First Class Checklist: 10 Dance Teacher Essentials (Part 1)

Welcome to the Dance to Learn® Podcast — the Preschool Dance Teacher’s Podcast! In this episode, host Jessica Strong kicks off a special 2-part series breaking down the 10 Essential Preparations Every Dance Teacher Should Make before their first class of a new season. Whether you're a studio owner or preschool dance teacher, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you enter your season feeling confident, prepared, and excited.

This week, Jessica shares the first 5 essential preparations, from lesson planning to transitions — all rooted in the Dance to Learn® Whole-Child, Conceptualized-Thematic approach. This episode also kicks off the Back to Dance Teacher Challenge, happening exclusively in the Dance to Learn® Community beginning July 1st!

🩰 In This Episode You’ll Learn:

1. How to plan your preschool dance class using dance concepts and themes
2. Why predictable routines reduce anxiety and help children feel safe
3. How to create a sensory-enriched environment that supports all learning styles
4. Proactive classroom management strategies to avoid behavior challenges
5. Tips to master transitions and keep energy and focus flowing throughout class

🎉 Challenge Alert!
Join the Back to Dance Teacher Challenge — a 30-day, drip-format experience designed to help you prepare your classroom, welcome new families, and start the season strong. Includes bonus resources like printable class visuals, nurture email templates, and more! Starts July 1st — link in the show notes!

📣 Want to be featured on the show?
Submit your question during Ask the Pod (Fridays–Mondays) inside the Preschool Dance Teacher’s Forum on Facebook, or email Jessica at podcast@dancetolearn.co.

📌 Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Join the Back to Dance Teacher Challenge → https://library.dancetolearn.co/pages/back-to-dance-challenge
• Preschool Dance Teacher’s Forum (Facebook Group) → https://www.facebook.com/groups/preschooldanceteachersforum
• Email your questions: podcast@dancetolearn.co
• Join the Community → https://library.dancetolearn.co/pages/join-us

Transcript

Welcome back to the Dance to Learn® Podcast — the Preschool Dance Teacher’s Podcast! I’m your host, Jessica Strong, and a big thank you to our Season 6 sponsor, Dance Dance Hooray!

Today's episode is a 2 part event! This week and next week I’ll be sharing 10 Essential Preparations every Dance Teacher should take before their first class. 

Before I leap into our topic today, I want to pause and remind you of my hope for the Podcast. My goal for the Dance to Learn® podcast is to elevate real voices from our dance teaching community — yours! I want to hear your stories, questions, and challenges, and help you feel more confident in your classroom. This is a new layout for the podcast, so it’s going to take me talking about it for the first few episodes to get the word out! Today I don’t have a listener question, but that’s alright because I’m talking about one of my favorite topics - Themes! 

Want to be featured on the show?
 Join the Preschool Dance Teacher’s Forum on Facebook, where you’ll find our weekly Ask the Pod post every Friday. Drop your questions there through Monday evening. Then on Tuesday, I open Pod Talk, a chance for your fellow teachers to chime in with their tips and advice.

If your question is selected, I’ll feature you using your first name and last initial — or you can remain anonymous by emailing me at podcast@dancetolearn.co and I’ll post on your behalf.

Be sure to check the show notes for the link to the Forum. I can't wait to hear from you!

Today’s Episode is Part 1 of a 2 Part series all about preparing for a successful first class of a new dance season! This two part series is also a kick off to our upcoming Back to Dance Teacher Challenge happening exclusively in the Dance to Learn® Community! Every month we host a different Dance Teacher Challenge designed to help dance teachers and studio owners plan, prepare and prioritize different stages of the dance season whether it’s the first dance classes of a new season, planning a teaching schedule, starting choreography for Winter and Spring Showcases, Summer Camps and more! Our Back to Dance Challenge is going to be packed full of important tips for preparing the classroom for success with information on how to welcome new families, making preparations for separation anxiety, sending a nurture email series to parents, and exciting classroom printables to celebrate a dancers’ first day at your studio! 

I’ve shared a link to join the Back to Dance Challenge in the Show Notes! It starts July 1st 2025!

A new season of dance is fast approaching! Like you, we’re filled with excited anticipation as we prepare and plan for the new season. Planning can be fun and thrilling, but we know that successfully engaging our students in the classroom is the key to a great first class. Teaching preschool-aged children, especially in dance, requires thoughtful planning and preparation. That's why we've compiled 10 Essential Tips to help elevate your class from just a plan to an easy-to-implement strategy! Today I’m going to share the first 5 Preparations of a Successful first dance class - and set your calendars for next week as I share part 2. 

