Why Planning Your Ballet Season in July Saves Hours in August: 5 Tips for Ballet Teachers
If you're like many ballet teachers, July can feel like a strange in-between month. Summer classes may be winding down, vacations are underway, and the start of a new season still feels comfortably far away.
Then suddenly…it's August.
Registration begins, parents have questions, recital calendars need to be finalized, and before you know it, you're standing in the studio wondering what you're teaching tomorrow.
After more than 40 years of teaching ballet, I've learned one simple truth:
The teachers who enjoy August the most are the ones who start planning in July.
The good news? You don't have to map out an entire year's worth of classes. A little preparation now can save you hours of stress later.
1. Plan Your First Four Weeks
Instead of trying to create an entire season, focus on the first month.
Having your first four weeks planned gives you room to settle into the new season, get to know your students, and make adjustments based on their abilities.
When your lesson plans are already prepared, you can spend your energy observing your dancers instead of worrying about what combination comes next.
2. Set Technical Goals for Each Level
Think about what success looks like for each class by the end of the year.
For example:
Beginner Level 1 may focus on classroom etiquette, posture, and basic positions.
Level 2 might continue building coordination and strength while introducing more complex movement patterns.
Intermediate students can begin refining placement, artistry, and musicality.
Advanced students may work toward greater precision, control, and performance quality.
When you know where you're headed, planning each class becomes much easier.
3. Organize Your Music Before Classes Begin
Finding music during class interrupts the flow of your lesson and can quickly eat away at valuable teaching time.
Create playlists now for your warm-up, barre, center work, and across-the-floor exercises.
Even having a few favorite albums ready to go can make your classes run much more smoothly.
4. Keep Your Combinations Purposeful
One mistake many teachers make is creating combinations that are too long.
Long combinations often mean fewer opportunities to correct technique, answer questions, and keep students engaged.
I prefer combinations that are concise and focused. They allow dancers to repeat exercises more often, receive individual corrections, and build strong technical habits without feeling overwhelmed.
Sometimes less really is more.
5. Use Resources That Save You Time
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using resources that make your teaching life easier.
Whether it's lesson plans, music playlists, vocabulary activities, or planning templates, every hour you save preparing is another hour you can spend helping your students grow.
That's exactly why I created Ballet Lesson Plans.
Each lesson plan is built from real classroom experience and designed to give you a complete class structure—including combinations, music suggestions, teaching notes, and exercises you can confidently take straight into the studio.
A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
Teaching ballet is about so much more than remembering combinations.
It's about inspiring confidence, building technique, encouraging artistry, and creating an environment where students love to learn.
When you're not scrambling to plan tomorrow's class, you're free to focus on what matters most—your dancers.
So this July, set aside a little time to prepare.
Your August self will thank you.
Ready to See What a Complete Ballet Lesson Plan Looks Like?
If you'd like to see how I organize my classes, I'd love to invite you to download my FREE Sample Lesson Plan.
Inside you'll find the same format I use in every lesson plan, including combinations, music suggestions, teaching notes, and class organization all designed to save you time while maximizing your teaching.
Download your FREE Sample Lesson Plan and start the season with confidence!
