Level 1 is typically beginners over the age of 5. Some kids fly through level 1 so fast that it's just a quick stepping stone for them. And other children spend a year or more there. It's tough to make a kid stay in level 1 if they feel they should move up. Typically parents feel a child should move up after a year/season. I've had quite a few parents get upset with me because I don't feel comfortable moving their child up to level 2. In order to move up, a child needs to have a good, solid cartwheel. In my completely unprofessional opinion, a child shouldn't move to Level 2 unless they can do a straight-legged cartwheel. The problem when you move them too soon is that in Level 2 you're no longer working on cartwheels, you're working on handstands and round-offs. So when a child can't even do a proper cartwheel, they are already behind. It's not fair to them, or to the rest of the class. It's hard to tell a parent, after a year or more, that their child still needs to be in level 1.
I have three level 1 classes this year. They can be fun, and they can be a lot of work. The kids are new in gymnastics, typically, and are excited to learn. Some kids are there because their parents make them and they don't actually want to learn. Luckily, I don't have any of those this year.
My first level 1 class had 10 kids when I started the year, with a long waiting list. I had to open a 2nd class as a result. Now there are 4 sweet little girls, two of them are returning students from last year. I had a hard time choosing a song for them because when we first started our recital rehearsals there were 6 girls in the class, and a big age difference between the youngest and oldest. I needed something that fit them all. I settled on "Naturally" by Selena Gomez because I figured everyone would know who she was. Nope. But that's okay because they all like the song.
I also like this song because there are definite tempo changes in the song that the girls can use for key points in the choreography. It makes it easier for them to remember when to do something when it fits the song.
My second level 1 class was a result of a waiting list of the first. I've had so many children in and out of that class all year long. The 4 girls I have now are not the same kids I started with. At one point I was about to shut down the class because all the students missed several weeks in a row. Then suddenly one night these 4 girls showed up, and here we are!
I originally picked a remixed song by Elvis called "Rubberneckin'" because I had a boy in the class. The boy dropped out and the girls did *not* like that song. Going through my iTunes playlist with the girls one night, they got their heart set on none other than "What Is Love" by Haddaway... of Night at the Roxbury fame. Complete with head bob ala Will & Jimmie, the girls are having a lot of fun with this one. None of the kids can "tumble" too well, so we just went for "fun routine" instead of "show off our skills" routine. It works!
My third level 1 class has also morphed into something completely different than it started out to be. I began the year with a class full of eager beginners. There has been a waiting list for this class at this time slot all year. Eventually I was down to three little girls. Two of them were ready to move up to level 2, so I bumped them up. One little girl was left by herself for a few weeks. Unbeknown to me, there was still a waiting list for the class. No one who had dropped the class, or moved up, went to the front desk to take their name off my roster. So I had one little girl, and a waiting list. Finally we got it all taken care of and admitted three new girls. They were so little, ages 4 and 5. The first girl, who was by herself for awhile, left us, and now we have three really cute little princesses whose big sisters are all in the level 2 class that's taught at the same time by another teacher.
First I picked the song "Dancing Crazy" by Miranda Cosgrove. I thought it would be a fun song for the girls, but it ended up being too fast for their limited skills. Another teacher wanted to use that song for her class so I said "have at it!" One thing about picking these songs is that you have to pick something that fits the class. If the class can handle a fast upbeat song, then go for it. If they can't, then maybe find something slower. Which is exactly what I did! I took my little princesses and found them a princess song. I made little princess wands for them to have during their routine, too. They are so excited! Especially because they get to keep their wands after Saturday.
Our song is "Today Was A Fairytale" by Taylor Swift. (And OMGosh this video is *so* cute!!)
Tonight is our dress rehearsal. I'm very anxious to see how things will play out. Some of the classes really know their stuff and I'm not worried in the least. Other classes have kids that were absent on so many days that they don't know the routine. I had one class where the girl was gone for a month and a half, then just surprised me last week. I had changed the whole routine to exclude her, then had to confuse everyone by changing it back to put her back in. It's such a challenge not only for me, but for the kids. We all have to figure out how to maneuver around these distractions.
