Our Dance program is constructed in levels. Most genres (except Character, Liturgical, & Ballroom) follow this system:
- Level 1: Creative Movement (ages 3 – 4)
- Level 2: Ballet/Jazz I (ages 4-6)
- Level 3: Ballet/Jazz II (ages 5-6)
- Level 4 – 8: Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary/Modern, Tap, Clogging (most begin at age 7, students are placed by teachers by age and skill level)
To dance “en pointe” is the culmination of years of hard work and strengthening that begins in ballet. The Pointe dancer must have strong ankles, core, and legs in order to support standing on top of a special shoe made specifically for this purpose. The Pointe dancer can expect a challenging class that begins with stretching & strengthening exercises, moves to the barre, and finishes with combination work across the floor and in the center. Students must be recommended for Pointe and evaluated by the Pointe instructor for entrance into this class. We also follow New York City Ballet’s recommendation that a student must be 11 years of age before being evaluated for Pointe work. The students in our Pre-pointe program may be younger than 11, but they will not be on pointe until age 11.
