Patricia Arredondo

Week 

Session Topic/Theme

Course Structure

Students will do &  learn: 

Materials needed 

1

SEPTEMBER:

Theme: back to school.

The goal will be to learn Ballet body placement, movement isolation and directions.

Songs:

 “Teddy Bear Playtime” by Hap Palmer (week 1-3).

“Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear” by Hap Palmer (week 2-4).

“How Far I’ll Go” by Aulii Cravalho (Choreography).

  1 – Warming up:

Correct standing 6th position. Rolling through the feet, articulating toes, pointing each foot, demi-plie, eleve, souplesse en avant, demi-plie, stretch   knees, rolling through the spine.

 2 – Exploring the concept: body parts. Dance with teddy bear song week 1.

 3 – Developing skills:

A – 1st and 2nd position demi-plié, souplesse en avant et de cote, élevée  balance.

B – Fingers isolation exercise.

Arm’s position in relation to space. Port de bras.

C – 6th position: tendu en avant, flex-pointe.

D – Transferring weight from two feet to one and one to two: first position tendu a la second, place heel down, push the floor away back to tendu.

E – Articulate the foot, placement: 6th position could de pie and passe.

F – Body placement, isolation: 6th position grand battement with hands on waist.

G – Locomotor steps: chasse around in a circle with one leg at a time, skip.

Floor stretch: butterfly, straight legs flexing spine, 2nd position bending torso sideways and forward, back extension, downward dog.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

“How far I’ll go” song.

Learn four counts of eight, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence with teddy bears.

Teddy bear or any stuffed animal.

2

SEPTEMBER:

Theme: back to school.

1 – Warming up: 

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: direction.

Dance with teddy bear song week 2.

 3 – Developing skills:

Repeat A, B, C week 1.

D – Transferring weight from two feet to one and one to two: first position tendu a la second, place heel down, close 1st.

E – Repeat week 1.

F – Body placement, isolation: 6th position grand battement, tendu, grand battement and close with hands on waist.

G – Locomotor steps: skip around (eight counts), repeat rhythmic pattern (clap, hands on waist) four times.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

“How far I’ll go” song.

Review choreography, learn four counts of eight, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence with teddy bears.

Teddy bear or any stuffed animal.

3 

SEPTEMBER:

Theme: back to school.

1 – Warming up:

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: body parts

Dance with teddy bear song week 3.

 3 – Developing skills:

Repeat A, B week 1.

Repeat C, D week 2.

E – Repeat week 2 adding change of focus: head right and left.

F – Body placement, isolation: 6th position 2 grand battement with hands on waist, simple port de bras.

G – Locomotor steps: 3 chasse sideways, clapping rhythmic pattern.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

“How far I’ll go” song.

Review choreography, learn four counts of eight, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence with teddy bears.

Teddy bear or any stuffed animal.

4

SEPTEMBER:

Theme: back to school.

1 – Warming up:

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: directions.

Dance with teddy bear song week 4.

 3 – Developing skills:

Repeat A, B, C, D week 3.

E – 6th position: tendu en avant, step forward, passe balance for 2 counts.

F – Body placement, isolation: 6th position demi plie, grand battement, close 6th with hands on waist.

G – Locomotor steps: chasse in a circle, clapping rhythmic pattern, skipping, repeat clapping.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

“How far I’ll go” song.

Review choreography and practice what was learned. Add improvisation.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence with teddy bears.

Teddy bear or any stuffed animal.

5

OCTOBER

Theme: Fall season, Halloween.

The goal will be to work on rhythm and speed.

 Songs:

“I am gonna tap my sticks” from Sing Along with Sarah (week 5-7).

“I can play on the beat” by Judi Cranston (week 6-8).

“Autumn” by Emily Who (Floor stretch).

“Kids in Autumn” Acapella by Claudia Robin Gunn (Cooling off).

“Autumn Song” (Choreography week 1-2).

“Walking home from Halloween”by Ballet Preschool Party (Choreography week 7-8).

 1 – Warming up:

Basic whole-body movements.

 2 – Exploring the concept: rhythm

Sitting on the floor with rhythm sticks, song week 5.

 3 – Developing skills:

A – 1st and 2nd position: demi-plie, eleve, balance.

B – First port de bras with head movement.

C – 1st position, slide heel forward to 4th with arms in low third.

D – Transferring weight from two feet to one and one to two. 1st position, demi-plie, chasse a la seconde, pointe tendu, close.

E – Allegro: 1st position plie, releve.

F -Locomotor movement: run 4 counts, stop, 4 counts rhythmic pattern (cross arms touching shoulders, slap tights, clap twice)

Floor stretch: repeat week 4 – “Autumn” song

4 – Creating/Choreography:

“Autumn song” Week 5.

Learn four counts of eight, memorize and perform.

5 – Cooling off:

Reverence “Kids in autumn” song.

2 rhythm sticks or 2 markers

6

OCTOBER

Theme: Fall season, Halloween.

1 – Warming up:

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: speed.

Sitting on the floor with rhythm sticks, song week 6.

 3 – Developing skills:

Repeat A, B week 1.

C – 1st position: tendu and degage a la seconde with arms in 3rd position.

D – Transferring weight from two feet to one and one to two: 1st position, glissade.

