POINTE

Pointe: Students ages 12 and up are evaluated on a regular basis to determine their readinessfor pointe, but neither age nor placement level is a guarantee of being ready to go on pointe. Other factors that weigh in this decision are alignment, strength, technical ability and facility. To be considered for pointe, students must be enrolled in a minimum of 2 ballet classes at NWSOD per week. First year pointe students will go as a group with their instructor for their first pointe shoe fitting in August.

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NWSOD CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

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ACRO

Acro: Your kids will be head over heels for Acrobatics! Each class starts with a thorough warm up to prepare the body for activity and increase flexibility. Students will develop tumbling skills starting with basic forward and backward rolls, cartwheels and handstands, and then progress to round offs, walkovers, front and back hand springs, aerials and back tucks. All of the skills learned in Acro will be taught by a Cirque du Soliel performer and USA gymnastic coach with the intention of being incorporated into students’ dance training and performance. The sky’s (or ceilings) the limit!

BROADWAY BABIES

Broadway Babies: This class is the first step for the young dancer, incorporating ballet, jazz and tap techniques in a semi-structured class using improvisation, musical play and introducing the concepts of balance, barre and center-floor work. Students learn to make the beginning sounds of tap dancing on our popular “tap steps” and learn to Pas de chat, skip and plie in first position. Basic fundamental loco motor skills and movement vocabulary are developed through creative dance. Children should be 3 by November 1st and must be potty trained. Children should be developmentally ready to separate from their parent and participate in a group in order to enroll in this class.

BALLET / TAP COMBO

Ballet/Tap Combo: Combining the elements of classical ballet; a creative movement that sequences exercises, floor formation, teaching children movement that emphasize straight legs, pointed feet, posture, placement, stretches and comportments of classical ballet with classical tap. Children love the mixture of these two genres, providing them an opportunity to learn both the elegant ballet formations and French terminology combined with the rhythm and fast pace of tap dance.

CLASSICAL BALLET

Classical Ballet: With ballet being the basis for all dance forms, NWSOD’s ballet program is formatted for boys and girls of all ages and levels from the basic introduction of ballet to advanced ballet. Students are exposed to many styles of classical ballet, including Vaganova, Cecchetti, RAD and Bournonville techniques. Classes will focus on posture, balance, self-discipline, self-confidence, strength, alignment and a clear understanding of the technique while learning the French terminology with English translations.

POP BALLET

Pop Ballet: A twist on the traditional ballet class, using the same technical training and vocabulary as Classical Ballet, but incorporating more modern music with a faster pace.

POINTE

Pointe: Students ages 12 and up are evaluated on a regular basis to determine their readinessfor pointe, but neither age nor placement level is a guarantee of being ready to go on pointe. Other factors that weigh in this decision are alignment, strength, technical ability and facility. To be considered for pointe, students must be enrolled in a minimum of 2 ballet classes at NWSOD per week. First year pointe students will go as a group with their instructor for their first pointe shoe fitting in August.

DANCE PHYSIQUE

Dance Physique: Dance at your highest potential! Dance Physique is a class based on corrective and healthy exercises that are formulated to tone, condition and strengthen dancers while safely increasing flexibility. Packed with high and low impact stretching and strengthening exercises, students can expect to work on all major muscles, and core strength, which will assist them in all facets of their dance curriculum.

ELEMENTS OF PERFORMANCE

Elements of Performance: Combining dance technique, acting, facial expressions and stage presence with an element of charisma and charm, this class will help any dancer or performer, draw in an audience and command their full attention. This class, offered for our older dancers, will learn and perform a number from a Broadway musical.

HIP HOP JR.

Hip Hop JR: Develop your creative expression while dancing like your favorite star! Each class will consist of an exciting warm-up, an upbeat hip hop combination and thrilling dance games. This is the perfect class for students who love self-expression and are eager to learn! Whether you have taken Hip-Hop before or want to learn some new dance moves, this is the class for you! Come on, have fun, be cool, listen to popular music and move and groove to the beat!

HIP HOP INTERMEDIATE

Hip Hop Intermediate: This high-energy street style dance has been sought after by pre-teens and teens who want to learn the latest hip-hop trends and breaking dance moves. Elements include proper conditioning and warm-up, individualized dance steps and full bodied combinations. Dancers LOVE learning these expressive dance steps while dancing to their favorite pop songs.

HIP HOP ADVANCED

Hip Hop ADVANCED: This high-energy street style dance has been sought after by pre-teens and teens who want to learn the latest hip-hop trends and breaking dance moves. Elements include proper conditioning and warm-up, individualized dance steps and full bodied combinations. Dancers LOVE learning these expressive dance steps while dancing to their favorite pop songs.

