To change or not to change? That is the question we are answering for you. When it comes to creating choreography for your barre classes, how often should you change it up? Some barre instructors change their choreography each class, regardless of the number of barre classes they teach per week, while others introduce new class choreography every few weeks. We're sharing a few pros and cons to both of these choreography tactics along with tips to creating a fun and challenging fitness environment without overwhelming you, the instructor.
Change it?
New choreography each week.
Tips
We polled 50 Barre Intensity instructors and 80% responded that they change their choreography for each class they teach. If you don’t have the time to create new choreography of your own, Barre Now is here to help! With our 20-minute preview option, you can spend less time creating and more time teaching. Whether or not you use classes from Barre Now, consider creating a choreography binder of classes taught. Repeat some of the classes every 30 - 45 days to save time each month. If you teach an early morning class followed by an evening class, chances are you won’t have the same participants, and if that’s the case, repeat your AM choreography in the PM. While most of us feel most comfortable with a “plan” it’s also OK to wing it once in a while. Have a few of the bigger pieces planned out and then teach the variations as they come.
All of this becomes easier the more experienced you are. If you’re just starting off in your barre teaching career, consider the “Keep It” approach below while incorporating some of our tips to keep the changes subtle.
Pros
New options keep your class participants’ minds and muscles guessing. This is great for those clients who come to multiple classes a week and want a different experience each time. It’s harder to get in a rut with a fitness routine when it’s always changing.
Cons
Too much change can create frustration. Frustration can take away from focus and deter participants from coming back. This option is tough if you don’t have enough time to create new choreography for each class. This can cause stress on you or lead to a poor presentation. If you’re not excited about the choreography or sure how to use it, you’ll see the consequence in your classes.
Keep it?
Same choreogrpahy for a few weeks.
Tips
Although this isn’t the most used option among our barre instructors, it still has its benefits. If a frequent change in class choreography doesn’t fit your schedule, stick with consistency. This method is a great option to use when starting out in your barre instructor role. If you want to add in some change to your choreography without a complete revamp each class, alter sections of a class. For example, keep your upper body, glutes, and abdominals section the same but change out your warm-up, thighs, and stretches. Another simple way to create change is to swap your playlist. While the choreography is the same the music is not and that’s enough of a change to keep the class participants entertained. The last tip to create subtle change is to add a prop. In week 1 you teach a chair series and week 2 you teach the same chair series just with a ball between the thighs. Change doesn’t always have to be big.
Pros
Consistency gives your participants the ability to stick to a routine and master the barre exercises. That feeling of accomplishment radiates from you to your class. Changing one section a week can also help you become better at cueing those important factors like alignment and the “why” behind the movement. Even if your sequences are repetitive you're still giving your participants ways to improve by connecting their minds to their bodies.
Cons
Boredom can set it. If your participants are bored in your barre class, it's easy to blame the instructor. Repeating the same class each week or for several weeks can deter some from returning. But repetition doesn't always mean it has to be blah—it's a chance for your class to build upon what you've given them. We want to always create excitement even with consistency. No doubt about it, a full class is a fun class.
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Barre class isn’t one of those classes to “just get through”. It’s a way for our clients to improve their posture, cardio health, and strength. Whether you decided to keep it fresh or consistent, you and your clients will find those same benefits both ways.
If you're currently a barre trained instructor (trained in any technique), this is an opportunity you don't want to pass up. Register today for our Online Essentials Instructor Training course for only $199.
This course is approved for 8 AFAA CEU's, .7 ACE CEC's and 7 ACSM CEC's
If you're currently trained in the Barre Intensity technique, email us about an even greater savings on the Essentials training course at info@barreintensity.com.