This summer I had the pleasure to teach Ballet at the summer program, EXPLO at Yale University.  I had the pleasure of teaching classes of international high school students at a variety of dance experience levels.  Each class I worked with performed at the final showcase for the performing art classes and performed a piece to Singin’ in the Rain.

This was my second year instructing at this program.  In addition to my ballet classes, I also taught classes in Computer Programming and was an RA to a floor of rising eleventh-grade girls.  EXPLO at Yale is such a wonderful opportunity for students to experience a variety of courses and activities in addition to making life long friends from all over the world.

Last year as an RA/Instructor, EXPLO provided me with an exceptional skill set to teach in a classroom for the first time.   EXPLO emphasizes student led activities and taught me how to manage a classroom and make a primarily lecture-friendly subject more interactive to its students.

As a dance instructor, EXPLO challenged me to find new ways to demonstrate and explain movement to a group of ESOL and ELL students.  It was often more effective to demonstrate movement accompanied by counts than demonstrating ballet steps with their traditional name.  Many students in the class were beginner dancers and adding the French ballet terminology to every explanation often confused them whilst they were already translating English into their native language.