Dance Teacher Pep Talk Amanda Couturier-Cormier

This month's check-in episode is not only important for May, but it is important as a wrap-up for our season and a close-out for our year!

In today's episode, I share what I do to help make the month of May even more special, because a lot can get missed this month when we are so busy planning for recital, preparing for end of year, and more. 

Tips for the month include ideas around . . . 

*Making your class warm-ups fun and exciting to balance all the cleaning and choreography being done for recital

*Suggestions of using theme weeks in the month of May

*The discussion of reflection and end of the year feedback for yourself, your dancers, and for the class experience as a whole

*Creating closure in the class setting to wrap up the year

*Preparing and exciting the students for what is to come



I hope you all enjoyed the tips for this month and I'll be sharing even more tips over on Instagram @danceteacherpeptalk so make sure to follow us there!



I hope you have a beautiful month of May and thank you all so much for your support and listens!

Today’s episode is a beautiful conversation I got to have with friend and dance colleague of mine, Kiera Letts! Kiera has been teaching and choreographing in the New England area for over a decade now and she brings a wealth of insight to today’s episode. Not only do we talk about the dance classroom, but we talk about the competition world and Kiera shares so much about her time as a judge/adjudicator traveling the country on every open weekend she has!

We discuss . . .

*Her teaching philosophy & ideas

*How to get into judging for those interested

*Trends in 2024 on the competition stage

*Ways to prepare for the Nationals stage

*How to find your way through challenging times/burnout as a dance teacher

*and more!

Kiera is full of heart and contagious energy and it shows when she is in front of the classroom, and the wildest part of today’s episode that I learned was that this wasn’t even Kiera’s initial path! And yet she is such a natural at it! 

I am so honored to have her here for you all to get inspired from. 

If you are interested in following Kiera, seeing her work, and being a part of her dance journey, you can find her at:

IG: miss_kiera28

Facebook: Kiera Letts

YouTube Channel: Kiera Letts

kieranletts28@gmail.com



Thank you all so much for your listens and support!

@danceteacherpeptalk

In today's episode, after asking herself the question, "what makes me want to watch?" in regards to pieces set on the competition stage, Amanda had some big thoughts she knew she had to share here.



What she found is, it is not always the music that carries the piece, it is not always the movement that carries it, but rather it is the PASSION, PRESENCE, and ENERGY behind all of that movement in connection to the music. It could be the most basic piece or the most advanced, but what is so captivating is the investment and genuine energy that these dancers bring to telling the story and sharing the piece. 



How do we teach presence? How do we teach this passion to come out?



Amanda shares ways she feels we can further develop this in our classrooms, in our rehearsals, and even at the very start of the learning of choreography, because even though we may be mid-season, we know that we are already beginning to plan for next season and this is the perfect time to think of these deep questions now on process and making this experience a more connective one for our dancers.



Thank you all so much for your support and listens!

Instagram @danceteacherpeptalk

Today’s episode is near and dear to my heart because it is all about celebrating our graduating seniors! I had truly a very emotional and difficult time leaving my studio upon graduating and because of this I have always been very aware of how special and how challenging of a time this can be for our seniors who have grown up in our studio spaces. I honestly feel I had a harder time emotionally graduating from the dance studio than I did from high school. 



In today’s episode, I share ways that we can help to make the end of the year a little more special for those graduating and ways to honor and acknowledge the many accomplishments and things we are going to miss most about our seniors.



Thank you so much for your support and listens!

Instagram @danceteacherpeptalk

In today's episode, Amanda shares about the importance of awareness and presence as we start to close out our year and season. She goes into strategies and red flag scenarios of when our students are checking out and how to help them tune back in to the heart and soul of their love for dance. 



Amanda gives tips for the Elementary age classroom and the Middle School/High School age classroom when our dancers are needing a more whole-dancer approach in their class experience. It isn't always about the technical skills, but also about teaching how to listen to our bodies, how to build strategies when we know our body is in a state of fatigue, and more!

"When you honor their needs, they will honor the class experience more because you aren't necessarily giving them what they want, but you are helping to facilitate a class structure that directly relates to their current needs."

So it isn't like we are giving our dancers time to take a nap, but we are helping them through strategies of what can we do when we feel tired, what can we do when we feel burnt out, what can we do when we feel like we cannot power through. 



A great tool this month is to try teaching spontaneously. Maybe come in with a set of loose plans, but teach to exactly the moment that is in front of you. What is your class needing? Meet them at the energy level they are needing, and then pull-up and inspire them from there. A stronger environment of trust will be created when we do this. We hope today's episode inspires you in your month ahead.

Looking forward to more awesome episodes this month of April!



Mentioned in today's episode:

Sugarfoot Therapy @sugarfoot_therapy on Instagram



Make sure to follow us @danceteacherpeptalk on Instagram!

This season for me is well, busy, and in the midst of it all I always like to remind myself that I do need to make myself a priority in all of this. If I am going and going, I could easily burn out, fatigue, feel bitterness, and more, and that is the last thing I have time for in a busy season.

In today's episode I share some of the things I am loving most to help keep me centered and on track during this busy season of competition, recital choreography, life, and more!

From meditation, to my fitness outlook, to what I'm wearing, to how I prep for classes at this time of year, I share it all and go into what works best for me.

I hope that what works best for me might help to provide some inspiration or spark for you in the midst of your busy season as well.

In other news, I will be taking a break from the podcast and will be returning in April!

Make sure to follow @danceteacherpeptalk on Instagram so you know when we are back in action.

Thank you all so much for your support & listens. I appreciate you all so very much!

With love, Amanda