I have noticed a big difference in the children I teach post Covid. Lockdown has had an impact I think on children of varying ages in dance.
It is no surprise that after spending months at home and on screens i have noticed a rise in anxiety in children. Starting a new class in a new environment is difficult at the best of times but post covid has made this all the more frightening for my younger students. Thankfully this anxiety is usually short lived
and dance becomes a happy place again very quickly.
The ability to retain sequences of steps has also proved to be a challenge post Covid. With an exam session looming imminently I find myself having to repeat the same choreography steps and patterns every week without fail. Only a small percentage of students are remembering what I teach, pre-covid this seemed to be far less of an issue.
I am continuously telling my pupils that they have to be "thinking dancers" and
try to think of the next step as they are dancing. I could do every dance with them ( I have known dance teachers who do this) but this does not help the dancer at all and certainly doesn't help when they have to take an exam unassisted by me.
Persistence however is key and I carry on each week encouraging the dancers to think for themselves, be aware of what comes next and be ready for it. The up-coming exams and performance at the local fate will see how successful I have been!!
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