrielsaldana via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA 
Photo credit: gabrielsaldana via Visual Hunt / CC BY-SA

If you’ve ever taken a class with me, you’ll hear me say this several times. Breathing is important. Obviously if you don’t breathe you’ll die. But I don’t mean just inhale-exhale as you need it. I want you to use your breath to your advantage. I have learned to harness my breath and use it as a tool.



My general rule of thumb is this: When you’re flexing a muscle, you should exhale, and when you’re lengthening, you should inhale.

For instance: When many people do a grand plie, they start off by taking a small breath, and exhaling as they go down. That causes the diaphragm and the lungs to get smaller, and they tend to sink in their backs. Many beginners will hold their breath as they do a developpe, or a jump series, because they’re focused on their body rather than their breathing. Neither of these things help them at all.

To start training your body to do this, start by doing this exercise: Do a nice deep demi plie. Inhale as you go down, and exhale as you push up. Then, place your hand on your shoulder, or do a port de bras to fifth as you do another demi plie. Imagine your collar bone is the top part of a slinky, and someone is releasing the bottom half when you do your plie. the bottom part of the slinky (your spine) is stretching downwards. Then, move the whole stretched-out slinky up in space as you stand out of your plie. Try the same thing in your grand plie. The idea is to put air space between the ribs and spine, and to lengthen as much as possible, and then keep that length as you stand up.
If you do your plies this way, I promise three things:

1. You will be warm after plies. Bye-bye sweaters and leg warmers!
2. Your spine will grow stronger and more flexible (with time), and allow for an awesome cambre.
3. You will learn to better isolate your muscles

Experiment with your breathing in class. Should you inhale as you do a pique arabesque, or exhale? What about a big sissone, or a grand jete? A grand battement? a fondu? Try to focus on your breath and you fill find that you can harness strength you didn’t know you had.

Do you get this question? Do you hate this question?

I created this brochure for me, so I have something to give people when they say that. Because after answering that question about 85,000 times you kinda get bored with it.

So instead of just keeping this lovely handout to myself, I thought I'd share it with you.


There are tons of benefits for young children in dance.

1. Physical benefits - Children will develop fine and gross motor skills, faster muscular development, better posture, balance, and grace faster than the average child who is not in dance.

2. Mental benefits - Children who dance develop a sense of rhythm, timing, and the natural skill to pick up on complex concepts faster than others. They also tend to be more likely to work hard in school, and less likely to give up when encountering something difficult.

3. Lifetime preparation - Children learn important skills like teamwork, confidence, demonstrating in front of groups, body language, and response to cues.



This guide is called Your Little Dancer. It's designed to "sell" the benefits of dance to parents, for ages 0-6. Do you run a mommy-and-me class, a Bella Bundle class, or a pre-ballet class? This is the perfect handout for dubious parents.

It's also perfect for handing out during recitals, open houses, and observation days, and field days.

I also make a customizable file! You send me your studio images, logo, and contact info, and I create the file just for you!


I know the school year is starting soon, and all you teachers are busy preparing for your busy season! Hopefully this guide can help you out by answering the questions you don't have time for!