E – Adagio: 1st position, walk forward three steps pointing each foot, prepare arms to 1st arabesque, lift leg to arabesque and balance.

F – 1st position, pointing foot in front, step forward to temps leve saute in 1st arabesque, temps lie derriere to prepare bringing arms to 1st position.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

“Autumn song” Week 6.

Review choreography, learn four counts of eight, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence: repeat week 1.

2 rhythm sticks or 2 markers

7

OCTOBER

Theme: Fall season, Halloween.

1 – Warming up:

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: rhythm.

Sitting on the floor with rhythm sticks, song week 7.

 3 – Developing skills:

A – 1st and 2nd position demi-plié, port de bras, souplesse en avant, de cote, élevée, balance.

B – review finger isolation exercise.

C – repeat week 1.

D – repeat week 1, add three tendu pique (in place) a la seconde.

E – Allegro: 1st position, 4 saute with hands on waist, 3 claps.

F – review saute 1st arabesque.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

“Walking home from Halloween” Song.

Learn four counts of eight, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence: repeat week 1.

2 rhythm sticks or 2 markers

8

OCTOBER

Theme: Fall season, Halloween.

1 – Warming up:

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: speed.

Sitting on the floor with rhythm sticks, song week 8.

 3 – Developing skills:

A – repeat week 3.

B – repeat week 3 slower and faster.

C –  repeat week 2.

D – repeat week 3.

E – Allegro: echappe a la seconde.

F – review saute 1st arabesque.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

“Walking home from Halloween” Song.

Learn four counts of eight, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence: repeat week.

2 rhythm sticks or 2 markers

9

NOVEMBER:

Theme: Thankfulness, Thanksgiving.

The goal will be to work on patterns, flow and linking steps.

 Songs:

 “Scarves up, down and around” by Johnette Downing (week 9-11).

“Make your scarf fly high” by Judi Cranston (week 10-12).

“Turkey Dance Freeze” by the Learning Station (Warming up).

“The thankful song” by Sandra Elena (Floor stretch).

“Great pumpkin waltz” by Vince Gerald Trio (Cooling off).

“Thank you for being you” by Jon Secada (Choreography).

 1 – Warming up:

Whole body movement.

2 – Exploring the concept: flow

Using the scarf, dance to song week 9.

 3 – Developing skills:

A – 1st and 2nd position: demi-plie, eleve balance, souplesse en avant and the cote.

B – 1st position: tendu a la seconde, coupe, tendu à la seconde, close.

C – 1st position: 2 degages a la second with plie, glissade.

D – 1st position: coupe devant, passe balance.

E – Allegro 1st position: 4 sautes, 2 échappés à la seconde.

F – Locomotor movement: chasse sideways combined with rhythmic clap pattern. 

Floor stretch: whole body stretch – “The thankful song”.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

“Thank you for being you”.

Learn four counts of eight, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence using scarfs – “Great pumpkin waltz” song.

Light Scarf or tissue paper (used for nose), or paper towel.

10

NOVEMBER:

Theme: Thankfulness, Thanksgiving.

1 – Warming up:

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: patterns.

Using the scarf, dance to song week 10.

 3 – Developing skills:

A – Learn 3rd position.

1st, 2nd, 3rd position: demi-plie, eleve in 1st and 2nd balance, souplesse en avant and the cote.

B – 1st position: tendu à la seconde, close 3rd en avant, same leg repeats tendu and close derrière.

C – repeat week 1.

D – 3rd position: coupe devant, fondu a la seconde, fondu to passe and balance.

E – Allegro: 3rd position learn changement.

F – Locomotor movement: chasse forward, saute first arabesque, walk back and prepare.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

Review dance, learn 4 counts of eights, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence using scarfs repeat week 1.

Light Scarf or tissue paper (used for nose), or paper towel.

11

NOVEMBER:

Theme: Thankfulness, Thanksgiving.

1 – Warming up:

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: flow.

Using the scarf, dance to song week 11.

 3 – Developing skills:

Repeat A, B, C, D, E week 2.

F – Locomotor movement: 8 counts skipping with a scarf, 8 counts standing in place alternating arm circles changing scarf from one hand to another.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

Review dance, learn 4 counts of eights, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence using scarfs repeat week 1.

Light Scarf or tissue paper (used for nose), or paper towel.

12

NOVEMBER:

Theme: Thankfulness, Thanksgiving.

1 – Warming up:

Repeat week 1.

 2 – Exploring the concept: patterns.

Using the scarf, dance to song week 12.

 3 – Developing skills:

A – repeat week 2.

B – 3rd position: tendu a la seconde, close 3rd en avant, same leg repeats tendu and close derriere.

C – 3rd position: glissade, changement.

D – repeat week 2.

E – Adagio: learn pas de bourrée (couru and 3 steps). 3rd position coupe devant demi-plié, pas de bourrée couru, demi-plié coupé derrière, pas de bourrée (3 steps).

F – Locomotor movement: repeat week 3.

Floor stretch: repeat week 1.

 4 – Creating/Choreography:

Review dance, learn 4 counts of eights, memorize and perform.

 5 – Cooling off:

Reverence using scarfs repeat week 1.

Light Scarf or tissue paper (used for nose), or paper towel.