The Missing Link in Ballet Teaching: Connecting Steps to Concepts

Effective ballet curriculum design requires balancing steps and concepts thoughtfully. Are you teaching steps in your ballet class or are you teaching concepts? The most effective approach combines both strategically.

Steps are the individual ballet vocabulary - plié, glissade, pirouette, saut de chat. We need these for consistency across teachers, countries, and centuries.

Concepts are the bigger picture - understanding how bending at particular joints while maintaining alignment creates the foundation for multiple vocabulary elements.

The magic happens when steps and concepts build on each other systematically. Instead of random vocabulary introduction, each element serves the larger learning progression. Students understand not just what they're doing, but why it matters and how it connects to their overall development.

There are many lists online of ballet steps that need to be taught, with different opinions on sequencing. What's often missing from these discussions is the conceptual foundation that underlies the vocabulary. Which concepts need to be established first? Which steps most clearly illustrate these concepts so movement experience reinforces understanding? My curriculum addresses this missing link between steps and concepts. Every element is intentionally placed to build on previous learning while preparing for future challenges. Students progress at a pace that allows information to sink in while maintaining consistent growth momentum.

This creates the classroom environment where students thrive - learning that makes sense, appropriate repetition for safety and familiarity, manageable challenges that feel achievable, and clear connections between today's work and tomorrow's goals.

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This thoughtful approach to connecting steps and concepts is woven throughout my complete curriculum collection. Each level includes the intentional sequencing and conceptual frameworks that make progressive, confident learning possible.

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