STREET JAZZ

Street Jazz: Street jazz is a mix of fast, intricate footwork, graceful spins and acrobatic floor moves. This genre of dance works on dancer's creativity, their understanding of the music and their energy, fusing traditional jazz with hip hop.

FOSSÉ JAZZ

Fossé Jazz: Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to do some serious jazz hands! We challenge our students with many different forms of Jazz and Bob Fosse’s signature style is no exception. Fossé is best known for his isolations, finger snaps, smooth hip rolls and specific, detailed movements. Students will be taught these techniques through Fossé’s original choreography. Previous ballet and jazz training is required.

BROADWAY JAZZ

Broadway Jazz: An exciting Jazz class that combines technique and choreography from Broadway musicals and award winning movies. Students will have input on choreography they would like to recreate, offering multiple samplings of famous dances from both stage and screen (eg: A Chorus Line, Step Up, Center Stage, Save the Last Dance). Note: This is strictly a Jazz technique class and does not require singing or acting.

JAZZ FUNK

Jazz Funk: Feel the beat as you move and groove to the music! Stretch, turn and leap into your full potential. Combining classic jazz dance technique with rhythmic, funky street edge style dance. This exciting mix of jazz and hip hop is a very popular class!

LYRICAL DANCE

Lyrical: Lyrical dance fuses ballet and jazz techniques together to create a very unique performance. The outcome is often narrative in nature. Lyrical class will help students hone in on their emotions being expressed through highly technical movement. This is a wonderful class to express your body with a sense of freedom and fluidity.

LEAPS AND TURNS

Leaps And Turns: The body’s center axis, the place from which all movements begin and end, make it possible to maintain balance while executing high extensions and graceful, precise powerful movements. This class will teach students how to execute jumps, spotting and turning with precision, giving the dancer the advantage of core strength as they learn to spring through the air. This class is offered in four levels.

MODERN DANCE

Modern: A form of contemporary, theatrical and concert dance employing a special technique for developing the use of the entire body in movements expressive of abstract ideas. Modern dance technique will help to integrate the mind, body and spirit convection through movement. This class will focus on classical modern techniques ranging from Limon, Graham, and Horton.

MUSICAL THEATER

Musical Theater: In this class you will learn the basics of isolations, style, acting skills, facial expressions and musicality. To sing and dance together involves some coordination of mind and body, so we will explore that with a warm-up, some acting exercises and learning choreography from a Broadway children's musical.

TAP BEGINNER

Tap Beginner: Tap classes develop rhythm and sound coordination skills. Common tap steps include the shuffle, shuffle ball change, flap, flap heel, cramproll, buffalo, Maxi Ford, single and double pullbacks, wings, Cincinnati, the shim sham shimmy (also called the Lindy), Irish, the paddle roll, stomp, brushes, scuffs, riffs, single and heel clicks, single double, triple and double-triple time steps, military time step, and chugs. NWSOD offers 5 levels of tap dancing.

TAP INTERMEDIATE

Tap Intermediate: Tap classes develop rhythm and sound coordination skills. Common tap steps include the shuffle, shuffle ball change, flap, flap heel, cramproll, buffalo, Maxi Ford, single and double pullbacks, wings, Cincinnati, the shim sham shimmy (also called the Lindy), Irish, the paddle roll, stomp, brushes, scuffs, riffs, single and heel clicks, single double, triple and double-triple time steps, military time step, and chugs. NWSOD offers 5 levels of tap dancing.

TAP ADVANCED

Tap Advanced: Tap classes develop rhythm and sound coordination skills. Common tap steps include the shuffle, shuffle ball change, flap, flap heel, cramproll, buffalo, Maxi Ford, single and double pullbacks, wings, Cincinnati, the shim sham shimmy (also called the Lindy), Irish, the paddle roll, stomp, brushes, scuffs, riffs, single and heel clicks, single double, triple and double-triple time steps, military time step, and chugs. NWSOD offers 5 levels of tap dancing.

MOVES & GROOVES

Moves & Grooves: (Adults Only) Break out of your weekly routine with a fun and fit dance class! Moves & Grooves is a mash up of dance and fitness to get you moving. This class combines commercial hip-hop and street jazz fusion, and is open to all dance and fitness levels! Classes are offered in 5 week blocks, September – May. (No recital piece)

VARIATIONS

Variations: A Variation (sometimes referred to as a pas seul, meaning to dance alone), is a solo dance. This class is offered to advanced pointe students who can show their mastering of ballet technique, en pointe, in these special sections from famous ballets.