And the dance year has officially BEGUN!

And we are off! Lessons are back - classes have commenced! The dancing year has begun!

I really feel sorry for teacher - the first day of classes most of our girls are still officially on holidays. So she has the fine job of calming them down and getting them to focus!

Initial numbers look like E will have 8 girls in her class. A nice number. Some are more advanced but the teacher seems to work well with that. E has noticed it and told me the class will be a great opportunity to get her technique right. I hope she can keep that focus and really learn from all the instruction!

After class E has been asked to stay behind for the beginning of the senior students class. I think this is a great transition for her. This week she stayed and worked on the reel with them.

Wednesday morning is an early start for us as E has requested a private lesson each week and we have fit this in on Wednesdays before school. It was a little rushed - especially being the first day of school! But we had a really good lesson and she focussed so well. Much of the class was picking apart small details of her dances that need improvement with a particular focus made on a step in the flora and the sword.

To E's delight the second half was spent working on the hornpipe! She is loving learning this! It is an intermediate dance and she is still only a beginner but it gives her such joy (and it really suits her dance style!)

E was so focussed during her private. It made me really pleased to see. The other reason I love her privates is I get to stay and watch and learn as well. It certainly makes practice more effective at home.

Week one done ... although there is still a big adventure ahead this weekend! More on that soon!

2014 begins - Competition practise and private lessons

E loves her highland classes. They are a HEAP of fun!

Problem is - sometimes I think they are too much fun, and of course, they leave very little time for her to work on small improvements and changes that will make her dancing better.

We have been doing private lessons once a week before school and I really think it is helping. E of course loves another chance to dance, and it gives her time to think about her steps and what she needs to work on in practise.

And speaking of practise ...

Practise is a funny thing.
Some days she is desperate to do it.
Other days it is all out war.

Some things that are helping ...

Making a tally board and letting her see how many times she can dance each dance in a week ...

Letting her watch champion dancers on you tube.

Letting her dance her fling to pop songs ...

and

especially

Letting her do her practice after she should be in bed! Cheating bedtime seems to be a particularly big incentive!

She knows practice helps her dancing. And she wants to be a better dancer. But let's face it - we ALL try to avoid practise when we can!

Somehow I think I am going to have to keep being creative to keep the practise up!

Do you have any tricks you use?