Dance Styles
A variety of dance styles is offered with the aim of challenging students and developing their technique while helping them realize their potential in the following disciplines:
Jazz
Jazz dance originated in the late 1800’s and evolved into show business on Broadway and via exposure in television and films such as Chicago, West Side Story and Grease.Today jazz dance has developed into a new smooth style known as ‘Modern Jazz’ , a style incorporating strong sharp movements, flexibility, co-ordination and isolation of various parts of the body as seen in music videos.
Tap
Tap is a lively, melodic form of dance which uses precise rhythmical patterns of foot movement and audible foot tapping. Tap dancing is a popular style in many parts of the world made famous by pioneers such as Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Ginger Rogers. With its recent revival due to the success of the film Happy Feet and dance troops like Bootmen and Stomp, tap dance has become a fun way for students to learn rhythm & musicality.
Ballet
Characterized by grace and precision of movement, Classical Ballet is the basis of all dance. Classes focus on teaching students correct body placement and alignment while building core strength as well. Poise and precision are also emphasized, as seen in ballets such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.
Contemporary
Developed in the 20th century, Contemporary is a style of theatrical dance which utilizes movements derived from the expression of inner feeling. Using the body’s natural lines and energy, Contemporary is a versatile style with no limitations.
Hip Hop
One of the most popular forms of dance today, Hip Hop is an athletic dance style which originated on the streets of New York in the late 1960’s. With it’s urban foundation, Hip Hop embraces elements of breakdancing, popping, locking, krumping and even house dance. Hip Hop is an extremely popular dance form performed by artists such as Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and Usher .
Class Structure
All classes are structured to combine Jazz,Tap and Ballet within the one class (unless specified otherwise).This structure is referred to as a “Combination Class” and is preferable to single discipline classes as it provides greater variety, enjoyment, and challenge. Combination classes are designed to benefit each student by giving them the opportunity to develop their skills and technique in more than one discipline, thereby educating them with a broad dance repertoire.All classes commence with a full warm-up focusing on blood circulation, joints, muscles, nerves, concentration & most importantly, stretching to prevent injury. A portion of each class is dedicated to developing and defining technical skills such as flexibility, coordination, rhythm etc, all of which will be incorporated into routines throughout the year. For each routine, music is carefully chosen to compliment and correlate with the dance style while also keeping the childrens age in mind.
Attire
Students are not required to wear a compulsory uniform, however there are certain dress requirements that do need to be followed. It is important that all clothing is tight-fitting (eg; leotard, bike shorts, leggings).This will allow the teacher to observe the body’s placement and alignment and to ensure technique is being executed accurately.All students are required to wear appropriate footwear in class, please follow the guidelines below:
Sub-Junior Combination – Pink ballet shoes,Tan tap shoes
Inter Combination – Pink ballet shoes,Tan tap shoes, Black jazz shoes
Young Senior Combination – Pink ballet shoes,Tan tap shoes, Black jazz shoes
Senior Combination – Pink ballet shoes,Tan tap shoes, Black jazz shoes
Advanced Senior Combination – Pink ballet shoes, Black jazz shoes
Contemporary – Foot thongs, Bare feet
Hip Hop – Sneakers