Teaching Greek Dance

for
Young Beginners
(4+ years)

By Paraskevi Contos June

September 13, 2010
 Dedication
Μ’όποιον δάσκαλο καθίσεις, τέτοια γράμματα θα μάθεις.
-Greek proverb

To John Basdakis

To my children whose dancing feet inspired me to write this.

By Paraskevi June 9/2010 Page 2 of 16

 Introduction
Congratulations and welcome to teaching Greek dance to our little ones.
You have made a wonderful choice to share your love and enthusiasm for
Greek dance. Like your students, you are learning and growing through
teaching. Take time to read and study the manual. It does not include
everything about the teaching of Greek dance, but it will help to lay the
foundation for your teaching journey. May God grant you and your students
the love, strength, faith, and wisdom to glorify Him through the beauty of
Greek dance.

Kali Epitihia!
Dynami!

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 Mission

You have been given the responsibility to teach a child the gift of Greek
dance. Remember to stay focused on the mission of your task. Teaching is a
God’s gift to you and your dancers.

To cultivate a love and appreciation for Greek culture through music,

dance, and costume.

To provide opportunities whenever possible for dancers to share and

perform dances to the church community and communities beyond.

To foster a love for Christ and the Church by using dance as an

expression of our Orthodox faith, and to offer our thanks to God for the
gift of dance.

To teach and demonstrate Orthodox Christian virtues: love, faith,

sportsmanship, and teamwork.

To instill confidence, self-respect, and social skills through the art and
beauty of Greek dance.

To serve as a role model to students by upholding the teachings of the

Orthodox Christian faith.

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 Dance as a Ministry
Praise Him with tambourine and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe!
Psalm 150:4

It is especially important to offer thanks to God for the gifts He has

given us. Greek dance, like any other activity or talent, is a gift and a
blessing. Church attendance as well as participation in the Sunday School
program must be encouraged.

You may start with the Lord’s Prayer or other prayers at the beginning
and end of practices as well as performances. Speak to your priest about
ways the group can pray.

Example:

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of dance.

With this gift, I will do my best to glorify your name.

Amen.

You may also consider an Agiasmo service and/or Vespers as a way to

start the dance season.

A community service project is a wonderful work of God and can help to

build team spirit (IE: Performing for an orphanage, making cards for rest
homes, etc….) Discuss with your dancers, parents, and priest how your group
can make a difference in the community.

The priest is the spiritual leader and can help with the spiritual needs of
your program.

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 Music & Dance Selection

It is important to select music and dances that are age appropriate

and relatable to little dancers.

Select music/dances with a strong and even downbeat. It should be a

tune/dance they can clap to without struggle. The music must be melodic, be
pleasing to the ear, and have clear sound quality.

Provide copies of the music to the dancers/parents. Encourage dancers

to play the music as often as they can so they can practice at home, listen to
it in the car or show family and friends what they are learning in dance class.

As a start, introduce children to musicality and movement by having them

clap to a familiar tune such as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Old McDonald
Had a Farm or Row, Row, Row Your Boat, just to name a few. This should
help you transition to a Greek tune by clapping to the beat. You can also
have them stomp their feet or snap their fingers as an alternative to
clapping. Students may also be familiar with Greek children’s songs for them
to clap to.

Songs/Dances with syncopated rhythms are often a stretch for the first-
time dancer and should be avoided. Once a dancer gains confidence with a
basic rhythm, you can test the waters to see if they are ready for more
complex rhythms.

A moderately paced Hasaposerviko is always a good dance to start.

Tsamiko (though slightly syncopated) can come next. As the group progress,
be sure to try the dance to different tunes for variety.

Sometimes, adaptation of a step or dance is necessary so that the

material is more accessible to the dancers. Don’t stray too far from the
original dance.

Research and networking are very important. It is through research and

speaking with dance experts and teachers that you acquire the tools and
information needed to teach your students. Always be sure to check with a
variety of reputable sources so that what you teach is correct.

