 COUNTDOWN CELEBRATION Use the last week before winter break to do a New Year’s countdown! For your younger classes, put some scarves on top of your parachute and toss them in the air together while you countdown from ten. Be sure to shout Happy New Year! For your older classes, share your favorite moment from dance class so far this year. UNWRAP THE FUN Play a dance “Gifts & Giggles” game with your older students. Give each student 2 blank notecards. On one, they should write a favorite dance step. On the other, they should write a silly dance step. Mix the cards up and deal out one to every person and put the rest in the center. Don’t show your cards. On their turn, everyone can steal another person’s card or choose one from the middle. After you go around twice and every student has 2 cards, they must come up with 16 counts of movement that uses both steps on their card! FREE HOLIDAY MAD LIBS Download T’was the Night Before Dance Class to do as a class activity or to hand out to your students! Click the picture below!  LEARNING GAMES for ALL AGES and STYLES The week leading up to winter break are the perfect opportunity to game-ify your classes! The use of games encourages critical thinking and recall of learned concepts. Continued learning + creativity + fun = all the warm fuzzy feelings as your dancers head into winter break!  
0 Comments
 SNOWFLAKE WARM-UP Do this quick warm-up in any class to get those muscles going! While seated or laying, pull knees into chest (snowball) then open to straddle with arms reaching (snowflake). Repeat 8X, then stand up. Jump apart with arms reaching to high corners (snowflake), then jump together and contract (snowball). Repeat 8X! FREEZE AND MELT Challenge your dancers' control and ability to fill the music, in any style class. Teach 32 counts of any combo or phrase. After they execute that, your dancers must reach, releve', or balance on 1 foot for 8 counts, then melt slowly to the floor for 16 counts. Then they must dance their way up for 8 counts and begin your phrase again! WHAT'S YOUR SNOWMAN NAME If you were a snowman, what would your name be? And what’s your signature step? Click the picture below to get your free printable Snowman Name worksheet. Use it during class or at the beginning of a camp to break the ice (pun intended!). As a group, figure out everyone’s snowman name and then practice the special steps together!  CRAFT STORE SNOW PROPS From December through February, snow props are a dance teacher’s best friend! Look for foam snowflakes, snowman cut-outs, and yarn snowballs too. Use them in obstacle courses, parachute activities & more. For immersive and imaginative lesson plans & games that bring SNOW to life - and use props to move important dance concepts forward - check out my winter dance resources!      CAN'T CATCH ME GAME Students start on the floor, with their eyes closed. Teacher then tiptoes around the room and tap a few dancers on the shoulder. Those dancers jump up and do a traveling step (the teachers pretend to be “chasing” them and “catch” them with another tap on the shoulder). Then start again, choosing different kids for the next round! COOKIE FOLLOW-ALONG SONGS It takes a little digging, but you can find gingerbread theme action songs in your music apps. Follow the words with your own dance actions! Gingerbread Man by The Kiboomers Gingerbread Man Dance & Freeze by Jack Hartmann Wobbly Man by Koo Koo (pretend to be a cookie crumbling) COOKIE STORYTELLING Read one of the many children’s books about the Gingerbread Man at the start of your dance class, and act it out with dance movements............OR get your copy of my dance-along stories for preschool & early elementary age, which come with storyboards, movement, & review cards too!   BAKE IN THE LEARNING & ARTISTRY By using stories & imagination, you help to reinforce the artistry and creativity that elevates dancers from athletes to athlete-artists. Dance games have the power to unlock individuality and imagination in your students, by providing cues and a roadmap to discover their own artistic voice! Create your own, or browse the inclusive winter holiday theme games on my site!   MAKE IT HOLIDAY NEUTRAL The traditional Nutcracker story takes place on Christmas Eve. For an easy switch, when using the Nutcracker story in class or dancing it out, replace Christmas Eve with New Year’s Eve! Or simply say “at the holiday party” instead of Christmas Eve in your re-telling of the story. NUTCRACKER FREEZE Search for classical Nutcracker music and Nutcracker covers on your music app. Then, play the Nutcracker Freeze! Ask your students to move in any way, following the cues in the music. When you stop the music, they freeze! Switch songs each time you stop the music, and choose different tempos or feels each time.  TRADITION FOR ALL AGES AND STYLES You can introduce elements of the Nutcracker story in any class! Dance like you are on your way to a party, in your parent-tot class. Dance like snowflakes in creative movement. Explore the Land of Sweets by doing candy-inspired moves in jazz. Take a look at my Nutcracker in A Nutshell lesson plans & Nutcracker Activities to supplement your classes & winter break camps!   No matter which holiday your dance students celebrate, there's a way to have festive fun this month! Welcome to my 5-part series on how to infuse the magic and excitement of the season into your classes, while at the same time making every child feel included. Let's start with candy canes! Candy canes are for everyone! They are sold around Christmastime, but at their essence, candy canes are a just yummy treat that all kids can enjoy. Here are 4 fun and easy ways to use the imagery of candy canes in your classes, today! Play the Candy Cane Balance Game During warm-ups, while their arms are extended side in 2nd position, hang a candy cane on each student's hand, They must keep their arms strong to keep it balanced! Reward -- they get to take the candy cane home! Candy Cane Relay Instead of passing a baton, pass a candy cane! Set your dancers up to practice any skill or combo across the floor, with the next person ready on the opposite side. Dancer 1 should travel across while holding the candy cane, and then pass it to dancer 2. Dancer 2 then starts the combo traveling back the other way, and passes the candy cane to dancer 3, and so on! Candy Cane Jane A super cute and done-for-you preschool tap routine that is easy to teach? Yes, please! Teach part of this routine as a mini class combo or as a holiday dance for your studio's viewing week. Either way, you can't lose, especially since it is on sale for 80% off through December 2023. Grab your copy (which includes teacher notes and a full video demonstration) for just $2, by clicking the picture below!  If you are already a Tap Teacher Member, this game is included in your Tap Lesson Plan Membership -- check your portal! Find out more about being a Tap Teacher Member, here! Peppermint Hot Chocolate This dance game will help your students think about dance as something beyond the steps they learn in class, by helping them create their own artistic movement in a low-pressure way. For $7, you'll get the newly updated print-and-play game for tweens and teens that you can use for years to come. Click the picture below for details!  |
RSS Feed