Coaches Preteam/Level 2 Dance

[Nicole19]

I currently coach a preteam and competitive level 2 team. We've just had our first meet and the skills went well enough but we struggled in dance. Our kicks, pivots, heel snap turns, leaps, etc are weak. We spend a lot of time doing releve walks/lifts and kicks in gym but it isn't translating. The girls don't yet understand pushing through their toes or tight knees in turns.
Does anyone have drills or breakdowns or ideas on how to improve these things? Or how to make dance fun and less repetitive for the kids? We need to work the very basics but I'm looking for some more effective ways.

 

[CreateMagic]

I currently coach a preteam and competitive level 2 team. We've just had our first meet and the skills went well enough but we struggled in dance. Our kicks, pivots, heel snap turns, leaps, etc are weak. We spend a lot of time doing releve walks/lifts and kicks in gym but it isn't translating. The girls don't yet understand pushing through their toes or tight knees in turns.
Does anyone have drills or breakdowns or ideas on how to improve these things? Or how to make dance fun and less repetitive for the kids? We need to work the very basics but I'm looking for some more effective ways.

Do you have access to a dance teacher? We are putting together a short 5-7 minute dance warmup to music by the Vitamin String Quartet to help both with positions and musicality.

 

[hammy1207]

I coach preteam, level 3, and level 4.

Here's what I like to do:
Beam Complex:
Walks: Releve forward, side, and back
Lock walk: Releve walk forward, step lock, step lock
Passe walk: flat foot. advanced: step passe (flat), releve, down
Dip walk (ice cream scoops). Advanced: dip leap, land in arabesque
Punching forward (jumping with straight legs only using toes)
L3/L4 Kicks: Front, side, back, needle

Standing drills:
Lock hold and pivot turn challenge (how many pivot turns can you do without wiggling)
Passe hold (Lvl 3/lvl 4: releve passe hold)
Passe releves
Preteam kicks: stand on one leg with other foot pointed beside beam. Swing forward and return to beginning position.
Jump drill 1: stand in "ready position" (plie beam feet with arms by side) and lift heals up with legs still bent, then up to releve as you straighten legs
Jump drill 2: ready position, stretch (arms lift to crown as you releve), land (lower to ready position).
Heal snap quarter turns
Passe releve quarter turns (For the level 4s)

Leaps:
Lift forward, hold, lift higher
Lifts/kicks from an elevated surface
Step (over carpet square), leap (over carpet square, foam blocks, onto mat stack)
Leap from kneel/dip leap

Floor:
similar to beam--lots of the same drills, because if you can do it on floor, you can do it on beam!

I like to make things into a game: points for skills and earn x number of points and you get to do X activity (play a game, work on harder skills). As far as basics go, I also encourage my kids by telling them that they're so important that the Olympians start their workout by doing it.

 

[Nicole19]

Do you have access to a dance teacher? We are putting together a short 5-7 minute dance warmup to music by the Vitamin String Quartet to help both with positions and musicality.

My group does not have access to a dance teacher. I do have a lot of dance experience but definitely struggle with my littles. If you can videotape your new dance warmup I would love to see it! Thanks!

 

[Nicole19]

I coach preteam, level 3, and level 4.

Here's what I like to do:
Beam Complex:
Walks: Releve forward, side, and back
Lock walk: Releve walk forward, step lock, step lock
Passe walk: flat foot. advanced: step passe (flat), releve, down
Dip walk (ice cream scoops). Advanced: dip leap, land in arabesque
Punching forward (jumping with straight legs only using toes)
L3/L4 Kicks: Front, side, back, needle

Standing drills:
Lock hold and pivot turn challenge (how many pivot turns can you do without wiggling)
Passe hold (Lvl 3/lvl 4: releve passe hold)
Passe releves
Preteam kicks: stand on one leg with other foot pointed beside beam. Swing forward and return to beginning position.
Jump drill 1: stand in "ready position" (plie beam feet with arms by side) and lift heals up with legs still bent, then up to releve as you straighten legs
Jump drill 2: ready position, stretch (arms lift to crown as you releve), land (lower to ready position).
Heal snap quarter turns
Passe releve quarter turns (For the level 4s)

Leaps:
Lift forward, hold, lift higher
Lifts/kicks from an elevated surface
Step (over carpet square), leap (over carpet square, foam blocks, onto mat stack)
Leap from kneel/dip leap

Floor:
similar to beam--lots of the same drills, because if you can do it on floor, you can do it on beam!

I like to make things into a game: points for skills and earn x number of points and you get to do X activity (play a game, work on harder skills). As far as basics go, I also encourage my kids by telling them that they're so important that the Olympians start their workout by doing it.

Thanks so much! Some of these we are doing, some we are not. I will add in some of the new ones. But it is reassuring to know we're doing similar things!

 

[saddlupasb]

I coach Level 2 and 3 Team. I have ages 5 1/2 - 11
I change up my beam complex every month. Right now since we are starting to focus more on routines (Practice Meet October 27 and first meet in November), I actually have more skills in it just so all of the coaches will do what needs to be done. I make sure that they are all keeping their big toes on the beam and encourage 'beam feet'. So big toe is never allowed to be near the edge, only pinkies and inside of heel. I have them hold releve at the end of the beam and all pivot together. They also understand turnout better if you have them put their hands with palms together near their belly button and then say point your fingers away from your belly button and then match your feet. It really works well. I also like to have them watch themselves in a mirror so that they can see the bent legs/flexed feet etc. It really does work.
Level 2 Beam Complex dance parts that I've done over the summer: Releve walks forward and backward with arms in crown. Kicks forward, backward and sideward in flat. Needle kicks. Bunny hops (punches across the beam). Passe marches with hands on hips (leotard line). Sissones. Star turns which focuses on pivoting and being tight. From dance finish (straight front leg, back toe pointed behind, arms in high v) Step swing forward, swing backward demi plie press to releve all together x 5. I do more as they need it. Then I have them do from lunge finish step lock pivot, lock pivot x 5 or more. This is for their floor routine. Demi plie press to releve using jumping feet and arms. Straight jumps pushing through feet. (they still can't do them well)
Level 3 Beam Complex dance stuff: Same walking as Level 2, but the kicks are done in releve. Passe releve up down to plie step to passe on both feet. Dip leaps. Arabesque hops. Sissones. Star turns, Bunny hops, Press to releve same as Level 2. Leap from a kneel. Arabesques with back leg over barrel, lean forward and back up x 3 as a side station. Arabesque/leg in front taps with leg over block/barrel. 1/4 heel snaps. (I haven't gotten to work with our 3s on beam since June so I'm sad about that. I'm stuck on floor)

Floor: Most of these are for L3, but the 2s have the same leap pass and jump so they are doing the same things. Split jumps in a row. Split jumps with a theraband on tramp/air track etc. Split jumps on a board. Split jumps hanging from a bar. Leaps up to a block. Leaps in a row. Sit on block with good leg out straight in front, try to bring back leg up in back. Jump to split on block. 4th position turn out walks, 4th position to releve lock walks, chasses across the floor. 1/2 turns from carpet square to hula hoop and back to carpet square. 1/4 heel snap turns.

I also like to do games and we watch a lot. The pressure of everyone watching often makes them prove to themselves that they can do it.