Before I get into today’s episode let’s hear from our Season 6 Sponsor - Dance Dance Hooray! 

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Thank You to Corey at Dance Dance Hooray for creating our Tap Curriculum for our members!

Now let me share the first 5 of 10 important preparations every dance teacher should take when planning for the first dance classes of a new dance season. 

1. The Importance of Planning your Preschool Dance Class 

You've probably heard the saying, "If you fail to plan, plan to fail!" This couldn’t be truer for dance classes. Proper planning is essential for a successful class, especially when teaching young children. Without clear guidelines on what you want your dancers to learn and achieve, planning can be challenging. At Dance to Learn®, we focus on two main factors when planning our dance lessons: First: The Dance Concepts. Dance concepts are the building blocks of movement, coming together to form the elements of dance. These elements include: Action, Space, Time, Body and Force. In the Dance to Learn® curriculum, we explore 18 dance concepts during the foundational years, ensuring that our dancers gain a comprehensive understanding of these fundamentals. The Second Factor: Themes We use themes to teach the dance concepts. Themes provide a common imagery that helps children connect what they learn in dance class with what they learn outside of dance class. By using seasonal themes that often align with school topics, children can easily relate and engage with the material. This approach, known as a Conceptualized-Thematic Curriculum, offers a solid framework for lesson planning. It combines dance concepts with familiar themes, making learning more relatable and enjoyable for young dancers. By focusing on dance concepts and themes, you can create structured, engaging, and successful dance lessons for your preschool-aged students. 

2. Creating a Predictable Routine for your Preschool Dance Class 

Young children thrive on predictability, which is why having a systemized classroom routine is essential for a successful dance class. Knowing your routine in advance helps you stay organized and allows you to clearly explain what comes next to children entering your classroom for the first time. But it’s not just about the teacher knowing the routine! Children often feel anxious in new situations. This anxiety can manifest in various ways: they may not participate, cry, cling to parents, or display behaviors that disrupt the class. Being aware of this is crucial when planning your first dance classes of a new season. Part of planning your class structure and routine involves explaining this new routine to your students. We recommend creating a Dance Class Road Map, a visual aid that displays your class routine in a way your students can see and interact with. A visual tool like this can help students predict what comes next, easing their anxiety. To create your Dance Class Road Map, include the following elements of your class flow: 

• Welcome Routine 
• Warm-Ups 
• Standing Exercises/Center Barre 
• Transition to Waiting Stations 
• Across the Floor 
• Obstacle Course 
• Clean 
• Free Dance/Choreography 
• Goodbye Ritual 
• Hugs with Grown-Ups 

Including "Hugs with Grown-Ups" on your Dance Class Road Map is important because separation anxiety is a common issue for young children. Giving your dancers a visual tool that outlines their class routine helps them feel safer, learn the structure faster, and reduces fear or anxiety in a new environment. I’ve created a Dance Class Road Map for the Members inside our Dance to Learn® Community. If you accept the Back to Dance Teacher Challenge - you will be given access to a Beyond the Barre Episode where I share what a Dance Class Roadmap is and how you can use it in your classes to keep dancers informed of where they are in the class journey.

3. Creating a Sensory-Enriched Environment 

When planning your dance class, it's crucial to consider the different learning styles of your students. Focusing solely on dance movements, skills, and techniques may leave many learners behind. Not every child learns kinesthetically, so plan for all four learning types to create an inclusive and effective class. 

Visual Learners 

Visual learners respond well to visual aids. 

Here are some tips to engage them: 

Spot Markers: Give each dancer a specific spot in the room to help them understand their space and avoid crowding others. 

Themed Concept Visuals: Use bright, colorful visuals to introduce themes and concepts. 

Props: Incorporate props like scarves, poly dots, and balance domes to make activities visually engaging. 

Obstacle Courses: Use props of different sizes, shapes, and colors to capture their attention. 

Auditory Learners 

Auditory learners thrive on sounds and music. 

Engage them with these strategies:

Music Selection: Choose captivating music with action words, changes in tempo, or rhythms to maintain their interest. 

Narration: Write a story for your warm-ups and narrate it to match the theme. 

Q&A Sessions: Include times in your lesson for questions and answers, allowing them to express their thoughts and share inputs. 

Tactile Learners 

Tactile learners need hands-on experiences. 

Here's how to cater to them: 

Manipulatives: Turn themed visuals into puzzles or other manipulatives. 

Textured Props: Use props with different textures, like scarves for butterfly stretches or egg shakers for rhythmic activities. 

Group Props: Include items like parachutes and stretchy bands to help them build proprioception and teamwork skills. 

