Class Descriptions

Creative Movement
(ages 3)

A 45-minute introductory dance class containing ballet, acrobatics, and creative movement. Young dancers will learn the basic steps while learning how to follow direction and imitate movement in a positive environment. Engaging music is used to get these little guys inspired to dance. During the warm-up portion of the class the young dancers will be encouraged to use their imagination, creativity and, most of all, have fun! These young dancers need to be potty trained to enroll.

Dress Code

    Girls: Any color leotard and tights, pink leather ballet shoes, dance skirts are allowed (as long as the skirt does not become a distraction).  Students should not wear their dance shoes outside the studio!  (link to Discount Dance on the NLD website) Hair should be off the neck in a secured low or high ponytail.  No jewelry should be worn to class except stud earrings.
    Boys: Any solid color T-shirt and black dance pants or sweatpants, black leather ballet shoes. 

Pre-Combo (Ballet/Tap)
(ages 4-5)

An age-specific 1 hr 15-minute class (counts as 2 classes) containing ballet and tap with some acrobatic movement for dancers to help inspire movement and creativity within a positive dance environment. Dancers will also learn basic steps and terminology in both styles. For example, all dancers will learn what a "plie" is and how to demonstrate one. The use of fun, age appropriate music engages the young dancers' minds and bodies. The use of props and fun games such as the "freeze dance" makes the end of class the most fun!  These young dancers need to be potty trained to enroll.

Dress Code

Girls: Any color leotard and tights, pink leather ballet shoes, dance skirts are allowed (as long as the skirt does not become a distraction); black tap shoes with either a buckle strap or velcro strap (link for shoes on NLD main page to Discount Dance).  Students should NOT wear their dance shoes outside the studio!  Only stud earrings and no other jewelry to be worn.  Hair should be neatly secured in a low or high ponytail.
Boys: Any solid color T-shirt and black dance pants or sweatpants, black leather ballet shoes.  

Ballet

Ballet is a beautiful yet difficult theatrical art form. Students will start class with barre exercises (usually danced to classical music), to train their bodies to dance with the strength and grace unique to ballet. Students will then move to the center floor to learn conventional poses and steps, combined with light flowing figures such as leaps and turns. Ballet is the basis for all other forms of dance. Ballet is highly recommended for students of any other discipline including gymnastics, ice-skating, and cheerleading.

                                                   Dress Code
Girls: Black leotard, Capezio pink transition tights, and pink leather split sole ballet shoes (link on NLD website for Discount Dance). Short dance skirts are permitted (as long as the skirt is not a distraction).  Hair must be secured with bobby pins and hair net in a low or high bun prior to coming into the dance room.  Students should not wear their dance shoes outside.  Only stud earrings and no other jewelry to be worn in class.
Men/Boys: Black dance pants, black or white solid color T-shirt, and black leather ballet slippers. 

Jazz

Jazz is a more free-formed style of dance than Ballet but will also include stretches, barre work, and center floor combinations. Rhythm, upon which all dance forms depend, is particularly integral to jazz dance. The first half of class consists of exercises to stretch and tone muscles and develop support for proper stress-free alignment of the skeletal structure. Using jazz, soul, R&B, ethnic and pop music, jazz classes are a great workout and a fun way to release tension while attaining a body awareness that can be applied to everyday activities.

Dress Code

Girls: Any color leotard, tights or spandex dance leggings or spandex biker shorts, NO sports bras to be worn.  Bloch Super jazz shoes/tan color; Small Child Style #S0401T; Child Style #0401G; Adult Style #S0401L with Discount Dance (link on NLD website).  Student should not wear their dance shoes outside.  Only stud earrings and no other jewelry to be worn.  Hair in clean low or high ponytail.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Men/Boys: Any solid color T-shirt and black dance pants.

Tap

Tap is music with your feet. In tap, students learn to articulate the feet, with the use of tap shoes, to create intricate rhythm and sounds. It is an exciting rhythmic exercise and dance discipline that is enjoyable to both kids and adults. Rooted in African-American History, tap offers a variety of styles and techniques. The classes stress the basics of tap and build into combinations which are great to watch and delightful to hear.

Dress Code

Pre Tap — Girls: Any color leotard and tights, Merry Jane black patent tap shoes with velcro strap.  Students should not wear their dance shoes outside. NO sports bras to be worn. Hair in clean low or high ponytail.

Tap I or Tap II - Girls: Any color leotard/tights; black spandex shorts over tights with leotard (optional), NO sports bras to be worn, full sole (no split sole), black full sole lace up tap shoes, Style T9500C for Tap I with Discount Dance (link on NLD website), black full sole lace up tap shoes, Chloe and Maud Leather, black leather full sole lace up tap shoes, Style #S0327L for Adults & Style #S0327G for girls with Discount Dance (link on NLD website), Bloch, black full sole lace up tap shoes, Respect, Style #S0361L for adults & Style #S0321L for girls with Discount Dance (link on NLD website), Bloch, black leather full sole lace up tap shoe, Style #S0321L for Adults. Only stud earrings and no other jewelry.  Hair in a clean low or high ponytail.

Tap III & IV with Nicole B - Girls:  Any color leotard/tights; black spandex shorts over tights with leotard (optional), lace up Bloch Jason Samuel Smith tap shoes, Style # A0313L with Discount Dance (link on NLD website), NO sports bras to be worn.   Only stud earrings and no other jewelry.  Hair in a clean low or high ponytail.

 Men/Boys: Any solid color T-shirt and black dance pants, Jason Samuel Smith black tap shoes at Discount Dance. 

Acrobatic Arts

Acrobatics builds strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. A combination of floor tumbling, technique, conditioning and dance. Students learn to improve on flexibility, strength, and balance. Acrobatics class incorporates basic to advanced tumbling skills which are honed while adding balances (headstands, handstands, 1-foot balance) and flexibility required movements (bridges/backbends, walkovers, splits). Partnering is introduced using concepts of weight sharing, stacking, and proper mount/dismount technique. Dances in this class aim to smoothly transition between each acrobatic element, as well as draw on the students' own choreography.

Dress Code

Girls: Any color footless/stirrup/convertible tights/leotard. NO sports bras to be worn.  Only stud earrings and no other jewelry.  Hair in a clean low or high ponytail.

Boys: Any solid color T-shirt and black dance pants.

Lyrical/Contemporary  

To sign up for a contemporary class, students must also be enrolled in ballet.

Lyrical dance combines jazz technique and ballet. Strength, flexibility, grace and the proper use of leaps, turns, and kicks are the focus. Students learn how to put emotion into their routines and make fluid movements more fluid.

Dress Code

Girls: Same as ballet but no shoes required. Recommend keeping hair in bun since contemporary follows ballet.  NO sports bras to be worn.

Boys: Black dance pants, black or white solid color T-shirt Students dance in bare feet.

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