Class Descriptions
ballet
Ballet is a beautiful classical dance form that is used as a technical base for all other styles of dance, but can be mastered by itself. Classes focus on strong technique training including focus on overall body alignment as well as emphasizing proper use of feet, legs, turnout, carriage of the torso, and arms along with terminology and posture. Classes will include traditional barre work, center floor work, and combinations.
Contemporary
Contemporary dance is a very expressive style of dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, lyrical, ballet, and jazz. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and body through movement. Various techniques will be taught (including Graham and Horton) as well as learning a “freer” style in terms of choreography and training.
Gymnastics/Acro
Our program is fun, educational, and maintains focus on proper technique as students develop strength, flexibility, and skills on all apparatuses.
Hip Hop
Since there are so many styles of hip hop, The Dance Centre incorporates as many styles as possible by focusing a more general “studio hip hop”. This includes introducing rhythm, groove, popping, locking, breaking, and more. The classes include fun and upbeat music and moves where the student will learn contrast between smooth movement and hitting the beat. All choreography and music are kept age appropriate allowing kids to be kids.
Jazz
Jazz technique is fun and energetic style of dance that consists of leaps, turns, and fancy footwork. The style can range in smooth, sharp, and funky movement and has its own movement vocabulary ranging from isolation of different body parts to entire body movement with the accents of musical rhythm. Jazz classes will also emphasize performance skills and incorporate elements of musical theatre.
Lyrical
Lyrical has been described as the fusion of ballet and jazz. It is a very expressive style of dance that utilizes music and lyrics to convey emotion. There is a strong emphasis on proper ballet technique, and many other technical elements, such as leaps and turns, are incorporated.
Modern
Modern dance discipline retains some ballet technique, expanding upon it and freeing it to encompass the exciting world of total body involvement and creative expression. Modern dance may look jazz like, balletic, lyrical or totally different – creating its style for the mood being explored. While still incorporating specific technique, modern is more “free” in term of choreography and movement style.
musical Theater / Drama
This class will focus on learning proper dance technique while exploring the various dance styles used in Broadway shows. Emphasis will also be placed on learning performance skills such as connecting with the audience and telling a story through dance and facial expression.
pointe
Pointe is an advanced invitation-only program utilizing special ballet shoes with wooden blocks allowing the dancers to balance on their toes. To prepare for this class, dancers must have taken at least 2-3 years of ballet, pre-pointe, and must pass a skills test to be allowed to be fitted for pointe shoes. When approved to advance, students must be 12 years of age, continue studying proper ballet technique and demonstrate incredible discipline.
pom
Pom is a fun, upbeat style emphasizing sharp movements to a heavy beat and incorporating pom-poms. The basic concepts introduced are traditional cheer motions, kicks, jump technique, ripples, contagions, and extensive formation changes.
tap
Tap is a type of dance characterized by wearing shoes fitted with metal taps to create sounds when striking the floor in various patterns, tempos, and rhythms. There are many styles of tap dance including rhythm, classical, Broadway, and post-modern. The Dance Centre teaches a well-rounded curriculum no matter if the dancer is a beginner or advanced.
Technique
These classes are designed to help each dancer identify and work on specific techniques and skills needed to improve their understanding and performance of dance in various styles. Including exercises to strengthen, condition, and achieve flexibility as well as leaps, jumps, turns, choreography, and more.
