Solutions to common teaching challenges will be added periodically. Please check back regularly or become a subscriber to be notified when new Solutions are posted. Teaching Challenge #1: How can I Cultivate a Culture of Caring while maintaining the Discipline needed to be successful in Ballet? According to author Chloe Angyal (2021, Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself), dancers now, more than ever, need their mental health to be succe

How to find your unique contribution. For the latest in my series of How to.... I introduce a book I recently discovered that was written by one of my former ballet students - The Artist’s Compass: The complete guide to building a life and a living in the performing arts, by Rachel S. Moore. Rachel was only very young when I taught her, nevertheless I feel proud of her many grand and varied accomplishments. Just as an example, she was a dancer with ABT as well as their former

How to empower students and still maintain discipline Learning from Simone Biles and Gymnastics A recent article in Dance Magazine, by Bradford Chin (August 2, 2021), was titled What the dance world can learn from Simone Biles. https://www.dancemagazine.com/simone-biles-mental-health-2654372644.html Chin (2021) writes, “Directors create a culture of empowerment—not scarcity—that encourages dancers to speak up, makes them feel heard and takes action on their behalf. Biles was

Self-Talk is the running commentary that goes on in our heads. It can affect the way we think and feel about ourselves, which affects our performance. If you are having problems getting your students to overcome self-talk this is for you. It is important to cultivate a growth mindset when modifying Self-Talk Cultivating a Growth Mindset Dancers need a variety of strategies that can sustain their motivation in the face of setbacks and pressures that can be associated with maki