Most of us have that one special teacher in our past, someone who really made a difference to our training, and by extension, our lives.  That teacher was likely to be interested in you rather than any accolades, and selfless in their pursuit of your success. The same approach holds true for teaching your adult ballet beginners.

Reflecting On What Success Means To You

Have you considered what you think success means? Reflecting on this will give you parameters when working with your adult ballet beginners. Self-knowledge is integral for success as a teacher, especially when working with a niche group such as adult beginners. Knowing what you consider success to be, will strengthen your teaching and in turn enhance your student’s learning experience.

If competitions and company placements are your driving force for teaching your students, you will need to rethink your motivations for teaching adult beginners. Successfully teaching adult beginners requires self-awareness, patience, connection, and above all else, trust.

Personal Expectations That Enhance Success

Most teachers (whether it’s realized or not) have a personal code of what they are prepared to accept from their students. If you haven’t really considered this, it’s worth thinking about when you start teaching your adult ballet beginner.

Teaching adults is just that – teaching. You will not be training these students – they do not need to have a perfect 5th position or a développé above and beyond 90°. When you know what your personal code is for your adult students, you will be able to embrace their learning. Their success, no matter how small, will continue to motivate you and them.

Using Your Perspective To Create Success

Perspective is key when teaching adult ballet beginners. Once you have reflected on success and acknowledged your personal code for your adult beginners, your perspective will shape their ballet experience.

A positive perspective, one that enriches and guides your adult beginners, will be far more successful, than one of frustration and longing for what may never be. Your adult students may feel frustrated and wish for ‘higher, bigger, better’, but you as their teacher must always stand firm in knowing what can be achieved, understanding that this will be an incremental process. That is not to say you crush their dreams, but encourage them in ways that highlight their strengths and achievements along the journey, rather than expecting there to be an ‘end point’.

Communicating For Success

Good communication is the basis of all good teaching. Being an effective communicator means that your students are never left wondering what is expected of them – whether it’s setting an enchaînement or giving a correction. Your adult ballet beginners will need guidance and reassurance as they start their ballet journey, as they have placed their trust in you to help them realize their ballet goals.

It’s important to remember that your adult ballet beginners may not have ballet experience, but they have life experience – many of your adults will be experts in their own profession. They will need clarity in directions without being spoken down to. Your adult beginners will need to feel that they are being taken seriously, and the way you communicate with them will be key to creating trust. A sense of humor, used appropriately, will go a long way.

Understanding (And Accepting) What Success Looks Like

When we think about success, it’s often connected to grandiose moments – something that is worthy of shouting from the rooftops. But success with your adult ballet beginners is something much quieter, little more than a whisper at times. Your adult ballet beginners are not working towards a career in dance. They want to experience the joy of ballet right now, in the moment. You have the privilege and responsibility of shaping their experience and expectations.

Your adult beginners have a lifetime of movement patterns that may not fit with your ballet ideals. This can be challenging, but as the teacher it’s your responsibility to develop their ballet technique to fit them as they are now. Try not to equate age with knowledge in the studio – you will see the same mistakes that you expect to see with your younger beginners. Adult beginners thrive on positive reinforcement, so acknowledging the small successes is essential – whether it’s creating a beautiful line, or ordering the steps correctly in an enchaînement.

True teaching is one of the greatest gifts we can give. There is honor and humility in the trust given by students, especially adult beginners, who despite their maturity, start with nothing. It’s important to assess your approach and motivations for teaching when working for success with this underrated, but ever expanding, student group.