Going for It! Welcome to 2021!

The old-school way I would prepare for my classes!

My idea for starting a ballet lesson plans website came from multiple suggestions and comments from my students through the years to do something with my lesson plans, like 'write a book, Ms. Julia'. Little did they know that sometimes I needed inspiration, and new ideas, or simply didn't have the time to create new ones. I wasn't finding resources online that fit my needs. I always feel more confident when I am prepared for my classes plus it helps reduce my stress level. But most importantly I want to provide the very best class for my students. I don't think I am alone in how I feel and therefore I decided to go for it!

Back in the day, I hand-wrote my dance class lesson plans in notebooks (steno notebooks were my favorite - because I'm lefthanded).  Then when computers came around I started typing & printing them. I was that dance teacher walking into the studio with a brightly colored notebook in my hands with tabs for each different class. When I would demonstrate the combination to my class, I always had the papers in my hands. 

I learned my class preparation from the best! My hometown dance teacher, Chet Zercher at Dancer's Workshop in Lancaster, PA set an amazing example of how to be prepared to teach a class. He had multiple binders full of typed pages (he used an actual typewriter) complete with extra handwritten notes of the combinations he gave. They smelled like coffee and cigarettes. When he passed away a little over 10 years ago, I had the honor of receiving his ballet lesson plan binder. To this day, it is a constant reference for me and the smell brings me back to the many, many hours I spent in that studio.

Because my students always saw me with my binders and when I shared with them how I received my dance teacher's binder after his passing, they told me I should write a book and include all my ballet class lesson plans that I have accumulated over the years. I was so flattered that they thought I could do such a thing. The idea bounced around in my head for several years. 

Then about 3 years ago, I had a few students challenge me to go paperless. WHAT?!?!?! Are you crazy?!!??! I have a hard enough time doing it this way! The thought of going paperless made me nervous but curious if I could do it. I mean, after all, I am all about recycling, repurposing, and saving the planet. So I set out to achieve that goal. I figured out that I could use my phone to access my Google Drive and pull up my lesson plans on it. And along with a Pop-Socket on the back, I could hold it while demonstrating. Win-Win!

I felt so good not lugging around binders, actually having all my lesson plans readily available, so I could change direction, pull up something from last month, or even try something we have never done before. Since I teach for several studios and each class is unique this proved to be a great way to do it.

Then the craziness of 2020 came along and like many people, I started rethinking some things and I decided that since I really, truly LOVE making lesson plans I should do something about it. I told my husband it's the thing I can do all day long and never get bored or tired of doing it! I love pairing the combinations with the music, I love coming up with new ideas and I love presenting my very best class to my students.  

So, here I am! I am going for it. Why not? I am not a certified ballet except for PBT (I got certified and licensed 5 years ago) but I just have years and years of experience teaching all levels, all types (recreational and pre-professional) and I simply love everything about it. 

Check out my sample beginner ballet class lesson plan for Ballet 1. It's actually 5 pages long, so far more content than an hour-long lesson so it's something you can use over the course of a couple of weeks.