Showing posts with label gymnastics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gymnastics. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Gymnastics Recital- Take One: Tumbling Tigers
The time is quickly approaching. Back in April, I thought this week would never come! But here we are, Recital Week! We have dress rehearsal, recital, and then the last day of classes.
For gymnastics recitals in our YMCA, each teacher picked out songs for their own classes based on age level, level of skill the classes are, and what's appropriate for that group. Some of us let our students pick and some of us have had ideas since September. I was a mixture of both. A few songs I'd had my eye on for awhile, and a few songs just popped in my head spontaneously as I was trying to think of what would be good for a class. One song the class picked out all by themselves, and it's a little surprising what they chose.
I'll post my Tumbling Tiger songs today. Tumbling Tigers, at our Y, are 3, 4 & 5 year old pre-schoolers. They don't do a lot for recital and we we have to be on the floor helping them most of the time. We set out mats in an obstacle course, teach them a few basic dance moves that go with the song, and let them do their thing.
My first Tumbling Tiger class I solo-teach. There are only three kids in it right now, after having three move away earlier this year, and one little girl's mama decided she was too young and wouldn't understand the recital. At 3 years old, that's a tough call sometimes. Louisa's first ballet recital was when she was 3 and she really got in to it and understood what she was doing. But I agreed with this mom's decision, her daughter really didn't have the maturity to remember the routine from week to week, and I'm guessing she wouldn't have wanted to be on stage in front of an audience.
So for my first song I chose a little ditty from the Disney Channel show Phineas & Ferb. I was working gymnastics birthday parties one day when a parent brought in their own CD of fun kids music. This song was on the CD and I thought it was perfect for a Tumbling Tiger routine. With only three kids, I have a short routine, and this is a short song to match it.
My second Tumbling Tigers is co-taught with another coach. She's a super sweet high school senior who's been doing gymnastics her whole life. She's taught me a *lot* this year. We have a large class of about 10 kids, so we needed a face paced, long song to get us through. She chose a very upbeat song by Mitchel Musso, of Hannah Montana fame. I choreographed the routine by myself because my co-teacher had to miss a bunch of classes in a row. However, after doing this for years, she has told me this is one of her favorites. Since this is my first year choreographing by myself, I take that compliment and run :)
The song is called Let's Make This Last 4Ever, and seriously, if you have a pre-teen or a smaller kid with an iPod, buy this for them! It's such a great dance song. My Tumbling Tigers can't stop dancing when they hear this. It's so cute!
Come on back tomorrow! I've got more songs to post, and more gymnastics classes to brag.... I mean, talk about.
For gymnastics recitals in our YMCA, each teacher picked out songs for their own classes based on age level, level of skill the classes are, and what's appropriate for that group. Some of us let our students pick and some of us have had ideas since September. I was a mixture of both. A few songs I'd had my eye on for awhile, and a few songs just popped in my head spontaneously as I was trying to think of what would be good for a class. One song the class picked out all by themselves, and it's a little surprising what they chose.
I'll post my Tumbling Tiger songs today. Tumbling Tigers, at our Y, are 3, 4 & 5 year old pre-schoolers. They don't do a lot for recital and we we have to be on the floor helping them most of the time. We set out mats in an obstacle course, teach them a few basic dance moves that go with the song, and let them do their thing.
My first Tumbling Tiger class I solo-teach. There are only three kids in it right now, after having three move away earlier this year, and one little girl's mama decided she was too young and wouldn't understand the recital. At 3 years old, that's a tough call sometimes. Louisa's first ballet recital was when she was 3 and she really got in to it and understood what she was doing. But I agreed with this mom's decision, her daughter really didn't have the maturity to remember the routine from week to week, and I'm guessing she wouldn't have wanted to be on stage in front of an audience.
