The Power Teaching Methodology: AAD’s Approach to Cleaning, Refining, and Empowering Dance Education

At Amna Dance, we believe powerful teaching begins long before a dancer steps onto the stage. The AAD Power Teaching Methodology provides essential tools for both effective instruction and cleaning and refining dance routines. Rooted in intention, awareness, and joyful discipline, this approach is built on six key principles—our 6 Powers—that help instructors lead with clarity and purpose while nurturing the growth of every dancer.

1. The Power of Habits

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective AAD Instructors

Teaching dance is more than just teaching movement—it's about cultivating lifelong habits. AAD instructors are encouraged to integrate our seven key habits into their teaching lifestyle.

The Bottom-Up Principle

When introducing a new step, always start teaching from the feet up:

Feet
Legs and knees
Hips and core
Chest
Shoulders and arms
Elbows
Fingers
Head and eye focus

Repetition as a Tool

Use the start-and-stop technique to break down messy sections of choreography. Repeat these drills until clean, focusing on the specific placement of each body part.

Performer Instincts

Train your students to hold ending poses for 10 full seconds—there are no curtains, only blackouts. And no matter what happens, they should never let a mistake show on their face.

2. The Power of Intention

Set Expectations & Goals Regularly

Start every season and every class with clear expectations—for yourself and your students. Create a growth-centered learning environment by being intentional in your communication.

Talk to students individually or as a group about what they need to work on.
Encourage at-home practice and involve parents when necessary.

Attention to Detail

The clearer you are with your choreography and technique, the more precisely you can catch and correct mistakes. Pay close attention to:

Shoulders, toes, feet
Hands
Legs and weight distribution

Teach Values

Teach humility. Remind your students:“No one is better than me, and I am not better than anyone else.”If someone wants to be in the front or center, remind them that a great dancer will shine anywhere.

3. The Power of Visualization

Making the Stage Real in Their Minds

Visualization is a dancer’s secret weapon—especially when it comes to orientation and spacing.

Make sure dancers know their stage positions: middle-center, center-of-center, first or last wing, etc.
Reinforce entrances, exits, props, and formation shifts clearly.

Use Imagination

Especially with kids under 8, spark their creativity to help them retain choreography:

“Reach for the apple, twist it off the tree, and bring it down.”
“Keep your bunnies apart, don’t let them kiss!”
“Scoop up all your toys and toss them into the sky!”

Use fun analogies like beach balls for chainnés or happy elbows for Namaste hands. And when you can’t think of something, ask them:“What does this move remind you of?”

Let go. Be silly. Make them laugh. That’s where magic happens.

4. The Power of Time

Prioritize Wisely and Keep Things Moving

Time is your most valuable resource. Use it wisely by starting with the biggest issues and working down:

Formations
Transitions
Choreography
Expressions

Set the Pace

You, the teacher, set the tempo. Keep the class challenging but not overwhelming. Avoid losing time in open-ended conversations.

Say: “Let’s do X or Y?”
Avoid: “What do you want to do?”

Count Your Music

Know how to count and cue music confidently. Don’t restart the entire song every time—focus on sections, clean them thoroughly, and set clear expectations for the next class.

Start-Stop Drills

These are your best friend for cleaning choreography. Use freezes to highlight moments and get detailed with corrections.

5. The Power of Language

Words Matter—Choose Them With Intention

Rule Number One: HAVE FUN

Above all else, make sure your students are enjoying the process.

Cue With Authority

Give vocal reminders while dancing. Record weekly videos. Ask interactive questions.

Use the Right Terms

Make sure your dancers know stage language and understand choreography cues.

Fear-Free Communication

Use the sandwich method for feedback:

“Great expressions, Nora! Can you make your arms more sharp?”
Replace “That’s wrong” with: “Great effort! Try stretching your toe even more.”

Celebrate Effort

Say: “You worked so hard for that leap!”Not: “That was perfect!”We want to build resilience and confidence, not perfectionism.

Positive Affirmations

Create class mantras!When they dance with power: “I love me!”When things get tough: “If it hurts, it means I’m getting stronger!”

6. The Power of Emotion

Create an Environment of Love and Joy

The classroom should always feel like a place filled with kindness, love, and positive energy.

