Need a Night Off? How to Keep Your Ballet Class on Track When You Can't Be There
Let's be honest, ballet teachers aren't always the best at taking a day off.
We're used to being prepared. We know what we're teaching, what our students are working on, which corrections we want to reinforce, and what needs to happen next in the syllabus.
So when something comes up and we can't teach our regularly scheduled class, our first thought isn't always, "No problem. I'll take care of myself."
It's more likely:
"Oh no. What am I going to leave for my class?"
Sound familiar?
Maybe you're sick. Maybe you have an appointment you can't move. Maybe there's a family obligation. Maybe you're performing or guest teaching somewhere else. Or maybe—dare I say it—you simply need a night off.
Whatever the reason, you don't have to feel guilty about not being in the studio.
And you don't have to spend your evening creating an entire ballet class from scratch just because you can't be there.
Your Students Will Be Just Fine
One of the great things about ballet students is that they can benefit from having another teacher occasionally.
A different teacher brings a different voice, a different perspective, different corrections, and sometimes a completely different way of approaching something they've been working on.
That doesn't mean the substitute needs to completely recreate your class.
In fact, I rarely expect that.
When I'm asked to substitute for another teacher, I'll usually ask a few questions:
What are the students currently working on?
Is there anything in particular you'd like me to reinforce?
For younger students, are they doing barre facing the barre or working with one hand?
Are tendus starting from first position or fifth?
For older students, are they working on turns, beats, grand allegro, or something else?
Then I can take that information and bring my own teaching style and ideas to the class.
That's part of what makes having a substitute valuable.
But there is another option that can make the whole process even easier:
Leave a complete lesson plan.
A Lesson Plan Doesn't Have to Mean "Teach It Exactly This Way"
If you have a lesson plan ready to go, your substitute doesn't have to walk into the studio wondering what to teach.
They have a structure.
They have combinations.
They have ideas for the class.
And they have something they can adapt to the students in front of them.
That's an important distinction.
A ready-made lesson plan isn't necessarily a script that says, "Do exactly this, exactly this way."
It's a resource.
A good teacher can take a lesson plan and make it their own.
Maybe they change the music.
Maybe they add a favorite exercise.
Maybe they simplify a combination.
Maybe they spend more time on something the students are struggling with.
That's okay.
The lesson plan has done its job.
It gave them a starting point so they weren't starting from a blank page.
What If You Don't Have Time to Plan?
This is where having a few ready-to-teach lessons already saved can be incredibly helpful.
Imagine waking up sick on a Tuesday morning.
Your class starts at 5:30.
You don't have the energy—or the time—to spend two hours creating a lesson.
Instead, you open your lesson plan stash, choose an appropriate class, and send it to your substitute.
Done.
Or maybe you have a family obligation that you knew about ahead of time.
Instead of spending your weekend putting together a special lesson for the substitute, you pull out a lesson plan you've already purchased and know will work for that level.
Past, You just saved Present You a whole lot of stress.
And isn't that what good planning is supposed to do?
Create Your "Oh Crap" Lesson Plan Stash
Every ballet teacher should have one.
You don't need twenty emergency lessons.
Start with a few.
Choose a couple of lessons for each level you teach and keep them somewhere easy to access.
You might even create a folder on your computer called:
EMERGENCY BALLET LESSONS
Or, if you prefer something slightly less dramatic:
Lessons for When Life Happens. 😉
Include lessons that you feel comfortable handing to another teacher or adapting yourself.
Then the next time you realize you can't teach, you don't have to panic.
You have options.
And Sometimes You Just Need a Night Off
This may be the most important part.
You don't have to be sick to deserve a break.
You don't have to have an emergency.
You don't have to justify every hour you're not in the studio.
Teaching ballet is demanding. You're responsible for your students, your classes, your choreography, your planning, your corrections, your communication with parents and administrators—and a whole lot of things that happen behind the scenes that nobody sees.
Sometimes you need to step away.
That's okay.
Your students can have a great class without you.
Your substitute can bring their own ideas and perspective.
And your lesson plan can provide the structure that makes the whole thing easier.
You can take care of yourself without leaving your class in chaos.
When You Can't Be There, Your Lesson Plan Can.
That's one of the reasons I created the lesson plans at BalletLessonPlans.com.
They're designed to give ballet teachers substantial, ready-to-teach class content—so you don't always have to start from scratch.
Use one when you're preparing for class.
Use one when you need fresh ideas.
Use one when you need to hand a class off to another teacher.
Or tuck a few away for that inevitable day when life says:
"You're not teaching tonight."
And you can answer:
"That's okay. I've got a lesson plan." 🩰
