Thread: Private with 11 year old absolute beginner...?

So through some really random circumstances I have a private lesson with a very young girl, with no belly dance experience...

How would you structure this?

I'm thinking about just using some veil stuff teaching her some simple moves and making it into a cute choreography for her....

Its kind of a weird situation honestly....

First of all, a private lesson with a minor, by my standards, MUST be chaperoned, period.

What exactly is the situation? I've done a choreography for a student who wanted to enter a talent show, but what does this student want to learn? Figuring out why she wants private lessons will go a long way to figuring out what to teach.

She won the private lesson at a dance event... she doesn't necessarily want to learn anything in particular and yes her mother will be there.

ah- yep, that's tricky. It would honestly be easier (to me, anyway) to have a small group of friends, because that much attention can be intimidating to an 11 year old!

Your plan sounds fine- simple movements and combinations/short choreo so she can put them together. Would you consider allowing it to be applied to classes instead, tho? That's usually how I phrase my donation certificates- "X private lessons or Y classes"

Good luck!

Given the situation you describe, I'd be thinking in terms of teaching her some 'cool' moves she could easily remember and show off to her friends. I've taught workshops for younger children (7-8), and snake arms and big hip circles were the movements that seemed to go over the best. Putting everything together into a short choreography is a good idea.

In that vein, I wouldn't teach veil unless she's going to have a veil to take away with her at the end of the lesson. I think it would be disappointing for her to learn a skill she wouldn't be able to play around with on her own later.

Good point about the veil!

Thanks for the tips on movements that went over well.

It's too late to make it a class thing... Oh well. I'll probably just teach her 'cool' moves ;) and put them in combos so she can practice or show them off :)

Thanks for the advice!!!

head slides are another move that goes over well in random private lessons--regardless of age. they always make people giggle. some can do them, some can't but they almost always like them. then you can add the little wow of layering the headslide and it becomes the quinessential parlor trick, like making quarters bounce doing bellyrolls and stuff.
But I'm it saying to teach an 11 year old quarterbouncing parlor tricks. Nonononooooo, just headslides

another thought, even if its too late to suggest she redeem the certificate for classes, could you call the mother and suggest turning it into a small party something like "I've been giving this some thought and it can be very overwhelming to have a private lesson for someone who's never taken belly dance before. I often encourage adult dancers and folks who are just starting out to turn their private lesson into a semi-private lesson or host a princess party. I think your daughter will get the most out of this experience if she invites a couple of friends over to join her. I would teach a lesson that includes a fun routine the girls could learn and share and we'd finish the lesson up with a short performance from me in full costume. This option is really fun and maybe a little less intense than a 1 on 1 private lesson..."
Is it too late to try and get them to buy into that option? Would you be willing to reschedule so they could invite a few friends?

Originally Posted by AmandaRose2

She won the private lesson at a dance event... she doesn't necessarily want to learn anything in particular and yes her mother will be there.

Maybe mom can take the lesson, too? Since (I assume) it is a one time thing, a mother-daughter lesson might be really fun.

Thanks for all your responses ladies! She apparently had taken beginning classes before and was the fastest learner I've ever seen. We did do head slides which she liked, snake arms, and big hip circles. The movements in releve were the hardest for her and we ended up doing a reverse combo with syncopated maya's and vertical figure 8's! It was pretty fun :) I was totally thinking it would be a long hour but it went really fast!