Introduction
Welcome to the adorable, enlightening, and sometimes frightening world of teaching preschool ballet! Aside from the challenge of teaching dance, you also are tasked with navigating the quirks of toddler-hood… which can be a lot to handle even in small doses!
The best thing you can do to ensure each class runs smoothly is come fully prepared, even over-prepared, so every minute of the class is filled and utilized. The more down time there is inbetween activites, the more likely things are to go awry. I strongly recommend having a written list, either printed or on your phone, of quick exercises you can do that will take up 3-5 minutes at a time. This will help tremendously when your lesson plan goes quicker than expected!
Each class should include the following:
- Icebreaker / Welcome Activity
- Brief Stretch
- Center Floor Work (plies, tendus, etc.)
- New Skill Introductions and Terminology Explanation
- Across the Floor Practice
- Fun Dance-Related Activity / Game
To help you be prepared to teach this course, I put together a consolidated syllabus that shows how to gradually incorporate skills throughout the year, as well as lesson plans with detailed instructions on how to teach each skill. Each lesson is focused on 1-2 new skills, while building on the moves taught in weeks prior.
Semester Outline & Preschool Ballet Lesson Plans
My semester syllabus for preschool ballet helps build strong technique and excitement about dance by introducing new skills each week, teaching proper terminology, and incorporating fun elements into each class. Each lesson plan includes notes and detailed instructions for teachers, as well as a printable PDF to bring to class.
| Week & Skill Focus | Link to Lesson Plan |
| Week 1: Pliés and Relevés | Preschool Ballet Lesson Plan #1 |
| Week 2: Tendus and Piques | Preschool Ballet Lesson Plan #2 |
| Week 3: Passés and Chasses | Preschool Ballet Lesson Plan #3 |
| Week 4: Sautés and Port de Bras | Preschool Ballet Lesson Plan #4 |
| Week 5: Arabesque A’terre and Skips | Preschool Ballet Lesson Plan #5 |
Learning Objectives
- Inspiring exploration, expression, and creativity
- Introducing ballet concepts and terminology
- Instilling proper classroom etiquette / behavior
- Improving coordination, balance, strength, and flexibility
- Learning the basics of rhythm and counting music
- Understand the foundation of ballet technique (i.e., turning out, pointing toes, etc.)
Tips for Teaching Preschool Ballet
- Start off every class with an icebreaker or short activity to get everyone in the mode of listening, taking turns, and participating.
- You might have some criers or nervous dancers at first! If they are too nervous to participate, encourage them to sit on their dot and just watch. Chances are, if they get comfortable or excited about a move, they will stand up and join! If not, try again next week!
- Keep parents out of the room as much as possible! You need to establish boundaries and expectations early on. We also want to build up independence in these dancers.
- Use Rewards for Motivation: Stickers, stamps, line leader, etc., all work as great behavior motivators for this age group! I buy cheap rolls of stickers off Amazon or from Dollar Tree and the kids go crazy for them!
- Teach with proper terminology! While you can explain a step using more age-appropriate language, don’t avoid using the proper ballet term.
- With enough repetition and demonstration, they will be able to memorize the terminology!
- Always start new skills with hands on hips (for balance), then add in arm positions once footwork is mastered.
- Combine center skills together into 2-3 exercises to keep their attention longer (i.e., doing pliés then port de bras at the end)
- Bring a sharpie and mark a tiny dot on the inside of their big toe. This will help them learn to turn out (Ex: during straddle stretch, I remind them to “keep their dots off the floor”)
- Mix in fun dance-related activities in-between ballet exercises. Ideas include:
- Make a “pizza” while stretching in straddle. Ask where they would fly to in butterfly stretch.
- Freeze Dance / Party Freeze Dance Song (hold passe on “freeze”)
- Freeze Dance with Tip Toes Walks around the room. Walk en releve around the room and they freeze, en releve, when the music pauses.
- Dance Circle: Everyone stands in a circle, one person goes in the middle and does their favorite dance move and everyone copies them.
- Sautes in First and Second with Hopscotch dots
- if you have dots, lay them out across the floor in a hopscotch pattern
- Have dancers jump from first to second, landing on the dot
- Simon Says with ballet terms (for review)
- Use as many fun references to keep them engaged (like the balloon exercise for port de bras)
Lists of Skills & Terminology for Preschool Ballet
- Body Positions: 1st, and 2nd positions
- Tendus
- Piques
- Degages
- Relevé
- Elevé
- Demi Pliés
- Arabesques
- Port de Bras
- Passé
- Eschappe
- Sautés (in first and 2nd positions), using arms once ready
- Jetes
- I usually lay out 4 dots and have them do small jete leaps over the dots.
- Start with a tendu and have them jump onto their working leg to understand the movement of a leap
- Changements
- Chasses
- Skips (Passés sautés)
To see a full list of terminology for preschool ballet, click here.
