Class Descriptions
TINY TOT LEVELS I & II
Tiny Tot I
Tiny Tot Level I is for first year dancers between the ages of three and five. In this 30-minute, high-energy and fast-paced class, students will learn the basics of ballet, jazz and tumbling. Everything from plies and forward rolls, to skipping and leaping will be covered. This is also a great class for youngsters to learn important life skills including waiting in line, taking turns, being nice and courteous to classmates, socializing with peers and being independent from mom and dad. Be prepared to have a lot of fun!
Tiny Tot I Class Attire: Students in this class should wear a leotard or biketard, or shorts (with elastic waistband) and t-shirt. Tights are optional. Hair should be pulled back and out of the face. Dancers can go barefoot or may wear leather ballet shoes. Please note: house slippers, Isotoner slippers, and Danskin-brand slippers sold at Walmart are not acceptable footwear options for class. They are slippery, fall off easily and are not meant to be danced in. Leather or canvas ballet shoes Bloch, Capezio or Sansha are available at The Country Cobbler in West Lebanon or at many stores in Concord. The cost is usually around $15 pair.
Tiny Tot II
Tiny Tot Level II is for second and third year dancers between the ages of four and five. In this 45-minute combo class, students will build upon the skills learned in previous preschool and kinder classes. We'll continue to explore ballet, jazz, tumbling and tap. Students in this class should already know how to plie and skip and should have the basic mechanics of a cartwheel. Please note: we will alternate tap and tumbling. September we will incorporate tumbling into the class and we will start tap in October.
Class Attire: Students in this class should wear a leotard or biketard, or shorts (with elastic waistband) and t-shirt. Tights are optional. Hair should be pulled back and out of the face. Dancers can go barefoot or may wear leather ballet shoes. Please note: house slippers, Isotoner slippers, and Danskin-brand slippers sold at Walmart are not acceptable footwear options for class. They are slippery, fall off easily and are not meant to be danced in. Leather or canvas ballet shoes Bloch, Capezio or Sansha are available at The Country Cobbler in West Lebanon or at many stores in Concord. The cost is usually around $15 pair. Students will also need black patent leather tap shoes. These are available and Payless, The Country Cobbler in West Lebanon, and many stores in Concord. You may also be able to find a used pair at Mary's Little Lamb in Newport. Tap shoes need to fit snuggly to the student's foot, otherwise they will fall off in class. If the shoes slip off the back of the heel, they are too big.
BALLET LEVELS I, II, III, IV
Level I Ballet
Level I Ballet, offered for students ages 6-9 or ages 10 & up, is for first year students or for students who have never taken ballet. Ballet is the foundation for all other forms of dance. It is where students learn proper body alignment, balance, extension, and placement. In Level I, we will cover the positions of the feet, arms and body, as well as basic barre and center work. Any student who is serious about dance should definitely enroll in ballet class! For information about what to wear please refer to Ballet Class Attire below.
Level II Ballet
In Level II Ballet we will build on the basics covered in Level I, and will slowly progress to more intricate combinations of movements at the barre and in the center. More emphasis will be placed on technical aspects such as turn out, stretched feet and knees, and proper alignment of the spine. Students in this class should have a minimum of one year of ballet training and should already be able to properly demonstrate the positions of the feet as well as plie, tendue, ronde de jambe, retire, grand battement, releve, saute, echappe and chaine turns. For information about what to wear please refer to Ballet Class Attire below.
Level III Ballet
Level III Ballet is an intermediate ballet class for students with a minimum of two years of ballet training. Building on skills learned in level I and II, students in this class should already be able to properly demonstrate a single pirouette, arabesque, balance, tombe pas de bourre, grand jete and pique turns. For information about what to wear please refer to Ballet Class Attire below.
Level IV Ballet
Level IV Ballet is an advance ballet class for students with a minimum of three years of ballet training. This class focuses on intricate barre and center combinations. Students in this class should already be able to properly demonstrate a double pirouette, echappe battu, royale, entre chat, and extended length grand allegro combinations. For information about what to wear please refer to Ballet Class Attire below.
Ballet Class Attire: Students in this class should ideally wear tights and a leotard. If this is not possible, form fitted clothing is the next best option. Baggy sweats and t-shirts are not appropriate for ballet class. Hair should be pulled back and out of the face. Dancers should also wear either leather or canvas ballet shoes that are pink. Please note: house slippers, Isotoner slippers, and Danskin-brand slippers sold at Walmart are not acceptable footwear options for class. They are slippery, fall off easily and are not meant to be danced in. Leather or canvas ballet shoes Bloch, Capezio or Sansha are available at The Country Cobbler in West Lebanon or at many stores in Concord. The cost is usually around $30 pair. Students may also choose a pink canvas ballet shoe made by Bloch, Capezio or Sansha at a cost of usually $20. Younger students under the age of 12 should look for either a split sole or full sole shoe. Older students over 12 may purchase the Bloch "Elastosplit" featuring a unique two-piece design with attached elastic straps. This shoe is often the most preferred of our older, experienced dancers.