So for my first song I chose a little ditty from the Disney Channel show Phineas & Ferb. I was working gymnastics birthday parties one day when a parent brought in their own CD of fun kids music. This song was on the CD and I thought it was perfect for a Tumbling Tiger routine. With only three kids, I have a short routine, and this is a short song to match it.
My second Tumbling Tigers is co-taught with another coach. She's a super sweet high school senior who's been doing gymnastics her whole life. She's taught me a *lot* this year. We have a large class of about 10 kids, so we needed a face paced, long song to get us through. She chose a very upbeat song by Mitchel Musso, of Hannah Montana fame. I choreographed the routine by myself because my co-teacher had to miss a bunch of classes in a row. However, after doing this for years, she has told me this is one of her favorites. Since this is my first year choreographing by myself, I take that compliment and run :)
The song is called Let's Make This Last 4Ever, and seriously, if you have a pre-teen or a smaller kid with an iPod, buy this for them! It's such a great dance song. My Tumbling Tigers can't stop dancing when they hear this. It's so cute!
Come on back tomorrow! I've got more songs to post, and more gymnastics classes to brag.... I mean, talk about.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A little gymnastics, and a whole lotta Indian cuisine
I wish I could write about all the Chaos that has happened over the last week. I am choosing not to write about work related issues, because I work with children and I don't want any information that could affect them online. But I will say that gymnastics recital time is approaching again, and I'm getting freaked out! Last year I didn't choreograph any of my routines, a cute little teenaged cheerleader did it for me. But this year, I'm on my own! Yikes! I just relinquished 4 classes, so I will have 7 classes to prepare routines for as well as one class to assist with.
So far the songs I've picked for routines are:
~Dynamite
~Firework
~Dancing Crazy
~Ain't Got Rhythm (Phineas and Ferb show)
~Remix of Love Story
~Rubberneckin' (Elvis remix)
I need to come up with one more song for an all-little-little-girl class. They are 4, 5, and 6 and *so* cute! But I had to wait until my roster was final, and I knew there would be no new additions. That class has given me a few gray hairs lately, part of my ongoing Chaos. Now we're settled with my 4 little cutie pies and I need to pick a nice song for them. I'm thinking something princess-y/tinker bell-y.
School has also been a source of Chaos lately. Last week Friday, the 11th, in cooking class we began learning about Indian cuisine. I'm not a fan, sorry to say. My body, and all it's issues, cannot tolerate "hot" or "spicy" cuisine in any amount. I took a tiny bite of some lamb with curry last week, and my body went in to overload mode and I felt ill all night, in to the next day (while working!). Wasn't going to make that mistake again this week. I had to be part of the team that makes samosas last week, a pocket of dough made with turmeric and filled with veggies (and possibly lamb), then fried. The veggies are infused with an intense blend of Indian seasonings called garam masala (spices vary in different parts of India, but can include black pepper, different types of cumin, mace, corriander, cardamon, etc). The pockets (also called turnover) *have* to be a specific shape in order to be "authentic", according to my teacher. I wished I had my Indian friend's opinion on this, but she is on Facebook and I am not allowing myself to access Facebook right now so I'll have to wait to ask her! (Unless she reads this... Anj?!) As the teacher was staring over our shoulders (the entire time) making sure we got his samosas exactly right, I wanted to turn around and stick a samosa in his nose! I was praying I wouldn't be picked for this job on the 18th, when we actually prepared food to serve to the public!
Fast forward to the 18th, and I did not, in fact, have to make samosas! Yay! I assisted in making the Lamb in Coconut Curry sauce (whew, hot!) and I made rice pilaf by myself. Funny thing about the rice, of ALL the food in the kitchen that day... and there was a *lot*... everyone went ga-ga over the rice! haha! Rice pilaf, people! But hey, folks love their starches, and they really love their rice, I guess. I had a much more relaxed day this past Friday. I had to serve the lamb in the buffet line, trying to remember everything that went in to it so I could tell the costumers what they were getting. It is fun serving the dish you personally made, and watching them ooh and ahh over it. I definitely think I could get used to that!
