Tier 1:
The Foundations Lab

Teach with confidence—not just tradition.

You know your dancers deserve more than recycled combos and outdated training methods. But without structure, support, or science-based tools, it’s hard to know where to begin. Until now.

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Setting the foundations of the teaching practice

The Foundations Lab is a 3-week, self-paced professional development course for ballet educators who want to teach with intention not just tradition.

Inside this lab, you'll gain the structure and insight to create developmentally appropriate ballet classes, scaffolded lesson plans, and dancer-centered instruction using research-informed teaching methods, learning theory, and practical applications from the studio floor.

It’s the foundation of the full Summer Training Lab and includes Part 1 of Teaching Smarter, a mini-course that introduces anatomy, strength integration, and injury-prevention strategies for teachers who want to train stronger, not just harder.

This is for you if...

You’re tired of guessing whether your students really understand what you’re teaching
You want a system to plan, scaffold, and assess your class—not just intuition
You’ve outgrown the “more reps = better dancing” mindset
You care deeply about your students’ growth—physically, artistically, and emotionally

get started now!

Modules

Module 1: From Tradition to Intention

Begin your shift from intuition-based ballet class to intention-driven instruction.

Explore the “why” behind common ballet practices
Unpack how tradition has shaped what we teach—and where it falls short
Discover how clarity and structure can support both artistry and student progress
Set the tone for evolving your teaching through research and reflection

Module 2: Planning with Purpose

Learn how to use backward design and learning objectives to drive your class content.

Write learning objectives that are clear, measurable, and developmentally appropriate
Align objectives with your students’ skill levels, needs, and long-term goals
Scaffold your lessons using research-backed sequencing strategies
Connect what dancers do in class to what they understand and retain

Module 3: Building the Class Experience

Design class plans that foster deep learning, student engagement, and meaningful repetition.

Use a guided template to structure full ballet lessons with built-in scaffolding
Integrate cueing strategies that improve dancer comprehension and movement quality
Employ feedback loops, exit tasks, and agency-driven strategies to increase buy-in
Build class structure that reflects how students learn—not just what you’ve always done

Module 4: Assessment, SEL & Student Growth

Redefine how you evaluate progress—and the dancer as a whole person.

Learn to use holistic assessment that reflects dancer development over time
Create and apply growth-focused rubrics aligned to learning goals
Embed social-emotional learning into your ballet class without losing rigor
Foster a classroom culture of reflection, ownership, and emotional resilience

What You’ll Walk Away With:

A complete lesson planning system you can reuse for every level
Scaffolded ballet class frameworks that support real dancer progress
Strategies for cueing and feedback that stick
Built-in Social-Emotional Learning tools & differentiation ideas for whole-student growth