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 Movement

An important objective in Greek dance is to help children move their

bodies in a coordinated fashion, to build their confidence and self-esteem,
and to dance as a cohesive group.

Distinguishing left from right and vise versa is an important skill. A game
of “Simon Says” (Simon Says raise your left hand. Simon Says lift your right
leg…) or the “Hokey Pokey” are fun ways to do this.

Dancing in a circular formation is a work in progress for children. You can

use masking tape and tape it down to the floor in the form of a circle as one
form of practice. Be sure the tape does not do any damage to the floor.
Also, you can have them get in a “train formation” and each dancer can take
turns being the head of the train while everyone calls out “Choo-Choo.” A
“Samba” line is also a lot of fun.

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 Incentives & Rewards
Little dancers need incentives and rewards to reinforce good behavior
and dancing. Incentives and rewards come in many forms. Here are a few
suggestions:

Offer verbal praise. It is the simplest of all rewards. Telling your

students “Good job” or “Bravo” will bring a smile to their faces.

Extrinsic rewards such as stickers, stamps, pencils, etc…are popular.

Don’t rely on this reward too much and don’t offer it for every desired
behavior. This should only come at the end of the class and it should not be
overly costly.

Celebrate namedays and birthdays. Dance practice is always more

exciting when it’s a dancer’s day to celebrate their special day.

Keep an attendance and behavior chart to reward long term behaviors

such as punctuality, perfect attendance or zero disruptions.

Don’t forget to praise parents, priest, and parish leaders for their
support. We couldn’t do it without them!

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 Behavior Management

It is key to make clear to dancers and parents your expectations for

good behavior as well as what happens when poor behavior occurs. Disruptive
behavior defeats the effectiveness of learning for everyone, so it is
important to have a plan. Be firm, fair, and friendly in all situations.

Typically, a suggested discipline plan would be to offer 2 verbal warnings.

If the behavior persists, then take the child out of the lesson for a time-out
(2-5 minutes). If time-out is ineffective, it is time to alert the parent(s)
that the child did not cooperate during practice, and support is needed to
prevent this in the future.

In a situation where you must give a consequence for bad behavior, be

sure to follow through. If you say…”Johnny, I am going to take you out of
the line the next time you…” If the behavior occurs, you must hold true to
your statement. Otherwise, the dancer will not believe you and will repeat
the behavior because he/she knows you may not follow through.

Work with parents and the priest to address serious behavior issues. Do
not battle behavior challenges alone.

Don’t forget to reinforce positive behavior. Offer verbal praise and other
incentives and rewards (Noted in Incentives and Rewards Section).

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 Communication

Communication is a key element to a strong dance program. Weekly

communication in written, verbal and/or e-mail, are ways you can
communicate to parents or the community.

A weekly “Newsflash” bulletin is one way. You may include reminders

about the practice schedule, rules and expectations, appropriate dance wear
for class, upcoming performances, acknowledge namedays/birthdays, thank
you’s, and even bits of wisdom or inspirational quotes. Parents appreciate
these notices. Keep record of what you send home.

Notes in your church’s bulletin is also a way to let your dance families and
community know what is happening with the dance ministry.

You may consider appointing a parent representative to make phone calls

or assist you with other communication/administrative needs.

Communicate in a consistent and frequent basis with dancers, parents,

priest, and other parish leaders. The dance program is part of the church
family.

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 Warm-Up

A warm up is really helpful to get your students motivated for their Greek
dance lesson.

Simple stretches, songs or games (Simon Says, Hokie Pokie,

Lightbulbs/Pancakes/Doorknobs, Head/Shoulders/Knees/Toes) are great
ways to lead into the lesson.

Clapping to a song, poem or rhythm is another wonderful lead.

Cool Down

Cool downs give closure to the lesson. Warm ups can be used as cool
downs. You may also talk about what the dancers learned, what they liked
about today’s lesson, and any other interesting points of discussion. Record
the comments of the children to share with parents or to write an article in
the bulletin (IE “I like Greek dance because…”).

