Children's and Teens' Program
We offer a comprehensive children's and teen's program in Ballet, Character Dance, Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop. Our children and teen program begins at four years old and continues through our carefully designed curriculum to our advanced teens classes. Other quality programs we offer are our special and innovative Toddler Program, and our fun and energizing Adult dance classes.
Dance Program Descriptions
NEW! Hip Hop Program
This is an energetic hip hop class with cutting edge choreography. This class is fun and highly aerobic. The focus of the class is to build a strong technical foundation in hip hop movement while also building performance quality and musicality. Each class includes a warm-up (isolations of body, conditioning and stretching), floor work, technique, and combinations. Students will learn skills to execute all styles of hip hop technique, including popping, breaking, locking, house, and popular grooves - old and new school. Students will also learn to improvise or "freestyle". The class teaches movement grounded in strength and confidence, and builds quickness and agility of the body.
Jazz
This is a dynamic jazz class flavored with Broadway, cutting edge funk and contemporary jazz styles. Ms. Craig’s exciting choreography is influenced by training with renowned choreographers Wade Robson, from So You Think You Can Dance, and Derek Mitchell of Broadway Dance Center just to name a few. Each class includes a warm up (isolations of the body, conditioning, and stretching), floor-work, technique, and combinations. Jazz technique emphasizes moving with strong and grounded energy. This class encourages students to express their individuality and heighten their creativity as they explore various jazz techniques. Students can develop refined technical proficiency and expressiveness with concurrent training in ballet, as ballet training develops clear articulation and beauty in the movement and carriage of the body. (Refer to the New Ballet Program for Jazz, Tap and Character Dancers- BUILDING BEAUTIFUL DANCERS)
Tap
Inspired by tap greats such as Lynn Daly of Jazz Tap Ensemble and Lonnie McFadden of the Mcfadden Brothers, this class focuses on building in students a strong foundation in rhythm tap technique. Students will be challenged in styles such as Broadway, rhythm tap and improvisation. The famous Broadway tap style requires a strong foundation in jazz and ballet training, as exemplified by tap legends Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Students can develop refined technical proficiency and expressiveness with concurrent training in ballet, as ballet training develops clear articulation and beauty in the movement and carriage of the body. (Refer to the New Ballet Program for Jazz, Tap and Character Dancers- BUILDING BEAUTIFUL DANCERS)
Character Dance
Character Dance is a fun and stylized dance form, elaborating the ballet technique with rhythmic footwork and dramatic presentation of the upper body. Character Dance is derived from Eastern European and Russian folkloric dance styles and Character Dances are an integral part of all the famous full-length classical ballets, such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, and Coppelia. This is an exciting class that blends theatrical acting, tap-like footwork, athletic strength and balletic grace with dances and styles from different countries and cultures. This class begins with a refreshing approach to barre work, leading into center exercises, that develops the ability to learn intricate choreography.
NEW! BUILDING BEAUTIFUL DANCERS-Ballet Program for Jazz, Tap and Character Dancers
Don’t miss out!! By popular demand beginning this semester, students whose focus is in a discipline other than ballet, will have the opportunity to receive quality ballet instruction at the Shan-Yee Poon Ballet School with a lesser time commitment of only once per week!!! Students are welcome and encouraged to attend the full ballet program. Studying ballet at the Shan-Yee Poon Ballet School will refine your technical proficiency and expressiveness. Students will learn to use precision and articulation in all movements, resulting in a graceful and beautiful, confident dancer. Students who want to perform with the middle and upper ballet division must enroll at least twice a week or more. Students who are enrolled in the lower division ballet once a week can perform with the lower division ballet . Students enrolled only once per week in the middle and upper division will not perform in the ballet middle and upper division performances but will enjoy the benefits of excellent ballet training.
Dance Divisions
LOWER DIVISION (4-7 years old)
Creative Balletic Movement (4-5 yrs. old) These young students have a splendid imagination and an abundance of energy, so this class encourages imagination, creativity, musicality and graceful movement. Through storytelling, the children are introduced to pantomime, basic balletic stretches and alignment. Children also learn basic balletic movement, how to follow instruction, and class etiquette.
Preballet (5-6 yrs. old) At five or six years old, the Preballet class introduces more structure, correct placement, "turnout", and fundamental ballet technique. We bring the class to life through carefully designed imagery to inspire correct execution of technique. The children also continue to develop their concentration and focus through a careful balance of structure and improvisation.
