Dance Programs
Parent and Tot
This fun class is for children age 2 along
with Mom or Dad. This
is a great introduction to dancing for children just developing
their coordination. The teacher guides the parent/tot team
in a way that makes discovering movement, balance and listening
skills easy and fun. This class is an excellent first group
activity.
Song & Dance 1 and Song & Dance
2
This class combines the basics of dance
along with the basics of music. Many
concepts in both music and dance such as rhythm, expression and listening skills
complement each other and this class helps the child develop stronger skills
in both music and dancing. This class is taught by 2 instructors – one
a specialist in dance and the other a music instructor specializing in preschool
music. Level 1 is for ages 3-4 and level 2 for ages 4 ½ - 5.
Preschool
Dance Program (Kindergarten Dance)
Our preschool dance programs are divided
by age.
Level 1 Program (KD1)
Ages 3-4 is an introduction to dance. The primary goal is to foster a love
of movement. The creative component is quite large. Several fun or
special activities happen in each class. For example, a scarf or flag
dance at the end can facilitate the dancer’s own physical expression. Taking
part in dancing out a narrative helps children to understand that dancing is
expression. It is a means of communicating feelings and actions. The
vocabulary covered in Kindergarten Dance 1 is all steps which a 3 year old can
master and they build self-confidence. The vocabulary is also set up to
prepare students for Kindergarten Dance 2. |
Click here to view a video of our Kindergarten Dance classes in action |
Level 2 Program (KD2)
Ages 4 ½ - 5 covers a basis of movement found in all
dance forms. The goals of Kindergarten Dance 2 are to
foster creativity, freedom and expression in movement, and a
love for dance. The class includes concepts that are found
in an older child’s dance class. The concepts will
prepare the students for the following year when they graduate
to Pre-Primary Ballet, Jazz or Tap. 1 or 2 creative or
free components are also included within each class. By
the end of the year the students can dance set work independent
of the teacher, memorize simple exercises and sequences, and
make a start of musical interpretation.
Kinderjazz
/ Hip Hop
This energetic class is for children who are age 5 and have
either completed kindergarten dance level 2 and are not yet old
enough for prejazz hip hop, or who want a longer faster faced
class than kindergarten dance 2. This class is 45 minutes
in length 1 time per week. It prepares students to move
on to prejazz hip hop or tap 6-8A, focusing on an introduction
to jazz and the coordination required for hip hop movements
with the physical development of a 5 year old strongly in mind.
Jazz
and Hip Hop
What
is the difference between Jazz and Hip Hop?
Jazz style of dance is what is seen in many Broadway type shows such as “Cats”. It
is a more structured, stage style of dance. Hip Hop is a fast, high energy
type of dance seen in music videos and commercials. Dance moves seen in
performance by artists such as Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and J Lo would be typical
examples of Hip Hop.
Pre-Jazz Hip Hop 6-8A
This is one of the most popular classes in the school. Class length is
1 hour, 1 time per week. This beginner program allows students to take
the 2 most popular forms of dance in one class. The jazz/hip hop class
teaches fundamental jazz steps and combines the elements of hip hop moves and
contemporary music. We have found that the combination of jazz and hip
hop is ideal for this age. Students learn the necessary elements of jazz
which are crucial to success in hip hop, but also get to learn hip hop moves
which require the coordination and balance learned from jazz. When students
complete this class they are ready to progress to the next level, Prejazz/Hip
Hop 7-9B. The 7-9B class expands on the 6-8A class and introduces more
complex moves and routines. Class length is 1 hour, 1 time per week. |
Click here to view a sample of our Hip Hop Dance Classes
Click here to view a sample of our Jazz Classes
|
Tap
Classes
Our schools do not start children
in tap until the age of 6. Tap requires a great deal of coordination
and can be a challenging style of dance. Students younger
than 6 can compromise their backs if they start in tap too young. Between
the ages of 6-8 our tap classes are traditional tap. Ages 9 and
older can participate in street tap which is a funky, hip-hop inspired
style of tap. |
Click here to view a sample of our Tap Classes |
Adult Classes
All our adult classes are ladies
only. They are geared
for beginning recreational students. Classes for more advanced
adult students are listed on our schedules as intermediate. Adult
classes are offered in ballet, jazz and hip hop.
Ballet
Programs
Our schools offer the Royal Academy of Dance Ballet. The
R.A.D. is based in London, England and is the largest examining and teacher
education organization for ballet in the world and is offered in over
84 countries. The classes offered begin with pre-primary ballet
for children aged 5 ½ and older, primary for children aged 7 and
older, grade 1 ballet ages 8-10 and so on. The grades of ballet
do not follow the same ages as public school grades. Our office
staff can assist in selecting the proper class for a beginning ballet
student.
We also offer teen recreational ballet for students
who have not taken ballet as younger children and who wish to take ballet
without following a syllabus.
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Click here to view a sample of our Ballet Classes |
Competitive Classes
Each year our teachers invite students with talent, commitment
and good team spirit to participate in a variety of competitive
classes. The student compete in festivals and competitions held
around the lower mainland.
Musical
Theatre
Our musical theatre program teaches stage dance and includes
a voice component. Our music school provides a top quality
voice instructor to cover the vocal component. The musical
theatre classes are open to students aged 6 through to adult.
Recitals
Parents are given 2 free tickets year to our year end dance recitals
and can purchase additional tickets if they wish. This is the
high point of the year for students and parents and a fun time
is had by all.
What
do the numbers and letters behind class names mean?
The numbers behind a class name indicate the age range. For example,
tap 6-8A is for beginners ages 6-8. The letter indicates level. For
example tap 6-8A the A is for beginners. Tap 7-9B is for children who have
completed tap 6-8A.
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