Introduction to Improvisation

'The Land of Make Believe'
A big word for a four year old! But, believe it or not, that’s when you can start them on this adventure into, 'The land of make believe', self-expression and self-confidence. It’s to your advantage to start your students improvising before the age of, “self-consciousness”, which is usually before puberty or before the age of twelve or thirteen. Students can of course begin at any age; it’s just a little harder to get teenagers to let go of their acute self-awareness.
I have a unique lesson plan for every age group, but the one that is most comprehensive for all students, is the course shown, that I have created for ages 9 –11.
“The Improvisation for Ages 9-11 Course”, is for students with at least 2-3 years of dance training. They need the beginnings of a solid foundation in ballet, jazz (or modern), and tap (optional). Tap training gives the students a better ear for rhythm, which they can use to change the rhythms in their improvisation to make it more interesting and emotionally effective.
The next entry, 'Improvisation: Getting Started!', offers some exciting information about this wonderful journey you are about to embark upon with your students.