Today, Sunday, is a day off for me and I'm taking it easy all day. Not going anywhere, and not doing much more than basic chores. Just hanging with the fam, and enjoying the first (cold) day of spring! I have also stopped working Fridays, so that opens up time in my schedule. I prayed a lot over the last two months for some extra time with the kids because I work when they are home, and I am home when they are in school. I'm so happy to have an answer to my prayer, and to have very able people to take over my Friday evening classes
**Side note about taking time off Facebook. I have received emails, phone calls, texts, and most notably a *hand written letter* giving me much support in taking time off. I am grateful for everyone supporting me. I don't actually miss Facebook all that much. Not saying I will never go back, but I do see the advantages in taking a break now and then. Although I haven't gotten even halfway through my ambitious list, I am enjoying my computer-free time.
So far the songs I've picked for routines are:
~Dynamite
~Firework
~Dancing Crazy
~Ain't Got Rhythm (Phineas and Ferb show)
~Remix of Love Story
~Rubberneckin' (Elvis remix)
I need to come up with one more song for an all-little-little-girl class. They are 4, 5, and 6 and *so* cute! But I had to wait until my roster was final, and I knew there would be no new additions. That class has given me a few gray hairs lately, part of my ongoing Chaos. Now we're settled with my 4 little cutie pies and I need to pick a nice song for them. I'm thinking something princess-y/tinker bell-y.
School has also been a source of Chaos lately. Last week Friday, the 11th, in cooking class we began learning about Indian cuisine. I'm not a fan, sorry to say. My body, and all it's issues, cannot tolerate "hot" or "spicy" cuisine in any amount. I took a tiny bite of some lamb with curry last week, and my body went in to overload mode and I felt ill all night, in to the next day (while working!). Wasn't going to make that mistake again this week. I had to be part of the team that makes samosas last week, a pocket of dough made with turmeric and filled with veggies (and possibly lamb), then fried. The veggies are infused with an intense blend of Indian seasonings called garam masala (spices vary in different parts of India, but can include black pepper, different types of cumin, mace, corriander, cardamon, etc). The pockets (also called turnover) *have* to be a specific shape in order to be "authentic", according to my teacher. I wished I had my Indian friend's opinion on this, but she is on Facebook and I am not allowing myself to access Facebook right now so I'll have to wait to ask her! (Unless she reads this... Anj?!) As the teacher was staring over our shoulders (the entire time) making sure we got his samosas exactly right, I wanted to turn around and stick a samosa in his nose! I was praying I wouldn't be picked for this job on the 18th, when we actually prepared food to serve to the public!
Fast forward to the 18th, and I did not, in fact, have to make samosas! Yay! I assisted in making the Lamb in Coconut Curry sauce (whew, hot!) and I made rice pilaf by myself. Funny thing about the rice, of ALL the food in the kitchen that day... and there was a *lot*... everyone went ga-ga over the rice! haha! Rice pilaf, people! But hey, folks love their starches, and they really love their rice, I guess. I had a much more relaxed day this past Friday. I had to serve the lamb in the buffet line, trying to remember everything that went in to it so I could tell the costumers what they were getting. It is fun serving the dish you personally made, and watching them ooh and ahh over it. I definitely think I could get used to that!
Today, Sunday, is a day off for me and I'm taking it easy all day. Not going anywhere, and not doing much more than basic chores. Just hanging with the fam, and enjoying the first (cold) day of spring! I have also stopped working Fridays, so that opens up time in my schedule. I prayed a lot over the last two months for some extra time with the kids because I work when they are home, and I am home when they are in school. I'm so happy to have an answer to my prayer, and to have very able people to take over my Friday evening classes
**Side note about taking time off Facebook. I have received emails, phone calls, texts, and most notably a *hand written letter* giving me much support in taking time off. I am grateful for everyone supporting me. I don't actually miss Facebook all that much. Not saying I will never go back, but I do see the advantages in taking a break now and then. Although I haven't gotten even halfway through my ambitious list, I am enjoying my computer-free time.
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