Dance Styles

CREATIVE MOVEMENT

Creative Movement thru Learning experiences help students understand the elements of movement and dance (body actions and shapes, awareness of space, moving to time, awareness of energy and force, and awareness of relationships). Creative Movement is an exciting and joyful way for children to explore movement through music, develop physical skills, channel energy, stimulate imagination and promote creativity. By implementing Creative Movement, children learn about their bodies, the space around them, and each other.

CONTEMPORARY

Contemporary Dance is a very interpretive style of dance that focuses on unconventional movements. Contemporary Dance has shifted away from Classical Ballet and Lyrical dance forms, dancers were considered revolutionary. Unlike classical ballet, contemporary dance does not have fixed movements, instead it is a search for new forms and dynamics. Contemporary Dance focuses on oppositional movement, alignment, raw emotion, and methodical breathing.

LEAPS & TURNS

This class focuses on flexibility while strengthening students. This class will assist with and reinforce movements being taught in other styles. Students will learn proper placement for leaping and turning.

*MANDATORY FOR ALL COMPANY*

This class does not perform in the recital.

BALLET

(Vaganova Method)

Ballet is conventional form of dance, usually set to classical music. It is taught in a turned out body position. Ballet will assist students with proper body alignment and improve posture and technique. This method is designed to employ the body as a whole, with total involvement of the body in every movement, including the upper body as well as the legs and feet. It is believed that this approach increases consciousness of the body, thus creating a harmony of movement and greater expressive range. The training regime for the Vaganova method is complex and rigorously planned, to produce a clean, skilled, artistic technique. Due to its strictly codified training system, the Vaganova method is widely considered to be injury-free. Ballet lays the foundation for all forms of dance and is essential to mastering proper dance technique. Ballet attempts to prove that gravity does NOT exist.

*Mandatory for ALL Company*

JAZZ

Jazz is an exciting and increasingly evolving dance form that’s full of rhythm, passion and life. Classes explore body isolation of the head, shoulders, ribcage, feet and arms to encourage individual expression and personal style. Jazz can be powerful and percussive or expressive and lyrical.

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Dance Styles