Ballet Class (For the Teacher)

After about two months of teaching five classes a week at the ballet studio, I have come to notice that every ballet class has a certain progression. That progression even applies to the teacher. Taking a ballet class, however, is different than teaching one. This is how a ballet class goes for the teacher:

1. Attendance- This is my favorite part of the class. I don't have to think about what to do. All I have to do is call names, write them down, and help kids put star stickers on the "Star Chart." It is the easiest task I have to do.

2. Warm-up- During warm-up, I usually make the girls run around the room. After that, we do jumps "a la first". Sometimes, I feel like the warm-up is in vain since I'm the only one who keeps going and does not stop, but as long as the girls get warmed up, it's all good.

3. Stretch- I changed my mind, this is my favorite part of class. We sit on the floor and, as the name suggests, stretch. There is not a set order of stretches to do. We just do whatever stretches that either I or the other teachers fancy. Not only is it easy to decide what to do, but stretching also benefits me.

4. Center- This is the most stressful part of class. Most of the learning takes place here, so the kids can get pretty frustrated. They often start to lose focus because I do more talking and teaching during this time. If any part of class was like a performance, this would be the part.

5. Across the Floor- After sometimes tedious center work, across the floor work is the time to let loose and use the whole floor. Since I mostly teach little kids, we usually do leaps during this part. I'm always exhausted by this point, but everyone loves to leap.

After the class is done, everyone gets a sticker if they've been good. Finally, class is over and everyone can go home. That is unless another dance class awaits. Then, the cycle starts all over again.