Children's Classes

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Our dance curriculum follows a planned progression throughout the entire school year. Many of our classes will continue to enroll students throughout the fall and most of the winter, but the best learning benefit and progress for each student will come from consistent attendance for the entire dance school year.

Minimum Age Requirements ~ the student Must be the listed age on or before August 31 of the current school year). 

Rhythm & Movement -18 mo. through 3+ yrs., with an adult ~ for this class, minimum age for the student must be met by the 1st of the month in which you enroll:  This is an interactive creative dance class for a child with a parent/ caregiver helping them. Dance activities are built on the innate need of children to explore being with and without the influence of an adult. Activities include moving to nursery rhymes, music, and occasionally singing. The use of props, such as balls, hoops, and scarves, is also included. Wear comfortable, stretchy clothing, and children should wear bare feet (preferred) or ballet slippers. Adults may wear socks, but socks are too slippery for children to wear in class. ASB may be able to lend gently used ballet slippers to new students... please contact us if you wish to borrow.

Our Early Childhood Program is a curriculum for children between 3 and 7 years of age that is specially designed to provide a strong foundation in dance and movement. It teaches the basic physical elements of dance, plus such intellectual concepts as self-awareness, creative expression through movement, imagination, teamwork, and fundamental body/health awareness. Students also learn the basics of classroom behavior and manners, which remain the same throughout their dancing years. Educators now know that training young children in the concepts of movement sequencing, patterning, and spatial relationships lays a strong foundation for the later development of reading, mathematics, and other educational skills. Children in our Early Childhood classes work actively in all these areas, and each year they learn dance skills with appropriate progressions which are based on knowledge of early childhood development.

Please go to "Studio Information", "Parent Information", "ASB Early Childhood Program..." to find More Information about our Early Childhood Dance Curriculum.

--> Our Early Childhood classes are divided by age for the best benefit of the students. Classes in each level will work on basic dance steps, gentle stretching, large locomotor movements, musical games, and creative movement.

The minimum ages listed here must be met as of August 31 of the current school year.

Our Early Childhood classes are:

Kinderdance (for 3 - 4 yr. olds)

Primary Dance 1 with Tap (for 4 - 5 yr. olds)

Primary Dance 2 with Tap (for 5 - 6 yr. olds in Kindergarten)

Primary Dance 3 with Tap (for 6 - 7 yr. olds in first grade)

Classes below are for students in academic grade 2 and up, and are also Leveled by Experience - see specifics for age with each style of dance:

Classical Ballet (7 yrs. old & up) All Levels—Ballet is the foundation for almost all other types of theatrical  dance technique. Proper training enhances coordination and creates balance and flexibility. The emphasis is on clarity, precision, correct technique, and body mechanics. Classes consist of barre work, adagio and allegro center floor work, and traveling combinations. Proper French ballet terminology is used in all classes. 

We Encourage and Recommend that the serious ballet student who wishes to progress into pointe shoes begin her training for this next logical step by taking ballet classes a minimum of twice per week. This extended training should begin when a student enters Ballet Level 3. Students who have mastered the necessary ballet technique and are entering Ballet Level 4 may be recommended by their teacher for demi-pointe or pointe shoes and for our Demi-Pointe and Pointe classes. All students must have permission from their teacher(s) to begin and to continue demi-pointe and pointe classes.

Pointe or Demi-pointe (11 yrs. old & up)—Students who have entered ballet level 4 & up are chosen for demi-pointe or pointe class on an individual basis at the discretion of their teacher(s). All Demi-pointe / Pointe students must also take Ballet class at least twice per week or they cannot take Demi-pointe / Pointe classes.

Jazz/ Tap/ Lyrical/ Contemporary/ Modern Dance (All Levels)—These classes will include warm-up exercises and stretching, center floor exercises, traveling combinations, and choreographed routines.

Jazz (7 yrs. old & up)—Jazz is an exciting form of dance seen on television, on stage, and in films, combining the discipline of correct technical training with an emphasis on over-all conditioning, stamina, and developing different performance styles. The latest dance moves are taught using popular music as well as show tunes.

Tap (7 yrs. old & up)—Tap is a dance form that expresses an intricate rhythmic pattern to various types of music. It develops flexibility, coordination, balance, musical timing and is fun! It is very useful to those interested in musical theatre or professional performing.

Modern Dance (9 yrs. old & up) Modern dance is more experimental than classical ballet. The technique develops a freer use of the body using concepts including contraction and release, fall and recovery, floor work, use of spiral, weight shifting, and isolations.

Lyrical (J&T 4 and Ballet 4+ levels & up)—Lyrical is a form of dance that expresses emotions through smooth and controlled movements. Using the lyrics of songs as inspiration, students will express themselves as well as learn poise and correct placement of the body.

Contemporary Dance (J&T 5 and Ballet 5 levels & up) This is a dance form combining both modern dance and classical ballet elements, and may include elements from jazz, postmodern, somatic movements, and lyrical dance. It also uses the modern dance concepts of spiral, weight shift, contraction, fall and recovery, etc., and often incorporates gesture and staccato movements in opposition to more fluid movements.