What Makes a Great Ballet Lesson Plan?
If you’ve ever walked into class thinking “I’ll just wing it today”... only to hit the five-minute mark and realize you’re mentally not coming up with combos quickly enough or just simply having a ‘brain fart’ — you are definitely not alone.
Whether you're teaching pliés to 8-year-olds or polishing pirouettes with advanced teens, a great ballet lesson plan is more than just a list of combos. It's your teaching roadmap — one that supports technique, flow, creativity, and classroom management all at once.
So what exactly makes a ballet lesson plan great? Let’s break it down.
1. It Has a Clear Objective
Great lesson plans are intentional. They answer the question:
"What do I want my dancers to walk away with today?"
That could be:
Improving alignment and height of their arabesque
Cleaning up petit allegro footwork
Exploring expressive port de bras, epaulement and head positions
👉 The more specific the goal, the more focused and productive your class becomes.
2. It Builds from Warm-Up to Execution
A solid ballet class should progress logically:
Barre builds strength, alignment, and coordination
Center work reinforces balance and control
Across-the-floor applies skills in motion and space
Choreography brings artistry and musicality into play
Each section should reinforce your objective — like planting seeds at the barre and watching them bloom in center.
3. It Balances Structure With Flexibility
A great plan gives you a strong foundation without boxing you in. Because let’s face it, sometimes:
A class arrives high-energy and buzzing 🤸♀️
Other days they’re quiet or clearly not all awake ☕
And occasionally, that one dancer has 20 questions about glissade 👀(bless them)
Having a flexible plan allows you to adapt on the spot while still staying on track.
4. It Includes Corrections & Cues in Advance
Great lesson plans include reminders like:
Review the corrections that always seem to come up BEFORE they do the combo
Help your dancers make the connection between what they practice at the barre and how it shows up later in class - this is where the real magic happens! For example, remind them that those sharp dégagés aren’t just an exercise - they’re the groundwork for glissades, jetés, and assemblés. Or that a strongly executed grand battement devant - is the exact same motion that powers a grand jeté.
These connections help students move with intention instead of just going through the motions.
And while you’re at it — give them permission to mess up. 🙃Class is practice field, not the performance. Encourage them to push themselves a little, take risks, experiment with their lines and let go of the pressure to be technically perfect every time. That’s where confidence builds and artistry begins.
These cues elevate your teaching and help students connect more deeply to the movement.
5. It’s Manageable for YOU, Too
Let’s be honest — even the most dedicated teachers don’t have hours to spend on planning each week. A great ballet lesson plan should:
Save you time
Be easy to print, scan, or reference mid-class
Include music suggestions so you’re not scrambling mid-combo
Leave you feeling calm and confident when you walk into the studio
Bonus: 💡 It’s Repeatable & Customizable
A truly great plan can be reused again and again with small tweaks for level, class size, or energy. That’s why so many teachers use a framework they can plug into — or even better, a done-for-you lesson plan they can download and adapt in minutes.
Want to Teach With Less Stress & More Structure?
At BalletLessonPlans.com, we create complete, professionally crafted ballet lesson plans for real teachers like you — with:
🩰 Ample combos
🩰 Music pairings
🩰 Creative ideas
🩰 Teaching notes
Whether you're building a 6-week summer series or need a plan you can teach tonight, we've got you covered.
🎉 Browse our most-loved plans here: Click Here!
Final Thoughts
The difference between a good class and a great one often comes down to preparation. A thoughtful, strategic lesson plan helps your students grow — and helps you teach with confidence, creativity, and joy.
Because you deserve to walk into class knowing you're ready to inspire 💗