TAP LEVELS I, II, III/IV
Level I Tap
Level I Tap, offered for students ages 6-9 or ages 10 & up, is for first year dancers or for dancers who have never taken tap. Using fun, up-to-date music, we'll breakdown the basics of tap in a way all students can understand. Tappers will learn how to keep their weight forward, and how to properly articulate the movements of their feet, making for nice, clean, crispy tap sounds! Shuffles, scuffles, flaps, buffalos, and basic tap combinations will keep these kids focused and moving throughout the class. For information about what to wear please refer to Tap Class Attire below.
Level II Tap
In Level II Tap, we'll build on the basics covered in Level I and will progress into steps including running flaps, rifs, wings, toe rises and more. Students in this class should come in knowing shuffles, flaps, shuffle ball change, scuffles, and buffalos. Patterns and combinations will get progressively faster and more complex. For information about what to wear please refer to Tap Class Attire below.
Level III/IV Tap
Level III/IV Tap is our most advanced tap class offered for students with multiple years of tap experience. Students in this class should come in knowing buck time steps, double and single pull backs, various turn combinations, Hines rifs and more! We'll venture further into slurps, jack hammars and other crazy new tap combinations. For information about âhat to wear please refer to “Tap Class Attire below.
Tap Class Attire: Students enrolled in tap classes should wear form-fitted clothing. Hair must be pulled up, of the neck and out of the face. Jeans and oversized, baggy sweats are not appropriate for this class. If student wears pants, they must be hemmed short enough to prevent tripping. Students must wear black tap shoes. Jazz taps with a flexible split sole are recommended. The Country Cobbler in West Lebanon carries the right tap shoes; you can also try Mary's Little Lamb if you are interested in purchasing a used pair.
JAZZ I, II, III, IV
Jazz/Hip Hop I
Jazz/Hip Hop I is offered for ages 6-8, 9-12, and 13 & up. This is the perfect class for students with very little or no dance experience. It's fun, fast-paced and highly energetic and we always use the latest music that is age-appropriate. Students will learn the basics of both jazz and hip hop dance, including jumps, turns, kicks, and how to coordinate moving their arms and legs at the same time. Great for beginners looking to see how much fun dance class really is! For information about what to wear please refer to Jazz/Hip Hop Class Attire below.
Jazz/Hip Hop II
Jazz/Hip Hop II is offered for ages 6-8, 9-12, and 13 & up. This class is for students with prior jazz/hip hop dance experience who are looking to build on the basics covered in Level I. In Level II, the dance routines get a little more challenging, more complex and more technical, but will still be lots of fun. Students should come in knowing chasse, pas de bouree, basic leaps, chaine turns, and have experience learning and remembering routines. For information about what to wear please refer to Jazz/Hip Hop Class Attire below.
Jazz III
Jazz III is an intermediate, technical jazz class for students with a minimum of two years of jazz. Students in this class must come in knowing single/double pirouettes, various leaps approaching a full split, turning grand jetes, and more. We'll explore a variety of dance style throughout the year including jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop and musical theater. For information about what to wear please refer to Jazz/Hip Hop Class Attire below.
Jazz IV/Contemporary
Jazz IV/Contemporary is an advanced, technical jazz class for students with a minimum of three years of jazz. Students in this class should come in knowing double/triple pirouettes and be working towards fouettes, leaps and switch leaps with a full split, and be able to pick up dance routines very quickly. We explore contemporary dance in addition to musical theater, jazz, lyrical and hip hop. For information about what to wear please refer to Jazz/Hip Hop Class Attire below.
Jazz/Hip Hop Class Attire: Students enrolled in tap classes should wear form-fitted clothing. Hair must be pulled up, of the neck and out of the face. Jeans and oversized, baggy sweats are not appropriate for this class. If student wears pants, they must be hemmed short enough to prevent tripping. Jazz shoes are optional. No street shoes or socks. If you would like to purchase a pair of jazz shoes, we suggest waiting until recital costumes have been chosen and the color of jazz shoes are chosen.
POINTE - Intermediate & Advanced
Intermediate Pointe
Intermediate Pointe is for students who have been en pointe for at least four months. In this class we will continue strengthening leg muscles and the core by doing exercises at the barre. This will include lots of releves and balancing, as well as exercises traveling down the barre such as coupes and piques. Students will also slowly venture into center work , starting with echappes, soussous, and working up to retire passé. Intermediate pointe is only for dancers who have taken at least one year of Level III ballet and who currently take two ballet classes per week. We always focus on safety first and will not allow inexperienced dancers, or dancers lacking proper strength to do anything en pointe that they aren't ready for.
Advance Pointe
In Advanced Pointe, we will continue building strength in the legs and core and will work in the center on quicker, and more complicated variations. Pirouettes and turns across the floor, as well as controlled adagios and quick allegros will be the focus of this class.
Pointe Class Attire: Students in this class should ideally wear tights and a leotard. If this is not possible, form fitted clothing is the next best option. Baggy sweats and t-shirts are not appropriate for ballet class. Hair should be pulled back and out of the face. Dancers should also wear proper fitting pointe shoes.