PRESCHOOL DANCE: AGE 3-5

Welcome to everything preschool dance! It is imperative for all teachers to follow the lesson plans and teach all skills listed for the class in the order they are presented. Having consistency between teachers is what keeps our program strong and successful.  Please take time to read over this material so you can better implement the curriculum into your classes! 

Age Groups: 

• Preschool Dance is for kids turning 4 between Sept 1-August 31 of this season.

• Pre-K Dance is for kids turning  5 between Sept 1-August 31 of this season.

Class Description: 

Dance & Tumbling combo classes especially for preschoolers! With our new fun theme each month, this class will be your child's favorite time of the week! Preschool Dance & Tumble has been designed to enhance gross motor developments, listening skills, and musicality, as well as nurture their creative spirit. 

• 1 hour class (40 minutes dance, 15 minutes tumbling) 

• Attire – Girls: leotard, pink tights, pink ballet shoes, hair pulled back.  Ballet skirts are optional. Boys: white t-shirt, black athletic shorts or sweats, bare feet.

How to Effectively Use the Preschool Dance Curriculum:

ADD HERE This curriculum builds fundamental __ skills. Instructors are expected to ensure quality in classes and material being taught. There is one lesson plan each month that can be adapted for both age groups. Modify and enhance lesson plans as needed based on the level of your classes. If you do need to make adjustments, be sure you are including all focus skills from the lesson plan or a progression towards building that skill to ensure consistency in progress between classes. Keep them moving! Add in brain breaks/movement games when the class is beginning to get distracted!  Water breaks are not allowed.

We follow the same lesson plans and use the same playlists for both PS and PK. Access lesson plans, playlists, and video trainings above!

Class Structure:

• Beginning activity, welcome song, pass-off skill introduction

• Warm-up & stretch

• Circuit time

  • • Option 1: Full room single circuit. Recommended for PS/Level A first half of year.

    • Option 2: Two circuits, one group. Recommended for PK/Level B first half of year, PS/Level A second half of year.

    • Option 3: Two circuits, two groups. Recommended for PK/Level B second half of year. Circuit 1 is safe and simple skills for students to stay on task independently. Circuit 2 is with the teacher and includes more difficult or newer skills that require supervision and spotting assistance. 

• Ending activity, fun song & pass off skills for stamp

• Always end your classes with “Thank you very much students, thank you very much teachers, see you next week!"

Teacher Training:

• Review timeline and elements of 40/20 minute class

  • Welcome song on dots, use each person’s name

  • How are we lining kids up for across the floor (sitting, standing, making a line)

  • Using the poly spots to teach them to line up for walk on and walk across the floor

• Monthly curriculum emails with videos and material sent out. Use it!

• Where to find music playlists in iTunes music on iPads and additional music in Spotify

• Songs to know:

  • If a song has words, you should be following the words in your movements (Example: Peanut butter and jelly has a DANCE you are doing while you stretch.. Don’t just stretch.)

  • Transition songs “It’s time to put the bells away, bells away, bells away. It’s time to put the bells away, in Ms. Amy’s class.” Using your name is important!

  • Stay in line: “Quiet mouth (zip lips), listening ears (hands behind ears), hands to self (stand like a soldier), stay in line (shrug shoulders 3xs to the words).

  • Pike stretch: “Cars go over, boats go under, trucks go fast, dancers go around!”

• Monthly Themes plus implementing Discover Dance concepts into lessons from our toddler classes.

  • Review favorite themes and activities- October is so fun! Go all in!

  • Important skills of the month are on the coloring pages

  • We’ve GOT TO expect more of this age group. Teach them to know the difference between pointed toes and sloppy toes, straight legs and sloppy legs. They can do it. We need to follow through and not let them be lazy. There is no “good enough.” It’s either straight or bent, pointed or not pointed. 

  • Marches- STAY ON FLAT, OR ON RELEVE.. don’t let them bounce up and down

  • Hops on one foot-  Use this skill to teach right and left

  • Skip progressions- can they hop on one foot? On both sides?

    • Skipping party- don’t wait to get them excited about this. PS and PK can all come to skip party if they can skip.

    • Start teaching the “ballet skip” not the playground skip

    • Progressions- march first, hop on one foot on the floor, then skip

  • Kicks- no flicks

  • Tendu passe, tendu close, start in parallel, first, slowly.

  • Chasses (side gallop) arms in a T

  • Chaine prep- say “Open Close, Open Close, On My Toes” hands on shoulders or hips

  • Frog stretch

• Teachers share their favorite go-to songs for props and fun:

• Review the PreK skills to be introduced before the end of the year:

Class Methods & Management 

• Classroom Rules and Discipline Procedure- Make it a habit to review this in class!

• Be very CLEAR about parent observation policy

  • Trials can watch through the window the last ten minutes of class

  • Siblings to classes

• Across the floor- no herds, be conscious of how long you are going across the floor. This is an important skill to develop but not for half the class. Too much standing can be trouble!

• They always have somewhere they need to be: on a dot, standing in line, in a circle, against the wall

• Props 

  • Keep staple supplies in each room: scarves, wands, bean bags, etc.

  • Don't stick the tape on the front of our teaching tools, fold it and stick it on the back! Please DON'T stick tape over the skills written on the back! It takes off the words and then we can't read them anymore! :)

  • Single sets need to be stored in the tumble closet at Bntl and in studio 1 at Cntl

  •  Rhythm sticks, parachute, ribbon streamers

  • Check the bucket before putting it away in the closet. Throw away garbage out of the bin!

  • If a prop is broken or needs replacement-- let the coordinator know!

• Ballet shoes- We hate tying ballet shoes! Fix the problem: Tie elastic in a knot (don’t pull to make them tight) leave 1.5-2 inches and tape inside with electrical tape.  Write names on the inside of shoes on leather NOT fabric with a sharpie and spell their name or initials correctly.

• Monthly pass off coloring pages! (Not for ACPS)

  • Write names on papers before class.

  • They color these at home

  • Pass off is done all at once as a class. Use assistants to mark off skills while teacher directs class

End of year performance skills

• Important skills to have mastered/introduced before kindergarten

  • Heel stretches, names of parts of the foot: arch, ball, heel

  • Splits stretching R & L 

  • Pirouette prep

  • Chaine prep

  • Knee pop ups

Special Studio Events/Programs for Preschool/Pre-K Classes:

• Holiday program

• Skipping party

• Tumble exhibition

• Recital