Dance Class Descriptions

Tap Dance Class

A Tap Dance class focuses on rhythm, footwork, and sound. Dancers wear tap shoes and learn various steps and combinations that produce percussive sounds on the floor, like shuffles, flaps, and pick-ups. The class emphasizes coordination, timing, and musicality, helping dancers develop quick footwork and an understanding of rhythm.

Jazz Dance Class

A Jazz Dance class combines energetic, sharp movements with elements of classical ballet, modern, and street styles. The class works on jazz techniques such as pirouettes, jazz walks, splits leaps, and jumps. Flexibility, strength, and dynamic movement are key components, and dancers often focus on body isolation and style. Classes may include routines set to upbeat music.

Ballet Class

A Ballet class is foundational class that focuses on developing proper posture, alignment, flexibility, and strength. Dancers learn basic positions, movements like plie’, tendu, releve’, and more advanced steps like jete’ and pirouettes. Ballet teaches control, grace, and fluidity of movement, often in a structured format with barre work, center exercises, and across-the-floor combinations.

Acrodance Class

An Acrodance class combines acrobatics with dance, focusing on strength, flexibility, and balance. Students work on gymnastic moves like back handsprings, aerials, and bridges, along with incorporating them into dance sequences. It’s a high-energy class that blends athleticism with dance, allowing students to build their acrobatic skills while also focusing on rhythm and musicality.

Contortion Class

A Contortion class focuses on developing extreme flexibility and strength in the body. Dancers work on backbends, splits, and various stretching techniques to achieve impressive poses. The class emphasizes body control, balance, and the ability to twist and bend into unusual positions while maintaining fluidity and grace.

Hip-Hop Class

A Hip-Hop class is an urban dance style focusing on freestyle movements, rhythm, and personal expression. The class teaches foundational hip-hop moves like popping, locking, breaking, and house. Students learn to groove, stay on beat, and incorporate attitude and style into their movements. The class often involves learning routines to popular music and may include improvisation and battles.

Leaps and Turns Class

Leaps and Turns class specifically focuses on developing technical skills in jumping and spinning. Dancers work on improving their height, control, and precision in various jumps (like grand jete’, assemble’, and split leap) and turns (such as pirouettes and chaine’ turns). The class emphasizes proper technique, strength, balance, and spotting to achieve smooth, controlled movements in both leaps and turns.

Contemporary

A Contemporary dance class combines various dance styles, focusing on expression and emotion through movement. It usually starts with a warm-up, followed by technique work, sequences, and sometimes improvisation. The class emphasizes fluidity, strength, and personal expression, ending with a cool-down. It’s a creative and physical form of dance.

Company

A dance team that competes in 2-3 competitions and travels is a select, performance-focused group of dancers, separate from regular classes. Dancers in the company rehearse extra hours to prepare for competitions, where they showcase their skills and routines. This group may also travel to various locations for performances and events, offering opportunities for more advanced training and exposure outside of regular classes.