This 12-hour free course on the teaching of dancing skills looked at matters of safety, technique and movement in the context of contemporary dance.

As dance training evolves and becomes more complex, knowledge of motor behavior is foundational in helping dancers learn and master new skills and become more efficient in integrating the skills. Motor Learning and Control for Dance is the first resource to address motor learning theory from a dance perspective. Educators and students preparing to teach will learn practical ways to connect the science behind dance to pedagogy in order to prepare dancers for performance. Dancers interested in performance from the recreational to professional levels will learn ways to enhance their technical and artistic progress. In language accessible even to those with no science background, Motor Learning and Control for Dance showcases principles and practices for students, artists, and teachers. The text offers a perspective on movement education not found in traditional dance training while adding to a palette of tools and strategies for improving dance instruction and performance. Aspiring dancers and instructors will explore how to develop motor skills, how to control movement on all levels, and—most important—how motor skills are best taught and learned. The authors, noted experts on motor learning and motor control in the dance world, explore these features that appeal to students and instructors alike: • Dance-specific photos, examples, and figures illustrate how to solve common problems various dance genres. • The 16 chapters prepare dance educators to teach dancers of all ages and abilities and support the development of dance artists and students in training and performance. • An extensive bibliography of sports and dance science literature allows teachers and performers to do their own research. • A glossary with a list of key terms at the back of the book. Part I presents an overview of motor behavior, covering motor development from birth to early adulthood. It provides the essential information for teaching posture control and balance, the locomotor skills underlying a range of complex dance skills, and the ballistic skills that are difficult to teach and learn, such as grand battement and movements in street dance. Part II explores motor control and how movement is planned, initiated, and executed. Readers will learn how the nervous system organizes the coordination of movement, the effects of anxiety and states of arousal on dance performance, how to integrate the senses into movement, and how speed and accuracy interact. Part III investigates methods of motor learning for dancers of all ages. Readers will explore how to implement a variety of instructional strategies, determine the best approaches for learning dance skills, and motivate and inspire dancers. This section also discusses how various methods of practice can help or hinder dancers, strategies for improving the recall of dance skills and sequences, and how to embrace somatic practice and its contribution to understanding imagery and motor learning. Motor Learning and Control for Dance addresses many related topics that are important to the discipline, such as imagery and improvisation. This book will help performers and teachers blend science with pedagogy to meet the challenge of artistry and technique in preparing for dance performance.

Teaching Dance Skills integrates the principles of motor learning and development with dance teaching strategies in order to optimize the learning environment for children, adolescents, and adults ranging in skill from novice to experienced dancers. In 12 chapters the book presents a blueprint for optimal individualized dance teaching leading to optimized learning. Specific topics addressed are: selecting and organizing the dance material, how to select the most appropriate instructional methods, and the role of various modes of demonstration as well as the type of feedback most appropriate for students? age, skill, and developmental levels.

This second edition of the classic text directs dance teachers through what they need to know to teach creative dance from pre-K through adult levels in a variety of settings. It includes a sequential curriculum, lesson plans, editable forms, and teacher strategies created by master teacher Anne Green Gilbert.

Foundations for Performance Training: Skills for the Actor-Dancer explores the physical, emotional, theoretical, and practical components of performance training in order to equip readers with the tools needed to successfully advance in their development as artists and entertainers. Each chapter provides a fresh perspective on subjects that students of acting and dance courses encounter throughout their training as performing artists. Topics include: Equity, diversity, and inclusion in performance Mind/body conditioning for training, rehearsal, and performance Developing stage presence and spatial awareness Cultivating motivation and intention in performance Expanding repertoire and broadening skillset for performance Auditioning for film and stage Developing theatrical productions This book also offers experiential exercises, journal writing prompts, and assignments to engage readers, enrich their learning experience, and deepen their exploration of the material described in each chapter. Readers will grow as performing artists as they analyze the principles of both acting and dance and discover how deeply the two art forms are intertwined. An excellent resource for students of acting, musical theatre, and dance courses, Foundations for Performance Training encourages a strong foundation in creative analysis, technique, artistic expression, and self-care to cultivate excellence in performance.

So you want to start a dance class or develop your existing class? This book has tips from 7 years experience as a teacher of salsa and swing dance. It describes how to set up successful classes and what some of the common pitfalls are. This practical guide could save you years of heartache and help you maximise not only your earing potential but aslso your fun in teaching dance.

Beginning Tap Dance With HKPropel Access introduces students to tap dance techniques and cultivates an appreciation of tap dance as a performing art. Focusing on novice dancers, experienced tap dancer and dance instructor Lisa Lewis offers step-by-step instruction to help beginning tap dancers match the beat of their enthusiasm to the rhythm of their feet! Designed for students enrolled in introductory tap dance courses, Beginning Tap Dance contains concise descriptions of exercises, steps, and techniques. Related online tools delivered via HKPropel feature more than 70 video clips of tap steps with verbal cues to help students review content from class or learn other beginning steps. It also contains learning features to support and extend students’ knowledge of tap dance, including assignments, e-journaling prompts, tests of tap dance terminology, a glossary, and links to further study. The book introduces the dance form by detailing its physical and mental benefits. Students learn about etiquette, proper attire, class expectations, health, and injury prevention for dancers. After basic dance steps are introduced, tap steps are presented in groups with one, two, three, and four or more sounds. Chapters also introduce students to the history, major works, artists, styles, and aesthetics of tap dance as a performing art. Beginning Tap Dance is ideal to support both academic and kinesthetic learning. Instructions, photos, and video clips of techniques help students practice outside of class. The text and online learning tools complement studio teaching by providing historical, artistic, and practical knowledge of tap dance plus activities, assessments, and support in skill acquisition. With Beginning Tap Dance, students can learn and enjoy performing tap dance as they gain an appreciation of the dance form. Beginning Tap Dance is a part of Human Kinetics’ Interactive Dance Series. The series includes resources for ballet, modern, tap, jazz, musical theatre, and hip-hop dance that support introductory dance technique courses taught through dance, physical education, and fine arts departments. Each student-friendly text has related online learning tools including video clips of dance instruction, assignments, and activities. The Interactive Dance Series offers students a collection of guides to learning, performing, and viewing dance. A code for accessing HKPropel is included with this ebook.