Teaching Philosophy

Creating a safe and positive space for dancers lies at the heart of my teaching. My fundamental teaching philosophy is to act as a mentor as well as a coach-addressing students’ emotional and physical needs to help them reach their greatest potential. 

I nurture dancers’ artistry, individuality and technique. Having worked for two highly acclaimed dance companies, I understand the challenges and insecurities that dancers are faced with. I am determined to help students face these challenges and insecurities using my life coaching skills. Life coaching facilitates your development and performance. Teaching and life coaching are the perfect pas de deux partners. I know that I cannot expect to push students physically if they are not in the right emotional space. 

My life coaching skills help dancers to reframe their thoughts and feel empowered to overcome challenges. It is implemented in my classes through the use of questioning, goal setting and interaction with my students. This allows dancers to fully understand the concepts as well as to set tangible and achievable goals. 

Rudolf Laban stresses the importance of a synthesis between understanding dance and practising dance in his book The Mastery of Movement. This has been a philosophy that has guided me as a student, professional dancer and teacher. Helping students to understand how their bodies work is the basis of developing strong and healthy dancers. I aim to give students detailed, practical advice and corrections that are easy to understand and implement. 

My passion and enthusiasm for dance, music and coaching fuels my eagerness to continue to learn and expand my skills to deliver the highest teaching standards. I have qualified to teach the Progressing Ballet Technique and I give my students strengthening and stretching exercises to do at home. Core stability is vital for encouraging correct movement patterns and reducing the risk of injury.

Addressing dancers as individuals is necessary in producing dancers who have an intricate understanding of how to work with their own limitations and strengths. I understand how to challenge my students appropriately so as not to overwhelm them but rather to stimulate them to push their own boundaries. I spend a lot of time planning my classes to make sure that they are methodical and challenging, yet equally uplifting. By showing students that I believe in them and their capabilities I help them to believe in themselves, giving them a sense of empowerment to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.