Section 1 - Introduction: Basic & Creative Equals
Versatility
Section 2 - Cardiovascular Versatility - Aerobic
Improvisation
Section 3 - Muscular Endurance & Strength: Group Class Options
Section 4 - Mind/Body Fitness & Flexibility Training
Section 5 - Evaluating Your Instructional Techniques
Correspondence Course Assignments
Online Course Descriptions
"How to Order."
Basic Improvisation
Adding Style
Additional Tips for Cardiovascular Versatility
Aerobic Improvisation is my version of freestyle choreography. It is based on my philosophy toward teaching fitness (and life in general). "KISS Flexible Creativity":
Aerobic Improvisation involves some mental risk taking for individuals who like their classes to be "perfect." There is the risk of making mistakes in front of your students. Some of the steps you use may not look pretty the first time you try them, and this will happen in front the class. However, this method will help you expand your limits of teaching.
The objectives of this versatile instructor activity are to help you become more creative, develop mental flexibility and resourcefulness, shorten your reaction time, quicken your thinking, and hone your cueing skills. In classes where the same routine is repeated time after time everyone's attention "glazes over," including the instructor's. This is impossible with Aerobic Improvisation. So many new, exciting ideas are generated during class that a creative "high" is born.
Good freestyle choreography is centered around basic steps put together differently each time. Besides the improvements in my own teaching skills, there are many results and benefits for my students. These include better attention to my directions and decreased boredom. Both their minds and bodies are trained to learn while moving. The wide variety of movements I use causes muscle confusion and produces physical results.
I teach in a facility with one aerobic studio which causes most classes to be multi-level. It is common for beginners and advanced to attend the same class. A benefit to teaching improvisational or freestyle is that all students are equal when they enter the class. Nobody knows the routine and I have to teach it from its simplest form and build the complexity. This allows the beginners to learn the basics and stay with the steps they can do while the advanced students are provided with optional moves for intensity or complexity. After the basic pattern is taught, I layer more advanced moves or style moves onto the pattern. This allows for mixed fitness and skill levels since many moves become "optional."
How is Aerobic Improvisation taught? Simple! Start your favorite music, warm up the class, then give the directions that the students will suggest the steps. The routine is built from student suggestions! I recommend using the Add-On method to give everyone time to learn the steps and for you to decide if the steps need adjustment in rhythm, lead leg, etc. You can build a routing as long or short as you desire. Improvisational choreography works for high/low impact and step aerobics.
One result I like best about Aerobic Improvisation is that this exercise builds a feeling of community, ownership, and teamwork among the group. They feel like they made important contributions to the class. You will also get some wonderful new ideas from your participants!
What is style? The dictionary definition is: "manner, method, way; excellence of form; expression of unique skill or ability." When we add style to workouts we are referring to aerobic workouts that specialize basic steps or reflect specific techniques. These may be workouts that express instructor or student interests. They may also use movements that create musical feelings.
The objective of a style routine is a feeling, not an exact duplication. The main skills required are creativity and a love of movement and music. So don't worry about a need to be an expert choreographer with extensive dance experience. Use movies, videos, children, and friends for ideas.
To stylize the routine you and your class built with Aerobic Improvisation, have on hand several different types of music. Some favorites are Latin American, country/western, disco, and funk. Let your students make suggestions on how to alter your basic routine to make it look and feel like the styles of music you have chosen. This will add some length to your choreography and fun to the class.
Your teaching and cueing skills will be pushed to new limits with Aerobic Improvisation. Good cueing is essential when nobody knows what step is happening next, because you're creating it as you move. Do take the time with each new step to drill it into the pattern, using the add-on or link method. If you decide to add an occasional detailed specialty step, break it down into its simplest form to teach it. Another good time to teach challenging steps is slowly during the warm-up or the cool-down of class.
Your body posture establishes the general feeling of the music and style. Style movements require some attention to hand variations and facial expressions. Remember to cue the hand and distinctive movement variations that make the style happen. Practice various facial expressions to feel entirely comfortable with them. For example, how would your face look when you are using Salsa or Latin music compared to when you are using 50's & 60's tunes?
Your attitude will help the students enjoy these workouts. You should feel comfortable with the style you are doing, It is not necessary to do every style of music and movement that exist. It's OK to find your own favorite specialty styles. When you want to share your favorite styles with your class, use visualization and imagery to help students feel the style. Paint a verbal picture for them while you are moving. Spend some time before class thinking about the feeling the style should produce. Pre-class music can also help build anticipation.
I come from a background in theater, so I sometimes forget that not all people are comfortable "acting." If you can separate yourself from the stylized part and realize it is pretend, you will have more fun. It is always a mental risk to behave in an unnatural way, so ease into style routines, extending your comfort zone gradually. The more you can develop the ability to bring yourself and the students into the style scenario, the more fun it will be. This can actually enhance the stress relief they feel as a result of the activity.
When you discover a style that you love, you will be known for your "Signature Workout." A caution: This should not be your mainstay workout. Do it occasionally, using it as a treat to motivate and relieve boredom.
Most of your students will enjoy trying Aerobic Improvisation and Style. So stay positive and have FUN!!!
To enhance your students' movement learning experiences whenever you teach, remember my method for Choreography Building:
Planning for versatility in classes is based on knowing the base steps, knowing the elements of rhythm, and understanding how to analyze patterns, modify them and teach them to various populations.
As you practice various patterns brainstorm for as many variations of the base steps as you can think of. Writing them down is optional. What is important is to trust your knowledge of combining movement and to practice thinking ahead about how you would like to build your pattern as you teach it. If you have difficulty teaching a pattern to your class analyze how you could teach it differently to make the learning simple. For example, if there is a difficult transition that doesn’t lend itself to immediate linking to the rest of the pattern, drill it alone until the movement skill has been mastered.
For practice you can invent a fairly difficult short pattern and practice it until you find it easy. Example:
Ask yourself how you could teach it to various types of people who come to classes: elite athletic students, beginners, kids, students with “attitudes,” men, mature exercisers, non-English speaking students. What are the base steps in each part of the pattern. Do any of the steps need to be taught with drills. How can you modify any of the steps to a different impact or difficulty level? What imagery can you use to explain the movement? What visual cues can you use? What parts do you need to teach using the Reversal or Link Methods?
With each new pattern I learn at workshops or view on videos I do a movement analysis and file what I need in my “Mental Filing Cabinet,” breaking down large patterns into 2-4 step pieces. These small pieces are easy to mix and match as I choose to while I am teaching.
I feel that if I can explain how I build some of my patterns and demonstrate my logic behind the movement combinations the class will learn more easily. A teaching technique I use for this is called “The Sandwich.” An example pattern is:
To explain this pattern to my students, the Front cross mambos are the “bread” and the Walk Forward and Back with a Kick is the “cheese.” The Double Jack Limbos are the side salad. I can continue inserting steps into this pattern, labeling them additional parts of the sandwich, thus helping the students to remember where the steps occur.
There are countless ways to help your students enjoy cardiovascular patterns and increase your own teaching versatility. Use the exercises here to get started and continue to explore and expand your own creativity and versatility.
GO TO ASSIGNMENT 1
GO TO ASSIGNMENT 2
Section 1 - Introduction: Basic & Creative Equals
Versatility
Section 2 - Cardiovascular Versatility - Aerobic Improvisation
Section 3 - Muscular Endurance & Strength: Group Class Options
Section 4 - Mind/Body Fitness & Flexibility Training
Section 5 - Evaluating Your Instructional Techniques
Correspondence Course Assignments
Online Course Descriptions
"How to Order."