Introduction
Before you map out your dance season, you need to think about your end goal. Whether you are prepping for your first class or looking for new beginner jazz dance lesson plans, the key to building strong dancers is working backward: defining the exact technical skills, attributes, and terminology you want students to master by the end of the year, then laying the foundation to get them there.
For example, if I want to put a single pirouette in the recital routine at the end of the year, I know I will need to start by having them working on posses, balances, and strengthening their cores and arms. These end-of-year goals should inform your entire year long plan!
Each lesson plan should incorporate a mix of the following:
- Strength and Flexibility Exercises
- Review of Prior Week’s Skill Focus (if applicable)
- Breaking Down this Week’s Skill Focus in Center
- Across the Floor Progressions
- Opportunities to Enhance Performance and Movement Quality (Combo, Improv, Practicing Faces, etc.)
Semester Outline & Beginner Jazz Dance Lesson Plans
To help you stay organized throughout the semester, we created five beginner jazz dance lesson plans that break down essential skills into weekly progressions.
| Week & Skill Focus | Link to Lesson Plan |
| Week 1: Prep for Battements and Pirouettes | Beginner Jazz Lesson Plan #1 |
| Week 2: Chasses and Battements | Beginner Jazz Lesson Plan #2 |
| Week 3: Single Turn Pirouettes and Leap Prep | Beginner Jazz Lesson Plan #3 |
| Week 4: Pas De Bourree and Leap Prep | Beginner Jazz Lesson Plan #4 |
| Week 5: Leaps | Beginner Jazz Lesson Plan #5 |
Beginner Jazz Dance Skills Checklist
Here is a comprehensive list of skills for beginner jazz dance classes:
- Tendu / Degage (Refer to Lesson Plan #1)
- Battement (Refer to Lesson Plan #2)
- Pivot Turn
- Jazz Square
- Sassy / Jazz Walks
- Posse
- Pirouette (Balance, Half Turn, Single) (Refer to Lesson Plan #3)
- Jete Leap (Refer to Lesson Plan #5)
- Pas De Bourre (Refer to Lesson Plan #4)
- Chasse (Refer to Lesson Plan #2)
- Sissone (Refer to Lesson Plan #3)
- Cobra
- Heel Stretch / Leg Extension (Standing Up/ On the Floor)
- Needle
- Tuck Jump
- Straddle Jump (From a Tuck Position)
- Swim-Through Middle Splits
- Splits (Right, Left, Middle)
- Chaine Turns
- Posse Walks
Teaching Strategies
- Remember this is beginner! Proper technique and execution is more important than difficulty. We need to build a strong foundation before we start working on the roof!
- Work from the very beginning: For example, in my Battement Prep Lesson Plan, I start by having them work on tendus and degages at the barre and across the floor. Then we progress to battements at the barre, en center, and across the floor.
- Teaching Leaps:
- Here are the leap progressions we work on throughout the year:
- Tuck Jump / Pencil Jump
- Straddle Jump (From a Tuck)
- Sissone to the Floor (From 5th)
- Run-Run Leap
- Chasse Step Leap (Final Goal!)
- View my full breakdown of teaching leaps in my Leap Prep Lesson Plan
- Here are the leap progressions we work on throughout the year:
- Teaching Pirouettes:
- Pirouette progressions we work on throughout the year:
- Before you teach pirouettes, teach pivot turns! This will help them learn the basics of spotting and is a very simple turn for beginners.
- Posse Balance at the Barre
- Pirouette Prep En Flat (tendu-plie-posse)
- Pirouette Prep En Releve (without the barre)
- Half Turn
- Single Turn
- View my full breakdown of teaching pirouettes in my Pirouette Prep Lesson Plan.
- Pirouette progressions we work on throughout the year:
- Teach 2-3 combos per semester, bonus points if you can think ahead and incorporate sequences that will be in the recital routine!
- You don’t want to overwhelm them with choreography as they are trying to grasps the basics.
- Teach choreography in small chunks over several weeks.
- Allow opportunities to improv before/after combos. Remember to switch up groups and formations periodically.
- Use proper terminology. Have students repeat and work to memorize new terminology
- Quick note on shoes: Decide what shoes your students will wear at recital (if applicable) and communicate that to parents as early as possible.
- Ideally they are practicing in these shoes all year long
- Double check with studio director if they have any requirements or preferences
Class Playlist
200+ Clean Songs for Jazz Dance Classes, Recitals, and Routines. Perfect for Ages 4-8 Years Old.
