Tuesday Tip: Props
Welcome to a brand new Leap 'N Learn blog series. Tuesday Tips will feature simple ideas for bringing ease to your job and joy to your life. Whether it's geared toward dance teachers, studio owners, students, or parents, we think you'll enjoy these tips. And for more in-depth ideas and support, consider becoming a Leap 'N Learn member.
Here at Leap 'N Learn, we are huge fans of using props. First of all, they provide so many great benefits to young children when used effectively. They also make us think creatively and help our creative movement lessons from becoming stale (which is important for keeping our dance teachers happy). And if that wasn't enough, the way our dance students bubble over with excitement when we introduce a prop they get to use would give us reason alone to add them to our classes. So if you're trying to find a clever way to teach a movement or concept, consider how a prop might aid in the process. Or if you're getting bored with your regular routine, grab a few ordinary objects and put your imagination to work. In no time, you'll understand why it's seriously fun to be a pro at dance props!
Bonus Tip: Do not let your young dancers see the props until you are ready to use them. Their focus will be on "I want to play with that" and not on the class at the moment. You want to avoid that type of distraction so that your students can remain engaged, attentive and learning during every minute you have with them.
For further reading about using props in the dance classroom, check out this Dance Teacher Magazine article featuring Leap 'N Learn founder and director, Beverly Spell.
P.S. When you join Leap 'N Learn, you discover why and how to use dance props. Plus, you gain access to our detailed dance lesson plans, which include a lot of specific ways to use various props. And in our day-to-day teaching and brainstorming, we continually come up with new ideas on how to modify existing lessons with different props or for DIY dance props, and these ideas pop up in our weekly member videos and occasionally on this dance blog!