Archive for the ‘Performing Arts’ Category

The Importance of a Good Dance Curriculum

Friday, August 7th, 2009
by Sarah Wilkiamson

Scanning the various options available to parents wanting to enroll their children in a good dance school can have quite a few pitfalls. It should be a 'no brainer', but ultimately a dance school's curriculum can be the deciding factor in whether a child continues their dance classes or not.

Consider the challenges of teaching young children: Teaching young children presents its own set of challenges. When you are contemplating dance lessons for your child you will need to understand the specific needs of your child regarding their age and learning abilities. When you have established this, you can better access a dance school curriculum that is just right for them.

The age of your child should be taken into consideration: Young children can have short attention spans. A curriculum that mixes a combination of fun and hard work will take care of this problem and enable your child to progress at a better rate. It is essential not to let a learning curriculum become too long with boring dance routines that young child cannot enjoy and learn from.

Boredom and frustration are also factors when teaching young children: this is very detrimental to learning. Mixing entertainment with learning helps to prevent this. It breaks up lessons into smaller portions enabling a young child to learn better. With a fun curriculum the children will be able to focus on the dance routines and not get bored and frustrated.

Realizing potential: at this age many children have potential but are not aware of it. You might not really know this until your child gives the dance lessons a try. A curriculum that is especially geared for young students will allow your child to realize their potential. Once they can do this you never know how far they will go. It will also give them added confidence in other learning fields as well as dance.

The right environment: Young children have the ability to learn at this age but can only do so with the right environment. It is important to take this into consideration when looking at dance school curriculum. An environment that is friendly to young children is very important for them to learn how to dance. So try to find a school that has a good learning environment for your child.

A good teacher will also know some activities that will combine music and fun with the development of a sense of rhythm and muscles that are essential to dance. A good teacher will also know how to bring out untapped creative skills in your child- something that cannot be recognized without proper training.

So, not all dance schools are the same. A good curriculum is a starting point in finding the right school. You should check out a few different options before you make a decision, just like you would with any other important decision. Remember that something like dance should be a great experience for your child and may influence many aspects of their life to come.

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A Brief History Of Waltz

Sunday, July 26th, 2009
by Erika Tieleman

Waltz is a progressive dance characterized by long, gliding steps and rise and fall motion. Today, it's very popular with all dancers, young and old, and often the first ballroom dance people learn. It's spread all around the world. In this article we are going to take a brief tour through the history of waltz.

Waltz is a turning dance. That's where its name came from. The word waltz, which comes from the old German word "walzen", means to turn, to revolve.

Before making its way into the Hapsburg courts, waltz was a folk dance of Austria and Bavaria. In the 17th century it became very popular among young aristocracy. It was something new and exciting. But because it was a couple dance that allowed close contact, it was quickly deemed immoral and banned in some areas.

Of course, this only increased the popularity of it. By the end of the eighteenth century it was known throughout Europe and accepted by high society. Mozart was a supporter of waltz, he composed quite a few.

Great Austrian composers of the nineteenth Century, such as Franz Lanner, Johann Strauss Senior and Junior helped enormously to popularize waltz. Johann Strauss Jr. was known as "The Waltz King". The Blue Danube is his best known work.

When waltz became popular in the United States in the 1830s, it developed into a slower style, known as the Boston waltz. The original waltz, known today as the Viennese waltz, is much faster that the slow waltz we usually dance today. Did you know: Viennese waltz is 3 times faster that regular slow waltz - 180 beats per minute compared to 90.

Today, waltz is one of the most popular partner dances in the world. It's romantic, elegant and very easy to learn. It clearly stood the test of time.

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