Class Descriptions
ACRO CLASSES
Acro incorporates strength, flexibility and trick (gymnastics) vocabulary in classes leveled 1-5. Students must continue to build muscle and flexibility in order to master more advanced tricks and tumbling, so body conditioning is always prominent in classes. Students should expect to spend at least two years in each level, but each acrobat will excel at their own rate. Students receive one on one spotting and instruction as they go across the mat so that they can build confidence in their abilities. The Balance Dance Studios acrobatic classes fuse dance technique, contortion, partnering, tumbling and other acrobatic motion. Some classes will work toward an end of year recital performance.
PRE-BALLET (PREVIOUSLY PRIMA BALLERINA)
Pre Ballet is a class designed for our Dancers and Dreamers who are ready to really focus on ballet and begin transitioning into a true ballet structured class ( but still with a little bit of imaginative play and movement). It is also a great class for young students (Ages 5-6) who have never taken a ballet class before to learn the basics of ballet before they venture into a Ballet L1 class. Students should be six years old by the beginning of the semester fall.
Attire: Ballet Shoes, Leotard and Tights (no specific color) for girls, T-shirt and leggings for boys.
BALLET CLASSES
Ballet is a beautiful incredibly athletic art form that has been amazing audiences for centuries. It is a disciplined form of dance that strives for perfection while exuding elegance, grace, and control. Ballet class aids dancers in developing body awareness and alignment to maximize their movements. It is a poised style of dance that incorporates the foundational techniques for many other dance forms and is highly suggested as a base to be taken before and during further dance training. This genre of dance is difficult to master as it requires much practice and dedication but is endlessly beneficial. Dancers will work to improve posture, flexibility, gain strength, and knowledge of ballet technique.
PRE-POINTE CLASSES
This class is geared for dancers who are ready for the transition into pointe shoes. Dancing en pointe should be considered a privilege, the reward for hard work in ballet technique. This is such an exciting time for dancers, but it is essential that we take great care in this transition to avoid injury. Dancers will be approved individually for this class which is structured to strengthen dancers in the first half of the year and allow them to begin working in pointe shoes the second. The first part of the class focuses on gaining strength and knowledge of the feet, legs, and abdominals in order to support the dancer’s body weight en pointe. Dancers will also learn anatomy as well as parts of the pointe shoe all in preparation for attaining their shoes mid-way through the year. Once they have received their shoes dancers will work en pointe at the barre continuing to gain strength in their shoes.
POINTE CLASSES
This is a class that stresses precision and strength while emphasizing the beauty of a traditional art form. Pointe shoes enhance the dancer’s grace, beauty, and lines for an ethereal aesthetic of floating across the stage. Dancers who have completed their pre-pointe class will then be enrolled in a pointe class where they will work year-round in their pointe shoes. Pointe work requires major physical strength and commitment from each dancer. Dancers will work both at the barre and in the center to strive to execute all ballet steps en pointe, from tendus to fouettes.
BALLROOM CLASSES
This class provides an education in various styles of partner dance with specific goals to work towards and milestones to attain with a focus on developing a higher level of understanding of the mechanics and technique of dance.
BODY CONDITIONING / SKILL BUILDING CLASSES
Body Conditioning/Skill Building offers a focused approach to strength and conditioning, and is formulated to advance dancers strength in muscle group areas specifically called upon for ballet technique. The students will see a lot of exercises that they may see in ballet, but these exercises are usually done in a more repetitive/intense way to build strength and stamina. There are also exercises and stretches integrated into the class that stems from pilates and yoga practices. This class is considered a ballet credit because of the intentional conditioning to improve turnout, height of develope and jumps, depth of plie, balance, flexibility, etc. The class follows themes that are also presented in ballet classes simultaneously so as to further reinforce technical ideas and practice.
CONTEMPORARY / MODERN CLASSES
Contemporary is a fusion. In this class we will use every kind of movement, many will have strong lyrical components but, you will see flares of jazz, ballet, hip hop, salsa, theatrics, mime, modern, pedestrian movement… you name it. The fun is in the blending. This class will have a short warm up and then spend the majority of class learning and dancing new combinations every week. Whether inspired by a song, a feeling, a vision, or just a wild hair each combination will be unique and allow for much individual artistic freedom.
HIP HOP CLASSES
Hip Hop is unique in that it allows its dancers to perform with freedom of movement, adding in their own personalities. Hip hop dancing is an ideal way to express one’s creativeness. The dancing represents body movements that go with the beat and rhythm of hip hop music and Hip Hop culture. This class focuses on Hip Hop foundation. Dancers will practice various techniques, steps and moves focusing on rhythm, perfect their body awareness, and musical interpretation.
JAZZ CLASSES
This style of dance is fun, energetic, and full of entertainment value. The genre has many commercial applications in the dance industry and has been dazzling audiences since the early 1900s. Jazz dance has roots in ballet, modern, acrobatics, African rhythm, salsa, and flamenco. Jazz dance is categorized by clarity, precision, and exuberance. We begin each class with a warm-up exercising muscles and joints to increase strength and mobility. Dancers will work to find balance by using their central core and practice coordination techniques/ isolations. Progressions across the floor are used to hone skills in transitions, footwork, turns, extensions, jumps, leaps, floor work etc. Most jazz classes culminate in a center combination that pushes the dancers to move sharply, swiftly, and with musical interpretation.
JUMPS / TURNS & TECHNIQUE CLASSES
Proper technical execution takes a lot of practice. Technique classes at BDS utilize repetition to build strength and muscle memory for skills and exciting tricks. A full warm-up along with conditioning exercises prepares dancers for the challenging classwork across the floor and in the center. Many of the principles that dancers learn in ballet class are reinforced in a Jumps & Turns or Technique class. Balance instructors enjoy connecting the dots between ballet tradition and jazz/contemporary repertoire. Dancers will gain a deeper understanding of all the integral parts of the body that work together to create beautiful extensions, turns, and leaps. Each teacher may have different themes that they focus on their technique classes, but all of the class material stems from the BDS ballet and jazz syllabi. It’s important for dancers to be fit and well-conditioned while they build their skill set. Enrolling your dancer in a technique class gives them an opportunity to tune their body, prevent injury, and polish their execution.
TAP CLASSES
Tap dance is a style of dance that explores how the body can make rhythm both individually and collectively in a group of peers, primarily utilizing metal taps on the sole of the shoe. Tap classes greatly benefit students interested in theater, percussion, and other dance styles as the classes are designed to develop an understanding of music theory, weight shift and control, and rhythmic coordination through audible articulation of the feet. Students will be challenged in a way that leaves them feeling motivated and inspired. The skills will become more advanced and intricate as the students progress through each level.
YOGA CLASSES
Yoga is now at Balance!