Can Someone With No Dance Experience Learn Highland Dance?
The Short Answer is Yes!
But we know how nerve-wracking it can be to jump into a completely new and unfamiliar environment. When you feel out of your depth, a source of support can make all the difference in making your experience a positive one.
What Supports Exist for Dancers?
At Saorsa Studio, our classes aimed at complete beginners include Small & Tall Highland (ages 1-3 + guardian), Highland Hoppers (ages 2-3), Tartan Teddies (ages 3-4), Tartan Tots (ages 5-6), Bouncing Bonnies (ages 7+), and Adult Beginner Highland (designed to suit adults older than 16).
These classes in particular are focused on building a healthy dance foundation which can be built upon for years. Learning from the basic positions, to foundational movements, and then moving into steps and dances.
For our youngest dancers, we use a specialised dance curriculum designed to build students’ skills in balance, coordination, musicality, strength, and adjusting to an instructor-led environment.
Learning Strategies
Highland dance is a highly individualised experience – meaning our team of instructors spends time getting to know each of our students, and how we can best support them.
This post is all about the structures we have in place to support new dancers entering the scene with little or no experience. From one-on-one sessions, to video assistance, to dancer notebooks – our expert staff has got you covered.
Supporting Learning in the Studio
Compared to other styles of dance, highland is quite individual. Competitive dancers, with the exception of a few events, are judged solo. This means that highland dance classes are very individualised as well.
That doesn’t mean they’re lonely experiences – not even close! Rather, dancers receive personal corrections and specific instruction to help them progress.
Keeping Track of What Dancers are Working On
Dance instructors keep track of what their classes are working on and what stage each dancers are at in order to run an efficient class. At Saorsa, our DanceStudio Pro Portal system allows instructors to make notes of what dancers work on and send that information, along with what dancers should work on for the next class, directly to parents’ devices.
In addition to the Notes feature, the Portal allows instructors to host files. We often use this feature to upload videos of the latest steps we’re working on. If a dancer is working on a difficult step at and needs a reminder of how to do it, they can use a video on the Portal.
Private Lessons
In addition to our usual classes, we offer private and semi-private lessons to give dancers one-on-one attention.
Private lessons are a great way for dancers to get focused in-studio time with one of our instructors. Dancers of any age can take regular or intermittent private lessons to suit their needs!
Plus, our Portal makes it easy to book privates that work for your schedule at the press of a button.
Supporting At-Home Practice
In addition to the awesome features of our Portal, we’re passionate about supporting productive work ethics in our dancers. This means developing positive routines and the ability to self-monitor.
Each of our dancers is encouraged to have a dance notebook which they can use to keep track of when and what they practice, and what corrections they work on in class.
Until our dancers are old enough, our instructors help them to fill in their notebooks.
Encouraging dancers to practice at home is an essential part of improving skill in dance. That’s why we devote so much time to teaching what effective practicing looks like.
Instructors Make the Difference
Like mentioned above, our instructors are extremely passionate about keeping up with each of their individual dancers. We make sure to keep track of each dancers’ skill-level, get to know strategies help those dancers learn, and make ourselves available for when dancers need support.
At Saorsa, our team of instructors is the best around❤️ Not only are all of our instructors certified with the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance, we’re also dedicated to making the studio a welcoming space.
Making everyone welcome means that regardless of dancers’ skill or experience level entering our space, all class participants get what they need to succeed!
Finding What Movement Works For You
We’re passionate about helping all those who enter our studio a movement class that suits them. That’s why we offer a complimentary class to anyone looking to try!
No matter the level of experience you enter our space with, we wholeheartedly believe in empowering you with the resources you need to thrive.
Try a free class and see what moves you!
