DANCE EDUCATOR SERIES

Level 1 - The Fundamentals

For Dance Teachers and Heath Professionals who work with Dancers

• Do you have students who struggle with “Short Achilles” or restricted turnout, no matter how much they stretch?
• Are you sick of cuing dancers to “pull up” or “use your core” only to see it relax moments later?
• Did you now that are ways of addressing the underlying anatomical issues with these students for immediate and long lasting change?

“The Fundamentals” explores solutions to the most frequent issues dance teachers come across, often in their most hard working students. From the student who struggles with flexibility, no matter how hard they stretch, to the dancer who’s feet just won’t improve, no matter how many rises they do.

By diving deeper into the anatomy underlying these issues we are able to learn how and when to apply specific techniques to address the real issues, rather than pushing into range and risking injury.

This unique course distils the most effective and efficient strategies for working safely with dancers to achieve their full potential. It will give you a deep understanding of the mechanics of optimal performance, allowing you to assist dancers to improve their technical capacity and prevent injury at critical stages in their training.

How to get involved

This unique course is now available in three different formats; a live in-person three day workshop, a live online workshop delivered over a 5 week period or a self-guided option. All options give all participants six months free access to the complete Level One Online Portal with detailed videos of all tests and exercises. Also included is an invitation to attend ongoing live coaching calls as well as access to recordings of over 90 previous coaching calls.

Level 1 workshop Lisa Howell Fundamentals in person

The in-person workshop is an extraordinary three days of full on learning. A perfect blend of theory and practical, with live demonstration models and self exploration so you really "get it". A great way to get to know like-minded teachers in your area and feel empowered in your teaching right away.

The original course is now also available as an online workshop, with a combination of live teaching, pre-recorded content and personal exploration. Delivered in a 4 hour session, once a week for 5 weeks, this format is great for those who like to learn in layers, or who cannot make it to a live training.

Learn the content covered in the Level 1 Workshop in the comfort of your own home, at your own pace, with our Self Guided Option. Each module is delivered sequentially, ensuring you get the layered learning built into the design of the course. Great if you like moving at your own pace or like to learn in bite sized amounts!

Plus! All options give you 6 months free access to the Online Portal & Coaching Calls

(Valued at $174 USD)

There are over 250 content based videos in the program, clearly demonstrating every test and exercise in the course, organised into 12 carefully structured modules, to enhance the ease of learning
In each module there are numerous downloadable resources including assessment sheets, progress charts and exercise sheets to make it easy to integrate the work into your dance classes or clinical practice
All of the content is arranged in an easy to navigate dashboard with handy progress wheels to easily track your learning
You will also be able to join me on all of the Live Coaching Calls, which are a wonderful way to deepen your understanding of the content
Get instant access to the library of more than 90 previously recorded Coaching Calls. These valuable resources each examine a particular topic in detail and look at the application of the content in the course in a real life scenario
Become a part of a community of like minded professionals all focussed on training healthy dancers through our Private Facebook Group, allowing you to ask questions at any time and tap into a global group of extremely knowledgable professionals from all genres

The Modules:

The course is organised into 12 different modules, each unravelling many of the common issues seen in the studio. In-person and Online workshop attendees get instant access to all modules, while in the self-guided option each subsequent module will open once the previous one has been completed.

L1 - 05 - Basic Classical Technique- Square

Sample Videos

Throughout the course we look at effective solutions for issues in many areas that are frustrating for dancers and dance teachers alike. There are so many myths in the dance world about what certain bodies can and cannot do. By understanding the anatomy on a deeper level we are often able to move past previous restrictions and explore the art we love more freely. The following videos are included in the online portal and are just a tiny example of the depth of information covered.

Short Achilles Tendon

Many dancers are told that they have a "Short Achilles" and that there is nothing that can be done about this. In over 20 years as a Physiotherapist for dancers, evry dancer I have encountered with a shallow, btrittle plié has had an issue with the mobilitry of the mid foot, not an anatomically short achilles tendon. Learning how to effectively assess and work with the mobility of the foot, and encouraging its controlled deformation en fondu can not just improve a dancers depth of plié, but will also improve their shock absorption in jumps, their overall flexibility and the quality of their dancing overall.

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

Often put down to an inherited posture type, an excessive anterior tilt can be very hard for some dancers to manage in class. If their conscious mind is focused on pelvic placement, their fluidity of movement tends to be lost. Yet the minute they lose focus on pelvic position, their spine arches. The solution is often found by going back to the developmental stage of crawling, to help build the subconscious patters of stability that can be trained for postural control.

Gripping Quads in Adage

If you know the frustration of being asked to "relax your quads" during a slow adage, with no deeper cuing, this section is for you. We break down the anatomy of the hip, and what different sensations (such as pinching in the hip or gripping thigh) actually mean. We then look at focussed conditioning exercises to fill in the blanks, in order to allow a more sequenced ad articulate control of the hip en l'air. This understanding is transformative for so many dancers.