Children & Teens Program

Dance Program Descriptions

Our specially designed, 15-level ballet curriculum is an integration of the English Royal Ballet System of training, and Russian Vaganova methodology. Each age appropriate level prepares the dancer for advancement into the higher divisions of ballet through a carefully developed progression that builds motor skills, focus and coordination. The dancer masters preparatory steps before learning more advanced dance vocabulary. Our training builds a lyrical upper body, strength, precision and agility into the dancers. Our students’ love for dance is encouraged as they receive individualized attention in a curriculum filled with imagery, creativity and imagination.

Character Dance is a fun and stylized dance form derived from Eastern European and Russian folkloric dance styles. It expands on ballet technique with rhythmic footwork and dramatic presentation. This is an exciting genre that blends theatrical acting, tap-like footwork, athletic strength and balletic grace with dances and styles from different countries and cultures. Character dancers are an integral part of the famous full-length classical ballets, such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, and Coppelia. Each class includes a refreshing approach to barre work, center exercises, and develops the ability to learn intricate choreography.

Ballet technique develops clear articulation and beauty in the movement and carriage of the body. Concurrent ballet training with Shan-Yee Poon Ballet School is highly recommended. (Refer to the Ballet Program for Jazz, Tap and Character dancers: BUILDING BEAUTIFUL, WELL-ROUNDED DANCERS)

This is a dynamic jazz class flavored with hip-hop and contemporary dance styles. There is an emphasis on moving with strong and grounded energy while developing jazz technique and performance. This class is a collaboration of many techniques and styles of dance including hip-hop and cutting edge funk. This class has a lot of energy and challenges students to attack their movements with confidence. Students are encouraged to express their individuality and heighten their creativity while forming strong and versatile technique. Each class includes a warm up (isolations of the body, conditioning, and stretching), floor-work, technique, and combinations.

Students develop refinded technical proficiency and expressiveness with concurrent training in ballet, as ballet training develops clear articulation and beauty in movement and carriage of the body. Concurrent ballet training with Shan-Yee Poon Ballet School is highly recommended. (Refer to the Ballet Program for Jazz, Tap and Character dancers: BUILDING BEAUTIFUL, WELL-ROUNDED DANCERS)

Inspired by tap greats such as Lynn Daly of Jazz Tap Ensemble and Lonnie McFadden of the McFadden Brothers, this class focuses on building a strong foundation in rhythm tap technique. Students will be challenged in a variety of styles from Broadway to improvisation. This class holds a strong emphasis on rhythm, musicality and smoothness in motion. The goal of the class is for students to learn how to work in a wide range of styles and gain confidence in their ability to use their feet as instruments.

Broadway tap utilizes jazz and ballet technique, as ballet training develops refined technical proficiency, expressiveness, clear articulation and beauty in movement and carriage of the body. Concurrent ballet training with Shan-Yee Poon Ballet School is highly recommended. (Refer to the Ballet Program for Jazz, Tap and Character dancers: BUILDING BEAUTIFUL, WELL-ROUNDED DANCERS)

Students will learn the skills to execute all styles of hip-hop technique, including popping, breaking, locking, house, and popular grooves--old school and new. This is a dynamic hip-hop class with cutting edge choreography. 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 (focusing on isolations of the body, conditioning, and stretching,) floor-work, technique, and combinations. Students will learn to improvise or "fresstyle." This class is highly aerobic, teaching movement grounded in strength and confidence, and building quickness and agility of the body and mind.

NEW! Boys Athletic Dance
Just For Boys!
This highly athletic dance class focuses on cutting edge hip-hop and break dance techniques that increase the students’ strength, agility, flexibility, and teaches them to dance with style and confidence. These skills will not only help your son in dance, but other athletic activities and sports as well. The boys will have a ton of fun as they discover how to isolate and control different parts of their bodies as well as spin and freeze on the floor, increase their coordination and muscle strength, and enhance rhythm and musicality.

Building Beautiful, Well-Rounded Dancers
Ballet Program for Jazz, Tap and Hip-Hop Dancers

All students interested in refining their technical proficiency and expressiveness will benefit greatly from enrolling in ballet classes at Shan-Yee Poon Ballet School. Students whose focus is in a discipline other than ballet will have the opportunity to receive quality ballet instruction with a time commitment of only once per week.* Ballet technique develops clear articulation and beauty in the movement and carriage of the body. Emphasis is placed on coordination, placement, flexibility, technique, musicality and strength, all of which brings new energy to each student's dancing. As students mature, it is important to prioritize a concurrent foundation in ballet, so that the student's dancing can fully develop. Ballet technique teaches students to move more freely and dance with grace and confidence, which is essential for every dancer.

*Students who wish to perform with the middle and upper ballet division performances must enroll in ballet technique at least twice a week. Students who are enrolled in the lower division ballet once a week are given the option to perform with the lower division ballet.

Mommy, have you seen your husband and daughter dance around the living room? Now you can watch your prince charming and princess under the sparkling spotlights on stage!

Dads! Create magical memories with your daughters!

The long-awaited Daddy & Me Petit Pas De Deux dance class is here!

The Daddy & Me - Petit Pas De Deux Dance is a delightful opportunity to spend precious quality time together. Our excellent instructor will guide daddy’s and daughters through enchanting choreography, with dad taking his daughter by the hand and whisking his beautiful little dancer into swirls of lifts and turns, culminating in an unforgettable performance experience. Make your princesses’ dream of dancing with their daddy come true!

(Daughters are welcome to be partnered with Grandpas, Uncles or older brothers as well.)


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