Ballet Pedagogy: The Art of Teaching

5. The Teaching and Learning Process

5 The teaching and learning Process Class levels dance schools usually divide students into four categories based on age: primary or predance (below the age of 6), preadolescent (ages 6–10), early adolescent (ages 11–15), and late adolescent through adult (ages 16 and up). Primary and preadolescent levels make up a lower school or division, and the adolescent and adult levels constitute an upper division. Guiding and mentoring students through the training process is different at each of these levels because of the intellectual and psychological/emotional development of each age group. it is rare that a teacher is equally effective and comfortable in teaching all levels. More often than not, teachers are more comfortable and better suited for teaching in just one division— upper or lower school. i know teachers who only teach upper intermediate through professional levels and who would never take on a children’s class, and conversely, there are those who teach children who would never consider teaching a professional level class. not all schools have the resources or enrollments to separate their intensive (preprofessional) students from their recreational students. This creates a challenge for teachers because the extent of mentoring and performance expectations is dissimilar between these two groups, giving a different emphasis to the student/teacher relationship. teaching in a local dance studio or community center can have a much 90 different set of expectations for both the teacher and the student. Most students attend primarily for the recreational enjoyment of dancing and without any ambitions for a career in the art. The benchmarks and timelines for progress will be different and lower than those in a preprofessional career program; therefore, this should be reflected in whatever expectations a teacher has for the overall class. But this is not to say that there should be any diminution of the quality of training and conveyed artistic values. There are many talented youngsters who are potentially fine dancers attending local dance studios, and a strong technical foundation will help ensure their success if and when they progress into a preprofessional training program. We teach and our students learn via the cognitive and kinesthetic processes . students cognize and process information visually through our demonstrations of steps and spatial relationships, and they hear through our verbal instruction, which often includes imagery and musical rhythm. Kinesthetic learning is experiential—knowing how a movement feels by doing it. Hence serious dance students take daily classes and practice the same steps over and over. as with all forms of concert dance, ballet is taught primarily through group learning rather than in private sessions. This presents an added challenge to any teacher as s/he offers general corrections throughout a class, because each student has his/her own system of cognitive and kinesthetic learning. Personal corrections are given as well, but the same correction given to two students may be effective for one but not for the other. it is, therefore, up to the teacher to ascertain or intuit how each student learns effectively. The student/teacher relationship Perfecting technique is unquestionably necessary in order to become a professional dancer and artist. More and more of today’s young dancers exhibit highly refined technique and are capable of executing very difficult steps. But technique is only half of the whole; it is the means by which dancers attain and fully express their artistry. too often we see young dancers perform classical variations, especially in national competitions, where a fine line separates their performances between that of a circus act and the high art of classical ballet. so, as teachers, we must do more than just teach steps. The teaching and learning Process 91 92 Ballet Pedagogy: The art of teaching When i first began to teach, my goals were simply to design a class and present it clearly. if the class went smoothly, i declared it a success. Most of my attention was focused on my own pedagogical skills. as i became more adept and comfortable with teaching, i was able to concentrate more on understanding the relationship that exists between the student and teacher and how the process of teaching and learning develops and matures. developing a relationship with students, especially in a preprofessional environment, is the first step to mastering the training process. it is an equal partnership in which the teacher and student each have a designated responsibility to recognize and fulfill. With preprofessional and recreational...