Fine Arts

Creative Movement

This dynamic, fun-filled class introduces young children to the joys of movement and rhythm through creative expression. Using imaginative play, storytelling, music, and simple dance steps, students explore the fundamentals of movement in a supportive and playful environment.

Curriculum elements include:

• Basic Motor Skills: Jumping, hopping, galloping, tiptoeing, and skipping
• Body Awareness: Identifying and isolating body parts, learning how the body moves
• Spatial Awareness: Moving safely through space, understanding direction, level, and pathway
• Rhythm and Musicality: Clapping and moving to different tempos, recognizing beats and patterns
• Creative Expression: Interpreting music and stories through dance, using props like scarves and ribbons
• Group Skills: Following directions, taking turns, working with partners and groups
• Imaginative Play: Exploring characters, animals, and environments through movement
• Intro to Dance Concepts: Shapes, levels (high/medium/low), energy qualities (sharp/smooth), and opposites (fast/slow, big/small)

Through these developmentally appropriate activities, children will build confidence, enhance coordination, and foster a lifelong love of movement and creativity.

No prior dance experience required.

Intro to Dance

This lively and engaging class offers young dancers a fun introduction to both ballet and tap dance, blending the elegance of ballet with the rhythmic excitement of tap. Through structured exercises, creative movement, and imaginative play, students will explore foundational dance techniques in both styles while building strength, flexibility, rhythm, and coordination. The class emphasizes musicality, body awareness, and self-expression, providing a solid foundation for a lifelong love of dance.

Curriculum elements include:

• Ballet Basics: Introduction to core ballet positions and movements such as plié, tendu, relevé, and dégagé
• Tap Fundamentals: Learning basic tap steps, including toe taps, heel drops, shuffles, and ball-change
• Body Alignment & Posture: Focus on proper alignment and developing balance and control, essential for both ballet and tap
• Rhythm and Timing: Clapping, tapping, and moving in time with music, recognizing basic rhythms, patterns, and beats
• Dance Vocabulary: Learning ballet and tap terminology (e.g., plié, tendu, chasse, shuffle, and ball-change)
• Spatial Awareness: Exploring movement in different directions, understanding levels (high/medium/low), and navigating through space safely
• Creative Movement & Expression: Using props like scarves or ribbons and engaging in storytelling to encourage imaginative movement and self-expression
• Coordination & Balance: Exercises to develop foot and hand coordination, hopping, skipping, turning, and balancing
• Tap Sounds & Musicality: Discovering how to create different rhythms and sounds with tap shoes and practicing tapping in sync with the music
• Ballet Flow & Grace: Working on fluid, graceful movements while learning to transition smoothly between positions
• Partner and Group Work: Simple partner and group exercises that build teamwork, listening skills, and collaboration
• Dance Dynamics: Exploring various qualities of movement, such as sharp vs. smooth, fast vs. slow, and energetic vs. controlled
• Focus and Listening Skills: Learning to follow directions, engage in structured activities, and stay attentive to the music and instructor

By the end of the class, students will have gained a solid foundation in both ballet and tap technique, improved coordination, and a deeper understanding of rhythm and movement. This class is designed to be fun, structured, and inspiring, offering young dancers a well-rounded introduction to the world of dance.

No prior dance experience required. 

Foundations of Dance

This engaging class introduces elementary students to the foundational techniques of tap and ballet, emphasizing rhythm, coordination, musicality, and expressive movement. Dancers will gain confidence and body awareness while developing discipline, creativity, and performance skills in a fun and encouraging environment.

In Tap, students will focus on:

• Clear execution of fundamental tap steps (toe, heel, shuffle, flap, cramp roll)
• Basic rhythmic patterns and combinations
• Introduction to syncopation and counting music
• Coordinating upper and lower body movements
• Traveling tap steps and simple choreography

In Ballet, instruction will include:

• Proper body alignment and posture
• First through third positions of the feet and arms
• Barre work including plié, tendu, dégagé, and relevé
• Center floor movement such as port de bras, balances, and simple turns
• Traveling steps like chassé, pas de bourrée, and waltz steps

Students will build a strong technical base in both styles while learning to express themselves through movement. The class also introduces basic performance etiquette and prepares students for more structured dance training in higher levels.

Dance Techniques

This technique-driven class is designed for middle school students to develop a strong technical foundation in ballet and tap, while building strength, coordination, musicality, and expressive confidence. Dancers will refine their physical awareness and performance skills in a structured yet encouraging environment.

Class structure includes:

• Ballet technique: barre and center work focusing on plié, tendu, rond de jambe, relevé, fondu, and preparation for pirouettes, arabesque, and simple allegro steps
• Tap technique: foundational and intermediate steps such as shuffle, flap, cramp roll, paradiddle, time step, and basic pullbacks
• Across-the-floor progressions: including chassé, pas de bourrée, three-step turns, leaps, and traveling tap combinations
• Rhythmic training: exploring musical timing, syncopation, and improvisation in tap
• Conditioning & artistry: strengthening exercises, movement quality, and expression through performance-based work

Students will also learn proper class etiquette, foundational dance vocabulary, and ensemble awareness. This class supports continued training in both styles and prepares dancers for future performance and technique-based opportunities.