Ballet Junior 1-2 (6-7 yrs. old) The Junior classes is the top level of our lower division where these young ballerina's are striving each year to develop more strength, flexibility, and focus. What a delight it is to see these young ballerinas dancing with grace and beauty as they are experiencing the excitement of refining their form and simple technique.
Jazz Junior (6-7 yrs. old) dance emphasizes heavily accented rhythm and syncopation. This is a beginning level class which students learn upbeat, complex rhythms and emphasizes a faster more contemporary style technique where they begin to isolations, turns, traveling jumps & jazz combinations.
Beginning Tap (6-11 yrs. old) the sound created by the feet in a combination of rhythm and movement. These are beginning level classes that incorporate exciting, rythmic dance movements and percussive metal tap shoe sounds. Dancers begin their training with basic shuffles, time steps and more. Then, dancers progress to more complex rhythmic patterns once they have mastered the basic tap techniques.
MIDDLE DIVISION (7-12 years old)
Beginning Ballet (7+ yrs. old) is the entry level class for children with little or no ballet training.
Ballet 1-2 (7-11y rs. old) An exciting transformation takes place at this stage of development where the children's physical and mental maturity are now more ready to comprehend and perform movement with precision. As the children are beginning to cultivate these qualities of mental and physical strength, they are now on the threshold of entering into the sophisticated work of the art of ballet. This division's emphasis is on articulate footwork, expressive carriage of the arms, turns and small to medium jumps. We teach the children to be fascinated with attention to detail through a balance of structure and choreographic creativity.
Character 1 (7-11 yrs. old) is a beginning level class in which students learn folk dance styles from different countries around the world. This Character technique class includes barre and center work that blends theatrical acting, tap-like footwork, athletic strength and balletic grace.
Character 2 (12-18 yrs. old) is an advanced level class in which students learn more complex folk dance styles from different countries around the world. Character Dance 2 has more advanced barre and center work that blends theatrical acting, tap-like foot work, athletic strength and balletic grace. These Character Dance classes prepare the dancers for performing the character dances from famous full length classical ballets such as Swam Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker and Coppelia.
Jazz 1 (6-11 yrs. old) dance emphasizes heavily accented rhythm and syncopation. This is a beginning level class which students learn upbeat, complex rhythms and emphasizes a faster more contemporary style technique where they begin to isolations, turns, traveling jumps & jazz combinations.
Tap 1 (6-11 yrs. old) the sound created by the feet in a combination of rhythm and movement. These are beginning level classes that incorporate exciting, rythmic dance movements and percussive metal tap shoe sounds. Dancers begin their training with basic shuffles, time steps and more. Then, dancers progress to more complex rhythmic patterns once they have mastered the basic tap techniques.
UPPER DIVISION (9-18 years old)
Ballet 3-8 (9-18 yrs. old) adds pointe work (ages 11 and up) to barre and center work. The dancers in the upper levels are now developmentally and intellectually sophisticated and can comprehend complex concepts of movements. The dancers are now being introduced to full barre center work, and developing elasticity, strength and artistry. The dancers in this division are also being introduced to pointe work where they learn famous repertoire and experience eclectic styles of classical and contemporary choreography. Contemporary dance consists of many different dance styles and it is essential that dancers simultaneously train in character dance, jazz, tap and hip hop, to fully prepare and become a well rounded dancer.
Character 2 (12-18 yrs. old) is an advanced level class in which students learn more complex folk dance styles from different countries around the world. Character Dance 2 has more advanced barre and center work that blends theatrical acting, tap-like foot work, athletic strength and balletic grace. These character classes prepare the dancers for performing the character dances from famous full length classical ballets such as Swam Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker and Coppelia.
Jazz 2-4 (12-18 yrs. old) these class levels expand on the basic jazz technique to incorporate more complex jazz rhythm, multiple turns higher leaps and longer dance routines. Jazz 2-4 offers a variety of styles which include: lyrical jazz, commercial jazz, modern jazz and hip hop jazz.
Tap 2-3 (12-18 yrs. old) dance emphasizes quickness and ease. This dance will help them develop a good ear for rhythm and musicality of movement. These classes gradually build to more advance levels. Dancers learn more complex tap rythm and steps. Dance routines incorporates dance rythms and full body movements that are reminiscent of the exciting Broadway dance style.
Free Trial Class
Contact us to schedule a free trial class for your child. The free trial class allows us to evaluate and place your child in the appropriate level based on their age and ability. It also allows you and your child to try the class out and experience our wonderful instruction. There is no charge, but you must reserve your spot in advance.