Services

Adapting Dance Classes for the Adolescent Growth Spurts (AGS)

With 42 years of experience teaching dancers aged 9-14, Christina has observed that the first significant growth spurt can be particularly challenging for young dancers. This observation led her to research Adolescent Growth Spurt (AGS) and develop specialized teaching protocols and verbal cues to help dancers navigate this period more successfully.

Christina’s workshops are hands-on and experiential, focusing on adapting dance classes to protect young dancers’ joints, muscles, self-esteem, and emotional well-being during AGS.

The workshop is designed for dancers and instructors together and is divided into three parts with a Q & A session following each.

Workshop Highlights:

Part I: Ballet Barre

Dancers participate in barre exercises that are designed for the most common AGS issues. During the barre Christina explains her thought process and what misalignments or inappropriate muscle usage she is looking for. The Q & A session is for dancers; however, instructors are welcome to sit in.

Part II: Center Floor Work

After a brief warm-up, dancers focus on turns, across the floor work, and petite or grand allegro. Christina highlights steps suitable for AGS and those to postpone, explaining her focus and common mistakes to watch for. The Q & A session is for instructors.

Part III: Stability Exercises and Foot Work

• This session starts with proprioception exercises, and progresses to exercises that enhance core stability, pelvic floor stability, control of hyper-extension, and foot and ankle strength.
• During this phase of training dancers are eager to learn new and more challenging steps and to move faster. This part of the workshop focuses on connecting steps and footwork that enables dancers to advance and be technically challenged without the strain of repetitive jumps. For example, there are 72 variations of the pas de bouree! Now is an excellent time to master some of these intricate skills. The Q & A section is for Christina and instructors to discuss encouraging words and cues that resonate with adolescents, fostering their self-esteem and confidence.

Teaching Beginning Pointe Clinic

Christina has dedicated 43 years to teaching beginning pointe, collaborating closely with dance-specific physical therapists and movement specialists to develop a safe and effective pointe training system. This clinic offers instructors the opportunity to learn best practices and kinetic techniques essential for beginning pointe training. Participants will gain insights into the most effective methods for introducing pointe work, ensuring that young dancers build a strong foundation while minimizing the risk of injury.

Young Teacher Mentoring Program

Directors often face the challenge of hiring relatively inexperienced ballet instructors. While they may not always have the time to provide mentorship, they still aim to set these new instructors up for success. Christina, with her decades of teaching experience, offers valuable insights and techniques that can be easily adopted. The program covers essential topics such as:

• Classroom management
• Voice quality
• Introducing new material effectively
• Providing corrections both verbally and physically
• Structuring class
• Time management