Kinesthetic Learners 

Kinesthetic learners need plenty of movement. 

Keep these points in mind: 

Developmentally Appropriate Activities: Ensure that activities are suitable for the age and developmental stage of your dancers. 

Balanced Movement and Breaks: Plan enough movement activities and breaks to keep these learners engaged without causing fatigue or disruptive behaviors. 

By planning for all four learning types—visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic—you create a sensory-enriched environment that helps every child succeed in your dance class. 

4. Implementing Classroom Management Strategies 

Classroom management can be one of the most challenging aspects when planning a dance class, especially when you have a group of new students and you don't know how they will react, engage or behave beforehand. It's important to understand that classroom management is not a "one-size-fits-all" approach and will need to be adjusted based on the dynamics of each class. When preparing for classroom management strategies, review your entire lesson plan and ask yourself the following questions to identify potential problem areas and establish strategies to address them. 

Here are some examples: 

Setting Up the Class: Where will the students be? In a learner's circle? At a waiting station? Dancing together? 

How can you help students find their places in space? 
Strategies: 

Use floor tape or poly dots to mark spots for students to sit or stand in a learner's circle. 

Give each student a hula hoop to wait in during a waiting station. 

Place "freezing spots" on the floor for students to stand on when playing freeze dance. 

Introducing a New Prop: How should the prop be used? What are the risks of the prop being used incorrectly? Could the prop pose a safety issue if misused? 

Strategies: 

Demonstrate and clearly explain how to use the prop. For example, if you're using teddy bears to teach a rocking motion, show the dancers how to rock the "baby" gently. Address potential misuse: "We want to keep our bear safe in our arms like a baby, so we don't drop or throw them." 

Managing Common Behavioral Issues Is this age group prone to running around? How should talking out of turn be handled? How can you encourage keeping hands to themselves? Strategies: 

For a group that likes to run, implement a "Fairy Godmother" routine where students stop at the door, you say magic words, and they "receive" glass slippers to tiptoe to their spots. If they run, they need new slippers. For boys, you could use a superhero theme where they get a cape and float to their spots. 

Create call and response techniques for talking out of turn. Give dancers a physical bubble using a hula hoop if they struggle keeping their hands to themselves. By identifying potential "pain" areas in advance, you can prepare strategies to manage them effectively. This proactive approach helps you adjust quickly if issues arise during the class, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable experience for everyone. 

If you accept the Back to Dance Challenge starting on July 1st - you will unlock a Pointe by Point action plan that will allow you to brainstorm these different pain points and create a Classroom Management Strategy for your classroom. 

The Last Step I have for you today before Part 2 next week 

5. Mastering Transitions in Dance Class 

One crucial aspect that dance teachers often overlook when planning classes is managing transitions. Transitions occur any time you move from one part of the class to another, such as entering and exiting the studio or moving from the warm-up circle to across-the-floor exercises. They also include moments of downtime, like setting up lanes for across-the-floor activities or arranging an obstacle course. To ensure a smooth and orderly class, anticipate the transitions that will occur and create strategies to manage them effectively. 

Planning Important Transitions : Where Are My Dancers in the Room? Determine whether your dancers are sitting in a circle, waiting in a designated spot, or moving around the room. This helps you decide if you need reinforcement items like tape or poly dots to mark specific areas. 

Identify "Pain Points" Consider what could go wrong during transitions. For example, if moving from a waiting circle to across-the-floor spots, your dancers might start running around. Think about strategies to prevent this, such as assigning each dancer a specific spot to move to. 

Limit Downtime Downtime is a common issue during transitions. For instance, when changing songs, prepare a playlist that flows seamlessly from one track to another. When cleaning up props, assign each dancer a color and have them be responsible for putting away props of that color. 

By thinking ahead and planning for these transition moments, you can maintain a well-organized and engaging class environment. This preparation ensures that your students stay focused and that the class runs smoothly from start to finish.

That was the first 5 of the 10 Preparations you should make before teaching your first dance class of a new season! Don’t forget our Back to Dance Challenge is starting exclusively in the Dance to Learn® Community on July 1st! This Challenge will run for 30 days on a drip schedule where I share tips, guidelines and how to. You will also unlock resources such as email templates, checklists, and first class printables like coloring pages and certificates that your students can enjoy! The link to accept the Challenge is in the Show  Notes! 

Join me next week for Part 2! I will be sharing 5 more essential steps to prepare for your first dance class of the new season! I hope you tune in!

If you want your questions answered on the show - join us for Ask the Pod every Friday-Monday in the Preschool Dance Teacher’s Forum on Facebook! The link to join is in the ShowNotes!