CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
Placement is based on each students unique and individual capabilities determined by our graded curriculum. Age is used as a guideline. All Choreography and music is age appropriate.
Ballet
This is the basic foundation of ALL dance forms. Ballet will incorporate barre exercises to develop strength and flexibility as well as center work for enhancing grace, poise, coordination and balance which is emphasized as children begins to understand their bodies and learn varying levels of movement. Ballet is strongly recommended for all dancers to take in addition to other techniques.
TAP
This dance form combines movement and rhythmic foot patterns. Your feet are the instrument. With an emphasis on fancy footwork and sound, tap develops agility, musicality, rhythm, coordination and stylized movement. These classes cover all the basic exercises, time steps and riffs that make tap so much fun. Tap shoes are required.
MODERN
Modern emphasizes the use of the floor for centering and grounding oneself in movement. This class focuses on the breath (inhale/exhale), which brings quality to ones movement. Concepts of overcurve/undercurve, contraction/release, musicality, improvisation and rhythm are explored. Teachers incorporate an eclectic blend of contemporary and post-modern movement into their classes including but not limited to Lester Horton, Martha Graham, and Doris Humphrey.
JAZZ
An American dance form enjoyed by all in its contemporary form with the emphasis on technique, rhythm and style. As students progress through the levels more advanced combinations and different styles of jazz are introduced. Classes will begin with a warm-up using isolations, stretching exercises, followed by progressions and dance combinations of turns, kicks, leaps and jumps.
HIP HOP
A free-flowing, rhythmic, urban, street-style form of dance. Dancers will be encouraged to freestyle, using their own creativity and style to the moves taught to them. In this high energy class dancers will learn the basics of this popular dance style along with the latest "moves" and put it all together to current popular tunes. Bring in your own music, share what you know! This class is about creating your own unique Hip Hop style.
CREATIVE MOVEMENT
Is a fun and imaginative class that introduce the fundamentals of dance while nurturing a childs agility and musicality. This class is designed to allow your preschooler to learn many skills to help with their physical development, social skills and coordination. The emphasis is on developing gross motor skills, muscle control, balance and spatial awareness, as well as listening skills. Students learn to follow the teachers instructions while working in a challenging but supportive environment and interacting with their peers. Creative Movement Classes involve imaginary scenarios, dance games and props to keep the attention of young students, supplying them with the necessary tools to love dance for a lifetime. Students must be potty trained in order to enroll.
DANCE COMPOSITION
This is an introduction to choreography. Students learn the craft of choreography as they develop vocabulary, original movement, and evaluation techniques to express a wide range of ideas. For each class session the students will choreograph short movement studies that explore one aspect of dance composition. A wide range of sources for movement ideas will be used, and we'll explore different elements of Laban Movement analysis such as effort, speed, spatial design, flow, phrasing and momentum. A major goal of this class is to develop in each of you, clarity of intent in your choreography, and close attention to movement detail for each dance study.
TEACHER ASSISTANT PROGRAM
Teens will have the opportunity to train with one of AIMDCO professional dance educators in a children's class of the dance discipline of their choice. They will learn the methodology of teaching, how to lead a class, learn how to choreograph and many other aspects of teaching a dance class. Please contact the director for details.
CLASS LEVELS
COMBO CLASSES
Our Combo Class Program allows dancers to attend one class a week incorporating the fundamental teachings of three different genres: Ballet, Tap and Jazz. All Students must be enrolled in Ballet. Students are placed in classes based on their experience with age being secondary criteria. The dancers are continually evaluated by our faculty to insure proper placement.
PRIMARY LEVEL
Children begin learning proper body alignments and positions, and center floor work. They will be increasing their growth and development in classroom structure and knowledge of basic ballet and tap. This class builds confidence, strength, and coordination and is an extension of the creative movement class.
ELEMENTARY LEVEL
Children continue to develop proper body alignments and positions, and center floor work. They will develop Ballet, Tap and Jazz vocabulary with an increased level of intricacy and length of focus and ability.All elementary level students must take Ballet but may choose to take either tap or jazz for a class period of 1 hour or they may take all three Jazz ,Ballet, and Tap for a class period of 1 ½ hrs. (STRONGLY ENCOURAGED)
**Also offered for both the Primary and Elemenatry Dancer is Hip Hop which may be taken alone.
Our Intermediate, Junior, and Senior Levels allow dancers to attend class one or two nights per week and will be able to experience all of the
following dance techniques; Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, Dance Composition and Pointe*. Technique and terminology are broadened at these levels.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Dancers at this age/level will experience a 30 minute to 1 hour classes focusing solely on one dance technique or genre. All students at this age are Strongly Encouraged to take Ballet as a foundation of all dance movement in addition to any of the other dance genres, tap, jazz, and hip hop.
JUNIOR LEVEL
Dancers at this age/level will experience a 45 minute to 1.5 hour classes focusing solely on one dance technique or genre. All students at this age are Strongly Encouraged to take Ballet as a foundation of all dance movement in addition to any of the other dance genres, pointe*, tap, jazz, modern, dance composition and hip hop.
*all students taking pointe must take two Ballet Classes
SENIOR LEVEL
Dancers at this age/level will experience a 1 hour to 1.5 hour class focusing solely on one dance technique or genre. All students at this age are Strongly Encouraged to take Ballet as a foundation of all dance movement in addition to any of the other dance genres, pointe*, tap, jazz, modern, dance composition and hip hop.
*all students taking pointe must take two Ballet Classes.
