Michel Maling 
Swan Lake was the first ballet that I ever saw live as a child, so it makes sense that I would include a Swan Lake Synopsis on this blog. Swan Lake has always been one of my favorite ballets, and I especially love the scenes with all the white swans. As a child, I dreamed … Read more
As a dance teacher, you will often find yourself in the position of having to choreograph a dance for 3 year olds. This can be tricky and at times frustrating, but here are some tips for teaching this age group a dance that they can do at your annual concert. Choreography at this level is … Read more
This is a brief George Balanchine Biography and how he and Lincoln Kirstein influenced ballet dancing during the twentieth century. George Balanchine Biography George Balanchine is known as the undisputed choreographic genius of the twentieth century. He co-founded a major ballet dancing company and school, devised a technique and training method that produced the fastest … Read more
Dawn Weller – South African Ballerina – A Short Autobiography Ken Yeatman, who is an Ex-Principal dancer with Pact, Capab, Pacofs and Napac Ballet Companies wrote this extract in the book, Dawn Weller: Portrait of a Ballerina, which describes her perfectly. ‘Dawn Weller did not reach her present position through natural talent. She is there … Read more
Getting your first pair of pointe shoes is an exciting time in any ballet dancers life, so in this post, I have decided to write a pointe shoe fitting guide to make your first experience on pointe as comfortable as possible for you. If you were to dissect ballet down to a single, iconic image, … Read more
If you are looking for a dance lesson plan for your little ballerinas, then here is one that I use quite often with a circus theme, and the kids love it. This is the 4th dance lesson plan that I have placed on this blog for baby ballerinas. You can find a list of the … Read more
When I teach ballet class, I always try to incorporate some sort of barre in ballet work into my classes, no matter how many protests I get from my students. It is common knowledge that barre in ballet and the work done on the barre is the foundation for good ballet technique. Inevitably, where a … Read more
I am sure that many dance teachers, like myself, are getting ready and some even dreading going back to work very soon. As a dance teacher, I am so fortunate that I can take a lovely long break at the end of the year. Sometimes I feel like I am so spoilt considering that other … Read more
It is amazing what ballet floor barre exercises can achieve. I always hear examiners stating in courses we attend “when in doubt take it to the floor.” While ballet dancing has evolved quite a lot over recent years, it is mostly danced upright and as far away from the floor as possible. Modern dance, however, … Read more
Over the last few years of teaching dancing, I have noticed that I have had more and more cases of children attention deficit disorders. I can’t quite put my finger on when these numbers started increasing to the level that it has now gotten to, but suddenly there are about two in every four … Read more