Class Descriptions
Ballet
Our ballet classes focus on building a solid foundation in technique, emphasizing correct body placement, proper turnout, upper body coordination (épaulement), and arm positioning (port de bras). Classes begin with barre work to develop strength and coordination, followed by center exercises, culminating in a grand allegro or variation. Clear explanations of exercises and ballet theory help students understand the vocabulary simply and practically, leading to improved technical ability, healthy physical development, and a lifelong love of dance.
Jazz
Jazz is an energetic and entertaining dance style with strong commercial applications in the dance industry. Rooted in ballet, modern, acrobatics, African rhythm, salsa, and flamenco, jazz is known for its precision, clarity, and exuberance. Each class starts with a warm-up to increase strength and mobility, followed by exercises focusing on balance, core strength, coordination, and isolation. Progressions across the floor refine skills such as footwork, turns, jumps, leaps, and floor work. Classes typically end with a dynamic center combination that challenges dancers to move sharply, swiftly, and with musicality.
Lyrical
Lyrical dance is a softer, more fluid form of contemporary dance. Combining techniques from ballet and jazz, it emphasizes graceful, flowing movement while maintaining a strong technical foundation. Students focus on proper body alignment, balance, and fluidity of movement, incorporating turns, jumps, and floor work as they express emotion and artistry through dance.
Pointe
Pointe classes are designed for ballerinas looking to elevate their ballet technique by dancing on pointe shoes. Building on the skills learned in regular ballet classes, these sessions push students to execute familiar techniques on pointe, helping them gain strength and confidence. Just like professional ballerinas, our students experience the challenge and artistry of pointe while deepening their overall ballet technique.
Musical Theatre
Musical Theatre dance incorporates elements of jazz, ballet, and tap to create dynamic routines that tell a story or express a character.
This style is typically performed to music from Broadway shows and emphasizes theatricality and performance skills.
Tap
Tap dance explores rhythm through the feet, using metal taps on the sole of the shoe to create audible patterns. Tap classes are great for students interested in theater, percussion, and various dance styles. Students develop an understanding of music theory, weight shift, control, and rhythmic coordination, all while challenging themselves to articulate rhythm through their feet. As students progress through levels, the skills become more intricate and advanced, keeping them motivated and inspired.
Contemporary
Contemporary dance is a fusion of many styles, blending influences from lyrical, jazz, ballet, hip hop, salsa, modern, and even pedestrian movements. This class features a short warm-up followed by a focus on learning and dancing new combinations each week, often inspired by a song, emotion, or concept. Contemporary dance offers artistic freedom, allowing dancers to explore their creativity and express themselves in unique ways.
Hip-Hop
Hip-hop dance began as a street dance, evolving alongside music and culture in urban neighborhoods. In the studio, hip-hop has adapted into "new style" or "commercial dance," characterized by hard-hitting, energetic, and grounded movements. Hip-hop incorporates isolations, grooves, sharp lines, and lots of attitude, making it a very individualistic and dynamic style. The unique technique in hip-hop allows for personal expression, making each dancer's movement stand out.
Acro
Acro combines strength, flexibility, and gymnastics techniques. Students work on building muscle and flexibility to master more advanced tricks and tumbling skills, with body conditioning being a key part of every class. Each student progresses at their own pace, with personalized instruction and spotting to build confidence. These classes integrate dance technique with acrobatics, contortion, partnering, and tumbling, preparing students for performances and recitals.