Dance Teacher Blog: Teaching a Set Warm Up

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Dance Teacher Blog
Teaching a Set Warm Up

The first time I went to a dance convention as a young dancer I was blown away at the class size, and the amount of choreography I learned.  The second time I went to convention I was used to the three hundred other dancers and became familiar with the style of the various choreographers and master dance teachers.  They were simply teaching a set warm up, a set across the floor with some changes, and new, amazing choreography.   I thought it was brilliant then and I think find the formula useful now.

I teach my set warm up to my students and I grade them on their memorization and knowledge of it.  (I do not grade my K-3 students.)  Understand that  repetition of the material in the warm up and across the floor can be disengaging to your dance students.  However, they will enjoy the opportunity for improving the across-the-floor technique and leap for joy when they've memorized your entire warm up.

Basic Jazz Class Warm-Up (Just a few...)
Head-Shoulder-Hips Isolations
Shoulder rolls
Back stretches
Lunges
Yoga stretches
Sit Ups
Push Ups
A la seconde floor stretches


(Just a few...)
Basic Jazz Class Across-the-floor (x-floor) Movements 
Jazz walks
Pivot turns
Battements (kicks)
Châinés turns
Chasse 
Slide step
Drag step slide
Chasse Fan kick
Layouts/Laybacks
Pirouttes
Grand Jetes (leaps)
Pas da bourree
Pas da bourre with turn