Keep music fun and energizing.
End with uplifting rituals: freeze dance, a quote, or affirmations.

Expression is Everything

Expression brings choreography to life. Help dancers connect with the lyrics and emotion of each song.

Sit in a circle to discuss meaning and emotion.
Then dance it out with feeling.

Closing Summary: Turning Method into Magic

The AAD Power Teaching Methodology is not just a framework—it’s a living, breathing practice that comes to life in the studio. Whether you're refining choreography or nurturing confidence, the 6 Powers provide actionable tools that help teachers lead with clarity, compassion, and purpose.

Here’s a distilled guide to the most effective habits to bring into your classes right now:

Power of Habits

Teach bottom-up: Always start with the feet and work upward to build full-body awareness.
Use repetition with precision: Start-and-stop drills build muscle memory.
Reinforce performer instincts: Hold ending poses for 10 seconds and teach dancers to keep smiling through mistakes.

Power of Intention

Set clear expectations with students and parents early.
Share individualized goals to create a growth-centered classroom.
Practice humility: Celebrate every dancer’s unique journey.

Power of Visualization

Reinforce spatial orientation (where they stand, enter, exit).
Use imaginative cues to make movement memorable—especially for younger students.
Encourage students to co-create stories from the choreography.

Power of Time

Focus on biggest issues first: Formations → Transitions → Choreo → Expressions.
Use start-stop drills instead of restarting entire songs.
Ask direct, choice-based questions to keep the pace flowing.

Putting It Into Practice

Here’s how these principles came alive in my own studio:

1. Start Every Class with Intention

I often begin class with a circle check-in—asking students how they’re feeling about rehearsals, costumes, or anything that feels uncomfortable. This not only builds connection, it helps me see what areas need more support or reassurance.

For example, in my Kids L1 class, we emphasized that it’s not about perfection. I told them:“I don’t care if you mess up—I care if you don’t have fun and smile!” 😊We also discussed the importance of expressions and agreed on no talking during rehearsal to stay focused. Our affirmation that day was: I AM FOCUSED.

2. Know Your Music!

It’s easy to blame complex steps, difficult beats, or lack of practice. But conscious dance teachers turn the lens inward and ask:

How can I break this down differently so it clicks better for them?
Do I know the exact counts and musicality?
Can I clearly explain where each move lands in the music?
Are my expectations aligned with the class’s capacity?

Sometimes I talk to parents to encourage more home practice. Other times, I scale back the choreography and focus on repetition and detail. I often remind my students:“Who is in control—me or you?”They know the answer: They are. I’m just the observer and the conductor 😉

3. Transitions, Transitions, Transitions!

We often clean a dance move in isolation, but that’s not fully effective. The body remembers movement patterns as a sequence. So if you’re cleaning a move, include the transition step right before it. This helps rewire muscle memory and improve the whole flow.

4. Run Formations Regularly

The day of the show, each class gets 2–5 minutes to run their formations on stage while the audience is being seated. To prepare them for this, instructors are required to run full formations in class from start to finish. You can ask your TAs to observe closely so they’re ready to lead during future rehearsals and on the day of the show. Repetition builds confidence and helps make this process seamless for showtime.

5. Use Start-and-Stop Cleaning

One of my most effective tools is the start-and-stop method. I run the dance from beginning to end, stopping wherever I see formation issues or moments needing clarity. I restart the music a few seconds before the stop point, repeating until the issue is resolved.I keep a notebook nearby to track sections needing extra cleaning, and once formations and poses are solid, I zoom in on the most challenging part and do another round of start-and-stop. If we have time, I record the full dance—if not, I record the cleaned section for review.

6. Set Clear Expectations & Encourage Practice

Before recital season, I always remind my classes—except Kids L1—that we need perfect attendance leading up to the show. We’re a team, and everyone’s presence helps the whole group shine. I also resend music links via WhatsApp to ensure dancers are practicing with music, not just videos.

This is what Power Teaching looks like in action. It’s not just about technique—it’s about transformation. When we teach from the heart, with clear intention and joyful leadership, we don’t just build great dancers—we build confident, expressive, empowered humans.