Ballet Recital Ideas for Teen Dancers
Instead of doing yet another Nutcracker-inspired number for your annual dance recital, try choreographing a routine that will appeal more to teenagers. Some teenagers may be working toward a career as professional dancers, but others are enrolled in ballet for recreation and may need some encouragement to perform. While you want to grab their attention with your piece, it is also important to teach them ballet history, so don̵7;t cut out the classics from your class just to cater to a younger audience.
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Contemporary Music
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A good dance starts with inspiring music, so spend some time sifting through songs for your teen dancers instead of sticking to an old favorite. Consider contemporary music rather than classical to pique their interest. It may be difficult to choreograph to the latest rap hit, but there are many popular ballads that lend themselves to ballet choreography. Check out the Billboard ̶0;Hot 100̶1; or iTunes Top 10 lists to see which songs are currently trending. If you prefer to stick to the classics, try songs with lots of beats per minute, as teens may like to dance quickly.
Art Inspired
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Ballet has long inspired painters, like Edgar Degas, giving them material to put on canvas -- why not have a painting inspire dancers instead? Pick a work of art that showcases ballerinas, like Degas̵7;s ̶0;The Green Dancer̶1; or his ̶0;Dancers in Blue,̶1; and base your piece on it. Showing your class a picture of elegant and beautiful dancers may inspire them to dance their best at the recital. They also may be more inclined to invite people to the show if they can tell them that it is a Degas-inspired dance. Choose costumes that closely match the ones in the painting or, if you want to recreate the image perfectly, get parent volunteers to sew their own. Have the dancers start and end in positions inspired by the art, as if they are a painting come to life.
Movie Inspired
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More than likely, your teen students already have favorite ballet movies. Whether they prefer oldies like ̶0;White Nights̶1; and ̶0;The Red Shoes̶1; or more recent releases like the television show ̶0;Bunheads,̶1; connecting your dance to the magic of cinema is sure to generate excitement. You can pay homage to a dance movie subtly by copying a costume choice -- perhaps dyeing your students̵7; pointe shoes red -- or you can replicate an entire dance, as long as you give credit in your program. Movies about ballet, like ̶0;Center Stage,̶1; also have well-known soundtracks from which you can pick your song.
Storytelling
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Dance is about creativity and self-expression, according to the South Dakota Department of Education, so try giving some of the creative control to the students who will be dancing the piece. Brainstorm a story that can be told through dance, and make it relevant to your students̵7; lives. For example, if they are witnessing or experiencing bullying or ̶0;mean girls̶1; at school, you could base your choreography on overcoming bullying. The National Bullying Prevention Center suggests holding a Unity Dance, using the song ̶0;You Can̵7;t Take That Away From Me,̶1; created by Nashville songwriters Tim Akers and Libby Weaver.
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