...cultural and creative professionals in Saxony and offers continued education, networking events, and free and individual consultations. These offers are also directed specifically at dance professionals in Saxony Information about currently available support programmes and schedules is made available in a regularly published newsletter.

By having one’s own profile published in the official directory Kreative in Sachsen (Creative Companies in Saxony), cultural and creative professionals can be more easily found by future clients. Furthermore, one can find colleagues, potential partners for collaboration and networks right in the vicinity”.

“The Artistic Master Class, which I successfully completed with the Master Class examination, provided a very special enrichment in knowledge. As individual as this course of study can be, my master class exams were composed of my written thesis “Choreografie in der professionellen Tanzsausbildung“ (Choreography in the Education of Professional Dancers), my guideline “Der Guide” (The Guide) and my choreography “Portrait” for University students.“

Applications for the Artistic Master Class will be accepted at the Palucca University of Dance Dresden’s Office of Student Affairs until no later than 15 May 2023. Further information can be found on our homepage.

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The introduction to developmental psychology for dance teachers

“From a dance educator's perspective, there are several aspects to consider as each student goes through different stages of development”.

Minh Huyen Pietruske,

Developmental (lifespan) psychology (DP) is the study of how people grow and develop from birth throughout their entire lifespan. It refers not only to the physical and cognitive changes which take place but also to the psychological and emotional changes that take place during different stages of life.

Lifespan development is a highly important aspect of dance teacher training, as every student will go through developmental stages at their own time, in relation to their own environmental culture.  Forcing natural development can lead to injuries, long-term health issues, and weak coordination, control and balance.

Over the upcoming Alumni Newsletter publications, I will be writing articles on the following themes:

• Teaching the Beginnings of dance! Specializing on teaching the age range of 3 – 7
• Teaching the Beginnings of classical ballet! Specializing on teaching the age range of 8 – 11
• Teaching through adolescence! Specializing on the age range of 11+.

When looking at the key building blocks in DP, the first and most important steppingstones are to develop the fine and locomotor motor skills. When thinking about the definition of fine motor skills: “the ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and wrists”, the dance teacher needs to develop building blocks to refine the “shape of a classical ballet hand” from the very beginning, by finding playful ways of working on the softness of the fingers, on the shape of the fingers, wrist and arm line which consequently leads to head, eye and arm coordination which will be developed and further refined during the 2nd stage of development (8-11 yrs).

Similarly, the development of gross (or large) motor skills are imperative for developing a trained dancer’s body. Locomotor skills (movement through space involving a change of location) and non-locomotor skills (movement of the body in one place around its own axis) often develop naturally without training or the help of an older/adult person but as a dance teacher we need to “non-technically” develop the natural jump or a hop as these will develop into sautés and temps levés. Working on building blocks is so important as a dance teacher. I have specifically used the term “non-technical” development for developing locomotor skills – just imagine a 6- or 7-year-old (or a beginner in any age group) hasn’t developed the jump in a natural position (stretched feet, long legs), then the teaching of a sauté is going to be a difficult, long and drawn-out process.  Wouldn’t it be easier being able to concentrate on only the acquisition of turn-out after previously achieving a beautiful natural jump.

These are just some basic aspects of DP in the first stage of training dance skills. Over the next few articles, I will discuss these developments and give pedagogical suggestions on how to check for eventual deficiencies but also ideas for you to develop within your own teaching career.  Investing time at the beginning can establish a sound foundation for safe development in dance.

Contact: info@dancepedagogy.com