4 Pillars of Focus

4 pillars of focus, Dance lesson plans, dance studio owner, dance instructor, dance teacher

What are our 4 Pillars of Focus?

The 4 pillars of focus are the foundation of every lesson plan in the Method Dance Program. We use each of these 4 areas to ensure new techniques are introduced gradually and in a way that builds strength and understanding, before increasing difficulty. Without further ado, the 4 pillars of focus are: Warm up, Barre, Center Floor, Across the Floor.

Warm Up

To begin with, all classes start with a well rounded warm-up. We recommend the warm up is between 5 and 10 minutes long as this helps get dancers muscles warm and ready to move. In addition to the instructor led warm up, every level has a warm up exercise which begins to settle them into the classroom. The warm up exercises focus on basic technique and help reacquaint students with the practice of dance.

Barre

After the warm up we always move to the barre. The reason we move to the barre next is to ease students into new steps. In dance, there are many steps that require students to use their bodies in new and challenging ways. We always introduce new concepts at the barre first because with the assistance of the barre students become familiar with the balance and transfer of weight they need to become familiar with for new steps.

Center Floor

Next, we take concepts from the barre and transition them to the center of the room. As students grow stronger in their ability, we want to transition them into movement we can use in routines. Consequently, this transition requires strength and technical ability which students would have begun to develop at the barre.

Across the Floor

Finally, we begin adding movement to steps and travelling steps. As a result, this is where we really get dancers moving and using the steps they have been working on at the barre and in center floor. Most notably, they begin to use transitions steps and implement larger jumps and travelling tricks. In addition, across the floor is an opportunity for instructors to use their creative energy to put steps together and begin to develop quality of movement.

There you have it, the 4 Pillars of Focus!

At the end of the day it’s very simple and because of the simplicity the program is easy to understand and follow. To most of you these 4 pillars of focus will seem familiar, and they should be! These 4 pillars have been the foundation of dance classes for generations.

What makes us different is the way we build upon these pillars through lesson planning. We have taken these fundamental elements of a dance class and built them into every single lesson plan. Every lesson you teach will touch each of the 4 pillars and that consistency is what allows students to thrive.

If you would like to learn more about lesson plans visit us here!

Subsequently, if you are interested in purchasing the Method Dance Program, click here!

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