Children's and Teens' Program
We offer a range of children's classes in Ballet, Character, Jazz, and Tap. Our children's program begins at four years old with Creative Balletic Movement class and continues through teens to our advanced classes. We offer a special Toddler Program for children younger than four. Ages fifteen and older, you can join our Adult classes which are less intensive and available as a series or drop-in.
Children's and Teens' Program classes will be on a Winter Break from Monday December 20 to Sunday January 3.
Class Descriptions
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 and basic balletic stretches and alignment.Children also learn basic balletic technique, 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, and fundamental balletic movements. Students are presented with a careful balance of structure and improvisation. At this stage, students begin to develop their ballet "turnout" positions.
Ballet Junior 1-2 (6-7 yrs. old) The Junior classes conclude the Lower Division. In this class our young students refine their form and simple technique to achieve beauty and precision. They continue to develop strength, flexibility and focus before moving on to Ballet 1 in the Middle Division.
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) develops strength, coordination and flexibility through simple barre and center work. Emphasis is on articulate footwork, expressive carriage of the arms and small to medium jumps. Students also begin to explore their own 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 include 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 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. Students move up to advance level technique in their barre exercises and center dance combinations. They will embellish their ballet technique repetoire with more complex adagob, petite allegro and grand allegro dance variations. Pointe work classes will be offered in intermediate and advance levels, they will begin to explore choreography and learn repertory from famous ballets.
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.