Training to Teach Dance - views of a School Direct Trainee

Training to teach Dance

By Kate Mellon, trainee at Dunraven School

From September, I have led Ballet club and Year 7 dance club every week to rehearse routines and work on pupils’ technique and performance skills. I choreographed a year 10 performance piece, using a GCSE choreography question as the starting point for the piece. I have also been fortunate to have the opportunity to choreograph three pieces for the Winter Wonderland annual dance showcase. 

It was important to ensure all pupils attended rehearsals in the lead up to the show so all could thrive. I was given the task of creating the student list for registers and to obtain parents consent forms for photos and videos before the dress rehearsal. I was able to choose appropriate costumes and lighting for my numbers to suit the style and enhance the performance of the dancers. With over 120 pupils taking part in the show, it was important to ensure all pupils had the correct costume, providing emergency costumes when lost and to prompt the backstage crew for when dancers were needed. Nerves can get the better of pupils and I feel as though I have made some strong relationships through putting them at ease and boosting the morale of the cohort. I arranged for pupils to have extra technical rehearsals on stage for numbers in which they were less confident. Some dancers had injuries during the show week and I was also able to offer medical advice during the hectic show week schedule.

I have choreographed and danced for many years, but I have never choreographed for a show that I was not performing in. Witnessing my creations unfold on stage and seeing the progress that the pupils had made from September filled me with joy and pride. Since the dance show, I have been praised for my commitment to the faculty and I now feel that I have established myself as a Dance teacher at Dunraven. 

February 2020.