About Our Classes
~ Young Children ~ Children / Teens ~ Adults
| Available Classes by Age/Level (See the class schedule for details.) |
|
|---|---|
| Class Type | Miminum Age and/or Level |
| Pre-Dance | 3-4 years old |
| Ballet and Tap | 3 1/2 years old and up |
| Tumbling | 4-7 years old |
| Acro | Ages 8-11 & 12 and up |
| Jazz | 7 years old or Child 2 level |
| Hip Hop | 8 years old and up |
| Contemporary Modern | Level 5 or age 10 and above |
| Lyrical | Level 4 or above |
| Pointe | Intermediate A Level Ballet |
| Performing Groups | Call if interested. Level 3 or above. |
| Adult Tap | Beginner and above. |
For children and teens (ages 7 and up), we offer a varied range of exciting classes in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary Modern, Tumbling, and Acro, as well as a Performing Group.
We also offer a range of classes for young children, including Pre-Dance, Kinderclass (a ballet/tap combo class), and Tumbling.
For adults, we offer adult classes in Tap at several levels.
In the summer, we offer our popular kids dance camp, camps for preschoolers, dance intensive for older dancers, and an assortment of weekly summer classes.
Click here for information about all of our summer offerings.
Read the descriptions below, then check our class schedule. Please don't hesitate to contact the studio for help in deciding which classes are right for you.
If you do not see a class at a level or time that is possible for you, please call the studio. We have the possibility of creating additional classes if there is sufficient interest.
Young Children
Our wonderful Kinderclass and Pre-Dance Programs are designed to enhance your child's social, physical, and intellectual development.
Pre-Dance: We now offer Pre-Dance for our very young students, age 3 to 4.
Kinderclass 1&2: Our popular Kinderclass programs are for children ages 3 1/2 to 6. These classes continue teaching the basics of ballet, tap, and creative movement in a more structured atmosphere. Children at the Kinderclass level may participate in our end of the year Recital if they so choose.
Tumbling: Forward rolls, cartwheels, round offs! Students age 4 and above may join us on the mats and be a part of the fun!
Children and Teens
We have a varied range of exciting Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary Modern, Tumbling, and Acro, classes for students above the Pre-Dance and Kinderclass level. If you are new to our studio, please call us to discuss appropriate class placement.
Ballet
Even though it was created over 400 years ago, ballet continues to be one of the world's most popular dance forms. It is a graceful and precise dance form characterized by movement through elegant formal gestures, steps, and poses. Though slightly slower paced than other forms of dance, ballet excels at building strength, poise, and control.
Ballet has a solid technique and is considered the basis for all forms of dance. Students who take ballet tend to do extremely well at other forms of dance also. They tend to be physically stronger and improve faster than those who do not. If your child wishes to take other forms of dance and they are able to take ballet also, please encourage them to do so.
Jazz
Until the 1950's, jazz dance meant mostly tap dance, because jazz was the music and tap was the main performance dance of the era. Later, jazz dance evolved into a smooth, modern style (most used on Broadway) that is upbeat, high-powered, and dynamic. Jazz, like ballet and tap, also requires that the student becomes proficient in solid dance technique. Of the three traditional forms of stylized dance (i.e. those that require the student to learn a specified technique), jazz remains the funkiest. Jazz and/or Ballet are the staples of most serious dancers.
Tap
Tap dance was born in the United States during the 19th century, and today is popular all around the world. The name comes from the tapping sound made when the small metal plates on the dancer's shoes touch a hard floor. This lively, rhythmic tapping makes the performer not just a dancer, but also a percussive musician.
Modern
Modern is not really "modern" at all; in fact it has been around since the turn of the twentieth century. It originated in the 1920's as a rebellion against ballet's rigid form. It was created as a freer dance form with the idea of keeping the nobleness and grace of ballet but at the same time allowing a greater and more varied range of movements than ballet allows. Many of the lines in Modern are abstract in nature and not in a symmetrical or perfect form as they are in ballet.
Modern dance usually comes a bit more naturally to beginning students, especially those who have not had a lot of prior stylized dance training. The initial requirements of beginning Modern are not as strict as the requirements of ballet, tap, and jazz.
Modern is therefore an excellent choice for older students who have not had a lot of technical dance training but who still want to enjoy a solid dance form. Modern in its more advanced form will challenge any student and is therefore also an excellent choice for more serious students who want a freer form of dance expression.
Lyrical
Lyrical dance is the beautiful fusion of ballet and jazz technique. Lyrical dance attempts to interpret the emotions of the music or words of a song through a wide range of dance movements that may be at times softly balletic and at times forceful vibrant. A background in Ballet or Jazz or both is very helpful.
Hip Hop
This current and very popular form of dance is closely associated with rap music and has a totally free athletic style of movement. Although this form of dance does require coordination, and has its roots in Jazz, it (like Modern Dance) does not require a lot of stylized traditional dance technique to get started. It is therefore a good choice for older beginning students who are just starting dance and who like to be funky. Because Hip Hop, in general, does not require that students learn traditional dance technique, it is recommended that students who are truly serious about dance should also take Jazz (or Ballet) to gain the technique that Hip Hop lacks.
Tumbling/Acro
Forward rolls, cartwheels, round offs! Students age 4 and above may join us on the mats and be a part of the fun!
In addition to our Tumbling class for children (approx.) ages 4-7; we have two levels of Acro. Acro 1 is for students (approximately) ages 8-11; and Acro 2 is for students (approximately) ages 12 and up.
Adults
We offer beginner level and more advanced Tap classes for our adults. It is never too late to enjoy the thrill of dance or to get in shape! Come join us! Adults may wear any comfortable exercise clothes to class. See our adult classes page for more details.
