In many schools this is the time of year when students are preparing for competitions and spring performances and recitals, so how can you keep them still in learning mode so that their technique keeps developing until the end of the year? Most dance students get very excited when it comes to working on numbers that they will be performing and of course, we wouldn't want them to feel any other way as performances certainly are the icing on the cake. After spending months on technique classes often the student's perception is that they don't need to work on technique or stretches or anything that equals hard work because they are now working on choreography. I like to keep them constantly focused on still learning technique for a number of reasons:

1)    It is important that they keep developing their skills as it will only enhance the choreography.

2)    Injury prevention is extremely important and if dancers stop thinking about their technique the possibility of injury increases.

3)    There is a large gap in the time they are really studying dance if they stop once choreography is created.

4)    It is important for students to understand that although the numbers they learn are a sort of culmination of their current work and knowledge they need to keep learning and mastering new technique in order to go up to higher levels.

I think all teachers possibly fall into the trap from time to time, of just warming the dancers up in class and then running the numbers, I know that I have been guilty of that on occasional moments and certainly if you have a performance coming up and class time is the only time that you can rehearse everyone together, then you are really left with no alternative. So it takes a little extra planning to structure your classes that in one way or another, students are going to be able to continue to work on their technique.

I have found that if during each class that I teach, I give my students one specific step or combination or turn sequence that I want them to work on for the following week, I have had more success than if they feel there are too many things being thrown at them. As we know and experience every day, people today especially young people have a short attention span and just don't seem to be able to handle too much at one time. I will check the following week if they have worked on whatever I gave them and I will reward whichever student or students that I feel have really given it some thought and made some improvement by praising them in front of their peers and giving random small prizes. If you work at a studio you could suggest this to your studio owner and recommend that they buy small, inexpensive items which will in turn generate a feeling of goodwill all round. Most studio owners will be happy that you are doing something to keep their students motivated and engaged.  All of this does not have to take away from rehearsal time during class because when you do run your number the technique and awareness of positioning etc. will naturally improve if your dancers are still in 'learning mode' and that will definitely cut down on the actual time that you need to rehearse.

I think perhaps the most important aspect of keeping your students enthusiastic and eager to keep learning is to give them a reason and the motivation to do so. Every student including the purely recreational ones imagines themselves as being a 'Star' in one way or another. The recreational ones don't want to be in the back row because when they dance around the house by themselves they feel that they can look good and be in the front line, so if you can show them that if they can really grasp and master some technique they will be able to realize their dream then you will have accomplished a lot. If you can show them that the more they know the more confident they will feel and the more they will be featured, that is generally a great incentive. Of course there are always some that are quite happy to take a back seat and with those individuals you can try to instill everything in your power to them but sometimes they are just not in class for the right reasons and you just have to move on with the knowledge that you have done your best to help them.

With more serious dancers it is easier to keep them motivated but they often become blasé and complacent once numbers are created. It is important to keep choreography looking fresh and by focusing on the technique aspect of it you will be more easily able to maintain the integrity of the choreography so that it doesn't become watered down. I try to keep them looking forward to the next year and the next step up and I find that now is a good moment to have them revisit the goals that they set for themselves at the beginning of the semester. Often when they do this it really makes them realize that if they are going to accomplish what they set out for themselves they are going to have to concentrate on technique and personal improvement. It doesn't have to be misery and drudgery and depressing, on the contrary we can help them to see that it is fun and invigorating to put the time in to keep improving. What a tremendous gift we, as teachers, can give to our students if we can make them see that if they love what they are doing they will never work a day in their lives!