Class Descriptions

 Ages 3-5: Preschool

  • Creative Movement, Ballet, & Tap - (1 hour per week) 30 minutes every week of Creative Movement and 30 minutes of Ballet and Tap alternating each week. Creative emphasize natural movement, free expression, and learning to participate in a group. The dancer will also start developing control, flexibililty, and be introduced to basic ballet technique and terms.Tap emphasizes foot work and the expression of rhythm through sound.

 Ages 6 – up: Beginner Levels

  • Creative Movement, Ballet, & Tap - (1.25 hours per week) 15 minutes of Creative Movement and 30 minutes of Ballet and Tap each week.Creative Movement at this level focuses on flexibility, natural movement, and allowing each dancer to experiment with movement in order to become more expressive and confident with themselves as dancers. Ballet provides the dancer with training for the body to build strength, balance, and flexibility while working on turnout and over all understanding of body mechanics. Tap emphasizes foot work and the expression of rhythm through sound.
  • Jumpin’ Junior Jazz- (1 hour per week) intoduces age-appropriate jazz technique to young dancers. This class helps develop movement and body awareness, as well as coordination, rhythm, and creative expression of dancers interested in this fun and exciting dance style.

Ages 9 – up: Intermediate Levels

  • Ballet, Tap, & Jazz Combo Class - (1.5 hours per week)Ballet provides comprehensive training for the entire body. Ballet at this level is a structured and disciplined dance form. It focuses on tenchnique and knowledge of terminology. This dance form builds strength and body tone, develops control and flexibility, and heightens the dancers awareness of overall body mechanics. Ballet is an essential foundation for dance study. Tap emphasizes footwork and the expression of rhythm throuh sound. The exercises presented develop endurance, coordination, and body control as well as development of feet sense and rhythm. Jazz is a technical class which focuses on center work and progressions across the floor. A variety of styles is taught including theatrical, pop, funk, and lyrical. Jazz dance increases body awareness, movement range, coordination, and rhythm. It is highly effective in building cardiovascular endurance.
  • Hip Hop is considered a “funky” or “street” jazz dance. Hip Hop teaches new and popular dance moves requiring a definitive sense of rhythm and beat, as well as a strong performance presence within the movement.
  • Contemporary  teaches the expressive power of movement by exploring time, space, quality, motivation, and aesthetic elements of dance. Improvisation is a key element incorporated in this class. Contemporary proves to be a physically and mentally challenging dance experience.

*** Intermediate students do not have to take a combo class.  We offer the following individual classes for Intermediate students who want to focus on different techniques:  Intermediate Ballet, Intermediate Tap (age 10+), Intermediate Contemporary, and Hip Hop I. ***

Ages 12-up

The following classes are offered separately providing intensive study in each discipline.

  • Ballet (Levels I – V) provides comprehensive training for the entire body. Ballet at this level is a structured and disciplined dance form. It focuses on tenchnique and knowledge of terminology. This dance form builds strength and body tone, develops control and flexibility, and heightens the dancers awareness of overall body mechanics. Ballet is an essential foundation for dance study.
  • Pre-Pointe is a preparation class for dancers who plan to take Pointe. This class emphasizes strength-building exercises and readiness of each individual dancer. One year of Ballet I is required in addition to Mrs. Lydia’s permission. The dancer must also be taking a ballet class.
  • Pointe (Levels I & II) is offered for strong, advanced ballet dancers. Hard-tip, satin ballet shoes are worn as the fundamentals of ballet are enhanced through this intensive study of technique. Pointe increases overall body tone as well as focuses on the strength of the foot and increases range of the arch. Dancers must also be taking a ballet class.
  • Jazz Technique is a technical class which focuses on center work and prograssions across the floor. A variety of styles is taught including theatrical, pop, funk, and lyrical. Jazz dance increases body awareness, movement range, coordination, and rhythm. It is highly effective in building cardiovascular endurance. This class also focuses on many different turns and leaps. Jazz Technique is very challenging at all levels. A dancer will be placed at the appropriate level according to his/her technical ability. A dancer may progress to the next level only once he/she masters all elements taught in their current class and the teacher feels they are prepared technically for the next level of training.
  • Street Jazz (or Jazz Funk) is a high energy, advanced class that incorporates hip hop, jazz, and “music video” styles. It is the latest, up-and-coming dance style in New York and L.A. and emulates many of the top pop artist’s music videos such as Lady GaGa, Beyonce, and Britney Spears. It’s SUPER FUN and an awesome chance to break the mold of all other “technical” and “typical” dance styles. 
  • Lyrical combines ballet and jazz technique. Lyrical dance creates awareness of body strength, control, and power. The class teaches movement phrases and progressions with a strong and intense, yet fluid feel.
  • Challenge (Levels I – IV) is a combination class of Jazz and Lyrical. Students will perform a Jazz and Lyrical dance in the recital. See specific descriptions under jazz technique and lyrical.
  • Hip Hop (Levels I – V) is considered a “funky” or “street” jazz dance. Hip Hop teaches new and popular dance moves requiring a definitive sense of rhythm and beat, as well as a strong performance presence within the movement.
  • Tap (Levels I – III) emphasizes footwork and the expression of rhythm throuh sound. The exercises presented develop endurance, coordination, and body control as well as development of feet sense and rhythm.
  • Contemporary (Levels I – III) teaches the expressive power of movement by exploring time, space, quality, motivation, and aesthetic elements of dance. Improvisation is a key element incorporated in this class. Contemporary proves to be a physically and mentally challenging dance experience.
  • Yoga/Pilates Stretch Class focuses on achieving flexibility, strength, and tone throughout the entire body. It helps one obtain over-all mind, body, and spirit awareness which enables the ability of relaxing any muscular tension in order to increase flexibility and proper body alignment.

 

LEVEL PLACEMENT

Northshore Academy of Dance’s leveling is based on individual dancer’s ability, in addition to considering which classes will be age-appropriate. Some dancers progress to the next level, while others remain in the same level. This is not cause for concern. Many dancers benefit tremendously from staying in a particular level in order to further develop their technique. This allows a dancer to reach their highest potential and in most cases, become one of the stronger dancers in the class. The N.A.D. staff’s priority is what is best for every individual dancer and will place each student at a level that will challenge them, promote growth, and build self-confidence.