Youngest Dancers

Pre Ballet (Ages 3-4): A 45 minute class for the first year dancer introducing them to dancing in a studio setting, collaborating with classmates, and other themed skills and activities. This class focuses on taking fine motor skills and advancing those skills into beginning dance technique through creative movement and ballet basics. Dancers enrolled in these classes do not compete, but will perform in our end of year recital. 

Ballet/Jazz (Ages 4-5):  an hour long class that is designed to continue the basics of ballet as well as introduce jazz technique to the second year dancer. Dancers enrolled in these classes do not compete, but will perform in our end of year recital.

Monday-Wednesday Combo Classes (Ages 6 +)

Combo Ballet/Tap/Jazz: a 1 1/2 or 2 hour class designed to introduce the young dancer to several styles of dance while building a good foundation of basics for future dance education. Tap is taught for 30 minutes and ballet and jazz are taught for 30 minutes each in the 1 1/2 hour class and 45 minutes each in the 2 hour class. You may also choose to take just ballet and jazz if you wish.

The following special classes may be taken in addition to a combo class. (Combo is required.) Class placement is by age and skill level as determined by TDA staff.

Combo Hip Hop: a 45 minute class introducing the style of Hip Hop utilizing age appropriate music and movement.  

 

Combo Lyrical: a 45 minute class introducing the style of Lyrical. (See below for description.)

 

Combo Technique:  a 45 minute class of jazz and ballet with a strong focus in strengthening flexibility, turns, and jumps.

 Thursday Combo Classes: 

Ballet: a 60 minute ballet class designed to strengthen technique for  the young dancer while building a good foundation of basics for future dance education.  This is for dancers who are ready for more challenge than the combo class offers, but not quite ready for the advanced classes.

Jazz: A 60 minute class that teaches jazz technique.  (See description below.)

 

The following special classes may be taken in addition to the ballet and jazz classes (both ballet and jazz are required.) Class placement is by age and skill level as determined by TDA staff.

Tap: A 45 minute class that teaches tap technique.  (See description below.)

Lyrical: A 45 minute class that teaches lyrical technique.  (See description below.)

Technique: a 45 minute class focusing on jazz and lyrical technique.  Dancers will concentrate on perfecting turns, leaps, & other basics. 

Acro: See description below.  Placement is determined by TDA staff.

 

Hip Hop: See description below.  Placement is determined by TDA staff.

Advanced Classes (Ages 12+)

The following classes are offered for advanced students.  TDA staff will place students according to their ability level in each dance style (You may not be with the same group of dancers in every style).

Ballet: a formalized type of performance dance. Ballet is a highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary and is the basis for most other dance styles. It is primarily performed with the accompaniment of classical music. The Dance Attic feels strongly that all styles of dance should be reinforced with Ballet.

Pointe: an extension of advanced level ballet. This class is offered by invitation only. Dancers will be evaluated by the instructor during the first month of class to determine placement.

Jazz: provides a strong technical foundation which enables a dancer to focus on the stylistic and performance aspects of dance. Jazz is characterized by leaps and turns, where correct posture and technique are essential. A jazz dancer’s strong and sharp movements are greatly aided by a good background in ballet technique. However, while ballet movement emphasizes the upbeat of music, jazz dance emphasizes the downbeat.  Jazz is a required class for all dancers.

Tap: a form of dance where a tapping sound is made when metal plates on the dancer’s shoes strike a hard surface. Tap is characterized by rhythm and sound, thus making the tap dancers percussive musicians. We have four levels of tap here at TDA and dancers are placed based on ability and experience in tap separate from other styles

Lyrical: uses dance steps and motions to interpret music and express emotion. A lyrical dancer’s movements attempt to tell a story and show the meaning of the music. Lyrical is a deep, personal, emotional dance style that is known by its connected and graceful movements. The rhythm and beat of the dance is synced with the lyrics and mood of the song.

Technique: incorporates the techniques of jazz and ballet with a strong focus in strengthening flexibility, turns, and jumps.  this is a technique only class with no recital/competition routine or costume. Taking this class helps dancers in their other styles or skillsets and should be taken in support of other styles. 

Hip Hop: a dance style primarily danced to hip hop music that has evolved as a part of the hip hop or street dancing culture. 

Acro: a style of dance that combines dance technique with acrobatic elements. It is defined by its athletic character and unique choreography which seamlessly blends dance and acrobatics. An evaluation by TDA staff is required for placement in the appropriate skill level class.  This is a technique only class with no recital/competition routine or costume.

*All ages are approximate.  Placement is determined by a combination of factors including age and skill level by TDA staff.   We feel strongly that all styles of dance should be reinforced with ballet and jazz, therefore we require all dancers to take these classes.  Exceptions may be made only at the discretion of the staff.