Class Descriptions

Primary Ballet, Tap & Jazz ​

The Dance Academy “combo” classes are a great way for our youngest students to come experience dance for the first time. During class, they will learn the fundamentals of each discipline through technique, games, choreography…and fun! These classes put emphasis on rhythm, sound, coordination, and flexibility.
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All Primary classes are offered as combo classes. Primary 1-3 are 1 hour classes once a week and include 30-min Ballet and 30-min Tap. Primary 4--5 are 1.5 hour classes once a week and include 30 min each of Ballet, Tap, & Jazz. Primary 6 offers two 1.5 hour classes a week and is split between Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. Beginning at Primary 5 students also have the option to enhance their ballet training by adding a full-length technique class.

Ballet

Ballet is the most disciplined of all dance forms with a strong emphasis on technique, body placement, strength, balance, flexibility, alignment, and body control.

Beginning at the barre, ballet works through a series of combinations concentrated on the legs and feet and coordination of the arms. Throughout class the dancers move to the center of the room for adagio (a series of slow, fluid exercises intended to develop the dancers’ balance and strength) and petite and grande allegro (a series of small and large fast, lively jumps). 

All students are encouraged to take at least 1 Ballet class as it provides the necessary discipline to advance in additional techniques of dance. Students wishing to progress to pointe work must take a minimum of 3 technique classes per week and receive approval of Director and faculty. PBT recommended at all company levels.

Tap

Tap classes incorporates dance technical elements using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor. Tap dance provides a fun and engaging experience for the dancer and audience alike. Our tap dance classes focus on musicality, timing, and rhythm. Tap is a valuable compliment to all styles of training and encourages further performance development. 
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Placement determined by the Director and faculty according to age and level.

Jazz

Jazz classes immerse students into contemporary and historical styles of jazz from Broadway Jazz to Theatrical Jazz techniques. Jazz elements help build dynamic and powerful dancers incorporating parallel work, arm and hand positions, isolations  of the head, shoulder, hips, varied timing, shape, and movements. In addition to exploring variations of leaps and turns.  


Contemporary

Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary classes employ strong standing and floor technique. 
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Acrobatic Dance

Acrobatic Dance, or Acro as it is commonly referred to by dancers and dance professionals, is the beautiful fusion of classic dance technique and the precision and athleticism of acrobatic elements. Often defined by unique choreography, Acro dancers seamlessly blend musicality, emotional expression, line and extension with acrobatic movements in a dance context. The focus elements of Acro explored throughout this class include strength, flexibility, balance, limbering, and tumbling. This class is styled to engage Acrobatic elements within any dance technique including Contemporary and Jazz. 
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The Dance Academy follows the Acrobatic Arts Syllabus. Acro placements determined by age and level and skills mastered. Students are encouraged to be enrolled in at least one other dance class at Dance Academy.

Hip Hop

Hip-hop dance refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. Hip-hop combines the style and rhythm of jazz, modern, tap, swing, and African dancing, but also incorporates elements of speed and sharpness with improvisation elements. 

Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT)

We staff certified PBT instructors for this  innovative body-conditioning and strengthening program which has been designed to enhance students' technique by focusing on training the muscle memory required in each exercise in all forms of dance. It is a unique training system using ballet-technique specific exercises to train skill acquisition in a graded and progressive manner from junior through to advanced levels. PBT helps teachers around the world prepare their students to receive the strength they need to achieve their personal best. The program helps with injury prevention and rehabilitation and enhances the ability of athletes to perform at their best.

Variations

In addition to traditional Ballet technique classes, Dance Academy students have the opportunity to focus on learning famous classical variations from ballets such as La Bayadère, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and more. Variations will be performed at the end of the year and could include solo, duet, and group pieces.

Variations classes are offered for students in Ballet levels 2 and up. Registration requires approval from the Director. Students must be enrolled in at least 3 additional ballet technique classes to participate PBT recommended.

Character Dance

This is a specific subdivision of classical dance. It is the stylized representation of a traditional folk or national dance, mostly from European countries, and uses movements and music which have been adapted for the theater. Character dance is integral  to much of the classical ballet repertoire. Character dances are usually performed in shoes or boots, with a suede sole and a small heel.

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Pas De Deux

In addition to traditional Ballet technique classes, Dance Academy students are provided the opportunity to learn basic Ballet partnering skills from the classical repertory.
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Pas de Deux classes are offered for students in Ballet levels 3 and up and registration requires approval from the Director.