Ballet and the Rambunctious Child

I have no bad kids, but every few classes, I have a very rambunctious kid.  This kid is incredibly powerful and can turn an entire classroom, much like a vampire or a zombie (can you tell Halloween is right around the corner?)  Once the other children witness her ultimate silliness, they are transformed from quiet, focused children to a wiggling herd of loud pink leotards, tutus, and glitter.


Let's do ballet walks across the floor!  Forget walking, let's run! 

Count to eight?  How about 29!

Stand in first position at the barre.  You mean, this monkey bar?!  

I get these kids.  I remember when I was six years old in ballet, lying on my belly and pushing my way across the floor like an inch worm.  My ballet teacher, Mrs. Short, would pound her bamboo stick on the floor and say, "up! up! up!"  This was also the same teacher that refused me my pointe shoes after my first "test," telling my parents I wasn't ready, even though I "passed" the exam.  The laughter that comes from their classmates are much more satisfying than "five, six, seven, eight!" or "Let's do that again" for the dreaded barre exercises.  Well behaved three to seven-year-olds are like wonder children to me and thankfully, I have plenty of wonder children in my classes.  Being a ballet instructor as an adult, I seem to have a rambunctious child in at least one of my classes everyday.  I would hear myself echoing Mrs. Short, "Up! Up! Up!" "Focus, focus, focus!"  But everyone once in a while, there's a child that will look me dead in the eye and keep her belly on the floor no matter how much I'm imploring her to stand on her feet.  I'll pause the music, snap my fingers, and say, "Up."  The child refuses to move and the validating laughter starts with the other students in the classroom.  The rambunctiousness will spread like immediate vampirism and one by one, all the other children will flop on the floor, watching and seeing what I'll do next.    

My number one rule for myself as a teacher: I don't yell.

Number two: I don't ask children to leave the room.  With the exception of one student (many years ago while I was living in Colorado) that hid a lighter in her ballet slipper and tried to burn my hair with it as I was sifting through my CD player.  Note:  She was five and very curious about dangerous, scary things. 

I also hate asking children to sit out or refusing stickers, glitter, etc to these rambunctious kids- anything that would associate "CANT," "BAD," or "TROUBLE" with "DANCE."

I've also know (from being this way myself as a child) that short attention span doesn't mean that the child has ADD or ADHD (although it can), but it also shouldn't be punished.


One technique doesn't work with every child, but there are a few points that I've learned that seem to re-focus these bouncing jellybeans into dancing and paying attention like a ballerina.

1.I have them go Last in Line (not as a punishment) but as an opportunity to watch their classmates when they were inevitably not paying attention to me and avoiding embarrassment not knowing what to do when it's their turn.     

2. I Separate them from their Friends:  I chose where the students stand (every student.)  At the barre, in line, at the center.  I make it a point to stand the rambunctious child with the quiet wonder children.

3. I Highlight their Talent when they do an exceptional job:  Again, I do this with every student and every student is good at something different.  But if the rambunctious child is a great leaper, I do make it a point to notice when they do a good job.

4. On a 'Good Day,' I'll ask the child the stick around after class for a minute and have a Heart-to-Heart:  I don't like to do these on a day where they didn't listen well, because I feel like it is negative reinforcements.  On a good day, I'll talk to the child and point out how their focused behavior led to great improvements.  Usually, the curious classmates will ask if she got in trouble, and it'll reinforce her self-esteem and 'good behavior' to tell her classmates that she paid attention and therefore, improved in such-and-such.

Of course, every once in a while, I will have to ask a student to sit out during one exercise or have a chat with Mom or Dad, although, I feel bad about myself when it happens because I feel like it's a lack of creativity on my part.  I don't like associating these children with "bad kids," because they're not nor do they hate ballet class- they don't like getting in trouble.  They're having fun while acting silly and ballet should be fun, it's redirecting the energy into dance that's typically the challenge. Every teacher has their own technique to refocus rambunctious children, but these four points do work for me the majority of the time- reiterating it week after week.  I'm pleased that half way through this semester, my rambunctious dancers are better focused and do genuinely love being in the ballet studio. 

 ~ Miss Jenna

"Play gives children a chance to practice what they're learning," - Fred Rogers