Just started teaching tap dance & struggling getting kids 2 dance on balls of feet & make clear sounds. HELP?

Question

Just started teaching tap dance & struggling getting kids 2 dance on balls of feet & make clear sounds. HELP?

Answer 1

Tell them they have some sticky tape stuck to their tap and have to shake it off

Answer 2

Tell them to try to stay tall and on their "toes".

Usually works.

Answer 3

Tell them that they are trying to tiptoe through a field containing baby mice - and to be careful not to tread on any!

Point to the ceiling and say (for clear sounds) - I want the celing to hear every tap!

- play a little game of Chinese whispers with them....put them in  a line - give the first one a message - something even like 'Always try to tap clearly' then let the whisper go down the line to the end (no one is allowed to get the whisper twice!) and the one at the end tells you what they heard. Then you can say 'See what happens when people don't hear clearly. Your tapping is like a message - people want to hear that message.'

I am nothing to do with dance - I'm just a granny

Answer 4

If these kids are beginners you are expecting too much. Aim for listening to the music and being in time. When this is achieved then you can start on technique. I find that 'on your toes' continually generally gets through to them. But keep it singsong to the music. Get the technique and stance right and the clarity follows. If they are not beginners then just keep on at them because the teacher before obviously hasn't. It will all come.