Dance Arts Center Classes

  Classical Ballet:

Ballet is a way of telling a story using music and dance instead of words. It consists of many movements and patterns, which have developed over the centuries. Although professional ballet dancers are highly trained and have studied vigorously for most of their life, there are many people who like to study it to have fun and stay fit. Learning ballet techniques has many advantages, including improved posture, grace and coordination.

  Jazz:

Jazz dance is energetic and expressive. You learn to move with and interpret the music. It is a lot of fun and improves your coordination at the same time. Nowadays, most of the dance you see in musicals, films and commercials is a jazz dance. In fact the GAP clothing company uses jazz dancers in a variety of commercials.

   Flamenco:

Flamenco was born through people expressing their inner feelings and emotions, their joys and sorrows and also their art and beauty as a way of life. Flamenco is a dance art form that has been around for centuries with roots from Andalucia, Spain. It is a dance art form that, like other great art forms, has evolved over time. The flamenco dancer's whole body becomes a musical instrument, visually and audibly expressive through beautiful and intricate arm and wrist movements, as well as impressive and percussive footwork.

  Tap:

Tap dancing is a form of dance in which you create your own sound using your feet. In doing so, you don't need to rely on music. Tap dancers learn to develop a good sense of rhythm and timing. There are many styles of tap dance and the important thing about tap is that dancers learn to improvise and express themselves.

  Hip Hop:

If you want to come to our dance studio and learn the latest dance moves as if you were preparing to appear in an MTV music video, this exciting class is for you. Dancers focus on a particular modern day, pop, hip hop or rap singer who infuses the hip hop style of dance into their music videos. Students learn about a particular artist, his/her style of choreography and work on similar "video" style dance combinations. When they have mastered a piece of video choreography, they will be ready to move on to another pop, hip hop or rap artist's style of dance as seen in videos.

Latin Dance:

Latin Dance is an umbrella term used to describe the Latin-American dances such as the Samba, Salsa, Cha-Cha, Mambo, Rumba, Merengue, Bolero, Paso Doble, Tango, etc. These dances mainly come from Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, etc. Latin Dance has evolved into a form of dance that can be enjoyed universally whether you're dancing as a single or with a partner in social settings; Latin night clubs, parties or for fun in group classes. Some people take it seriously and compete in amateur or professional Latin Dance competitions. Whetever your goals are, Latin Dance is a fun and exciting form of dance that will bring a smile to everyone's face.

  Acrobatics:

Acrobatics is a form of gymnastics. Students will learn tumbling movements that are similar to those seen on the floor section of gymnastics. Gymnastics mats are used to aid the students in the execution of their tumbling. Acrobatics can help dancers achieve more flexibility and strength. This class combines acrobatics with choreographed dance steps. Acrobatics is a fun and impressive form to master.

  Modern and Choreography:

Modern dance encompasses many diverse styles. It can be free flowing, yet strong, angular, spontaneous, improvisational and sometimes uses a touch of humor. Students learn the various styles of modern dance in order to enhance versatility. Choreography students focus on mastering the different structures of choreography. Dancers keep a journal detailing their personal choreography progress, make notes about what was learned in class throughout the year and constructively critique their own and fellow students' choreography. Students also have the opportunity to perform their own choreographed group dance piece at our annual dance concert.

  Combination I (Combo I):

Combo I is for children ages 3 and 4 and combines classical ballet, creative movement and tap into a 45-minute class. Dancers will learn the basic classical ballet movements, work on the dance process through creative movement and learn basic tap dance steps. Students will enjoy learning about different dance styles in one class and the varied structure keeps their focus and interest at its peak.

  Combination II (Combo II):

Combo II is for children ages 5 and 6 and combines classical ballet, tap and jazz into a one hour class. Dancers will learn basic classical ballet, tap and jazz movements. The class is divided into 20 minute sections of each of the three dance styles. This keeps the students' attention and focus throughout the class as they enjoy learning three different dance forms.

  Introduction to Dance:

Introduction to dance is a fun class for  two-year olds that focuses on creative movement and learning the basic structure of a dance class. Students learn that the language of dance is movement and the instrument of movement is the body. Dancers will learn basic dance steps  that emphasize improving their locomotor abilities (walking, running, leaping, jumping, hopping, skipping, galloping and sliding). Basic rhythm exercises are introduced and students learn how to keep a straight line, wait their turn, how to listen and follow instructions.

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