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 Lesson Structure, Delivery & Pacing

You must be prepared to teach your little dancers. Always have a plan.
Teachers rarely succeed when they “shoot from the hip” or make it up as
they go along. Kids respond better to lessons that are structured and well
paced.

Teach in chunks. Give information to students in small pieces so that they

can process the information. Break down the steps. Speak slowly and clearly.
Take time to ask if there are questions or concerns.

Always incorporate some kind of review. Repetition is essential so that

information is retained.

Check for understanding. Don’t give directions without knowing if your

dancers really heard you. Have them repeat what you said or ask them to tell
their “neighbor” what the teacher just said, and see if they listened.

Correct one thing at a time. Don’t give your dance group a long list of
things to fix. A dancer cannot respond to so much information and correct
everything you ask.

Monitor your pacing. Don’t go too fast or too slow. Get a feel for what is
comfortable for all dancers. Don’t allow for gaps of silence, inactivity or
downtime during the course of a lesson. Keep things moving.

Give context for what you are doing. Give bits of history to dancers for
them to build an understanding for what they are learning. Show them where
a dance comes from. Display pictures of costumes from the region you are
teaching. Point to a village, town, island or region on a map as to where a
dance comes from.

Teach the vocabulary of dance. OPA! YIASOU! You can have dancers say
it to specific dancers: OPA Niko! Yiasou Eleni! Try to teach the
pronunciation of dances and where they come from.

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 Lessons should go for 20 minutes maximum. Be sure to have all dancers
go to the bathroom and get water before practice. Ask parents to help with
this.

Suggested lesson structure:

2-5 minutes Opening Prayer and Warm-Up

10-15 minutes Movement/Review
2-5 minutes Cool-down and Closing Prayer

Dancers with special needs may be in your class, and it is important to be

sensitive and responsive to them. Be sure to discuss ways to adapt the
dance lesson with the parent(s) so that the dancer feels welcome and
comfortable. Also, make certain that you work on a team spirit so that all
dancers embrace each other and help one another.

Give opportunities to dancers to lead and/or have solos. Also, be mindful

that dancers do not fall for the misconception that the leader is “the most
important” person in the line. Every dancer has an important role in the
group.

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 Performances
It is so exciting to see your dancers perform. Take opportunities, when
you feel your dancers are ready, to showcase their dancing. It builds
confidence, and it demonstrates the beauty of Greek culture. It also helps
dancers get accustomed to the stage and performing environment.

Be sure that there is sufficient chaperone coverage. Children must be

accompanied by an adult for the safety of all.

Have water and snacks available. Be sure students have had an

opportunity to go to the bathroom.

Have a kit with all essentials including safety pins, bobby pins, and any
other items needed to secure costumes. Provide parents with a reminder as
to what is needed. Dress rehearsals are always helpful so that dancers get a
feel for what it is like to perform in costume.

You may not have a full, authentic costume for this age group, and that is
fine. Work with parents to see if you can come up with a simple outfit that
will make the performance special.

Have someone videotape and photograph the performance. These are

special memories we want to record. It also provides meaningful feedback
when the students watch and learn from their performance.

Give a brief explanation of the dances so that the audience understands

the performance. Keep it easy and simple. You may even want to invite
members of the audience to learn the dance(s).

Help kids to relax and enjoy the performance. Teach them to smile and
make eye contact with the audience. Have fun!

Teach your kids to take a bow. It is the best part of the performance for
them when they know they have finished and the audience enjoyed the
dancing.

Rehearse the entrance, exit, and bow. Students need additional guidance
at these moments.

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 Make sure that meaningful and constructive feedback is given to the
dancers. Do not call negative attention to a dancer who may be off step or
behind the beat. Encouragement and support must be given to every dancer,
and no one should feel discouraged or defeated. Some dancers may bloom
later than others.

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 Dance Beyond the Classroom or the Stage

Encourage parents and dancers to attend functions or events where there

is an opportunity to dance. Weddings, baptisms, and festivals are ideal places
to put those little dancing feet to the floor and have fun. Dance is a
community experience and a celebration of life.

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