Class Descriptions

The foundation of all dance, ballet teaches proper body alignment, builds strength, flexibility and grace through the use of precise, formalized steps and exercises. There are many styles of ballet. We use a blend of Vaganova, Cecchetti and RAD.

The form of dance that emphasizes rhythmic steps in special shoes with metal plates, allowing the students to “make music with their feet. There are two forms of tap -rhythm tap (Savion Glover, Gregory Hines) and Broadway tap (Gene Kelley, Fred Astaire). Rhythm tap focuses on the sounds you make and Broadway tap focuses on how you look making those sounds.

Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements.

This class prepares the triple-threat student for school and professional productions and auditions. Students receive training in voice, acting, and dance and have multiple performance opportunities.

After students have successfully completed the pre-pointe ballet checklist and age requirement for pointe, they will receive permission to add pointe class and pointe shoes. Pointe is ballet danced in specially built shoes that support the foot as students dance on their toes.

Jazz dance is a unique blend of ballet and modern dance technique with the movement found in Latin dance, African dance and other cultures. Today’s jazz technique has been influenced by jazz pioneers Gus Giordano and Luigi as well as choreographer legends Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett and Jerome Robbins.

It originated from street dancing (krumping, breaking, popping, locking, freestyling) to a mix of those styles as well as movement elements from modern, jazz and even ballet. World dance, urban dance and fusion can be found under the hip hop umbrella.

Tumbling movements mixed with flexibility and strength exercises and dance steps from ballet, contemporary, jazz and modern. We use the Acro Dance Teachers Association graded curriculum. There is a difference between gymnastics tumbling and acro dance tumbling. All students must be evaluated by staff to determine correct level placement.