DANCE STYLES OFFERED AT GEARY DANCE CENTER
FUNdamentals of Dance for preschoolers and Kindergartners ages 2-6:
FUNdamentals I/II: ages 2-4 with in-class participation of adult caregiver as needed by the child.
FUNdamentals II/III: ages 3-5 without caregiver.
FUNdamentals III/Pre-Ballet, III/Jazz-Tap: ages 4-6 without caregiver. Designed for children not yet enrolled in Kindergarten or Kindergartners who may benefit from more time in the FUNdamentals program before moving to Creative Movement, Ballet I, Beginning classes in Jazz, Tap, or Hip-Hop.
BOYZ!: Ages 4-7 (Prekindergarten-1st grade) NOT OFFERED AT THIS TIME
This class is designed for the energetic young boy who loves movement and music but may not be ready or interested (yet!) in a formal dance class. By incorporating elements of Hip Hop, Jazz, folk dance, martial arts and basic tumbling, the class keeps the kids moving and grooving before enrolling in a class that may require more focus and self-control. The class will be instructed by a male dance teacher and limited to 8 boys. BOYZ! can participate in the opening act “Obstacle Course” in the Spring Showcase. This class may be taken at the same time or before enrolling in FUNdamentals III, Ballet I, Beginning Jazz, Beginning Tap, or Beginning Hip Hop.
BALLET: ages Kindergarten-18 (age 5 must be in Kindergarten with birthday after Sept 1)
The study of Ballet is a gradual process as the student must learn to control his or her movements and postures from tiny little-used core muscles while retraining the larger muscles that we already use every day. Excellent Ballet training requires the opposite of almost any other athletic endeavor in that it must be focused and disciplined from the beginning of its study, gradually increasing the abilities and movement vocabulary, making sure that the student has a clear understanding before continuing on. This also means that Ballet is excellent training for almost any other style of dance and many sports.
POINTE Level 5 Ballet, minimum age 11
Pointe is the epitome of Classical Ballet and can only be achieved once a dancer has reached a certain technique level. At Geary Dance Center, Pointe is not required but is available to those dancers who wish to study it. Prerequisites for Pointe are a minimum of 2 Ballet technique classes a week for at least a year before going on pointe. Once on pointe, the dancer must attend at least 2 Ballet technique classes a week to remain on pointe. GDC has no required pointe shoe maker, style or shade of pink and encourages each dancer to find the best shoe for their foot. Brooke Byrne, co-owner of GDC, will accompany the dancer to their first pointe shoe fitting. Do boys go on pointe? They can, and pointe work is often recommended for boys who need to improve the strength and flexibility of their feet, want to experience a different level of training or plan on doing any Ballet choreography.
BALLET VARIATIONS: prerequisite of enrollment in Levels II/III For Teens, Ballet IV, Ballet V
The class will focus on classic choreography from full-length ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Dancers will learn about the different eras, styles and training methods in Ballet as well as the history of Ballet’s development from folk dance and fencing to a style performed exclusively before the royal court to that of entertainment. The class will focus on how to restage solo choreography to a group and vice versa as well as how to restage choreography for different technique levels. Choreography will be amended for ballet shoes and varying technique levels. Students who are on pointe may take the class in pointe shoes with approval of the instructor.
JAZZ: ages Kindergarten-18 (age 5 must be in Kindergarten with birthday after Sept 1)
Jazz is a fun, upbeat dance style developed in America during the 20th Century from African and African-American social dance styles, vaudeville and ballet. It has become one of the most popular dance styles because of its versatility, energy, style and dedication to individuality. Jazz styles can range from classic clean lines to funky urban, to modern to comic. Dancers will learn to control individual body parts (isolations), to express themselves in their movements and how to work both as a group and individually. Jazz is a great introduction to dance and terrific for kids who want to mooove!
TAP: ages Kindergarten-18 (age 5 must be in Kindergarten with birthday after Sept 1)
Tap developed in 19th Century America from a mix of Irish clogging, African and African-American movements and vaudeville. Using special shoes with metal plates, the tap dancer can create multiple sounds and rhythmic patterns with their feet. Tap improves balance, coordination, rhythm, focus and is great for those kids who respond to music by creating their own percussion. Each level will introduce styles and steps from different eras.
HIP HOP: ages 5-18 (age 5 must be in Kindergarten with birthday after Sept 1)
Hip-Hop is an energetic dance style that evolved from the urban African-American culture in the latter half of the 20th Century. Hip-hop includes various moves such as breaking, popping, locking, krumping and gymnastics forms. Improvisation, expression and personal interpretation are essential to hip-hop dancing. Hip Hop has developed many different styles within its genre and gives non-dancers a socially acceptable way to express themselves individually with movement. Hip Hop is an excellent dance style to introduce to boys and anyone who wants to express themselves in a non-gender specific style.
MUSICAL THEATER JAZZ: ages 7-10, 10-13, 13-18
Musical Theater tells a story through song and dance. The Musical Theater Jazz class combines Jazz dance, acting and age-appropriate songs from Broadway, TV or movie musicals. Singing is optional and not a requirement of the class. Musical Theater Jazz is perfect for your animated dancer!
Younger dancers (ages 7-10) will focus on acting, learning basic Jazz movements and creating a piece that tells a story using music from non-gender specific, age appropriate musicals, such as Matilda or Shrek the Musical.
For the Teen and Tween dancer, we will explore the stylistic characteristics of various well-known choreographers, such as Bob Fosse (Chicago), Jerome Robbins (West Side Story), and Agnes de Mille (Carousel).
CREATIVE MOVEMENT: ages 6-8 (must be enrolled in 1st grade or higher) NOT OFFERED AT THIS TIME (2022)
Creative Movement is designed to stimulate creativity, increase body awareness, explore rhythm and images and channel energy in a fun and positive manner. This class is especially recommended for those students who enjoy creating their own authentic movement and respond to a class that’s less structured and detail-oriented. Simple Ballet, Jazz and Modern Dance skills will be introduced as well as basic choreography ideas and methods. Creative Movement is an excellent introduction to Contemporary or Modern Dance.
CONTEMPORARY: ages 9+
Contemporary has become a very popular style due to various TV dance shows. Contemporary can blend Ballet, Jazz, Modern Dance forms and Hip Hop technique with a focus on inner expression. Designed for the dancer who wants a more introspective dance style that can also improve technique, flexibility and strength. Different teachers will have different styles and methods, we always suggest new dancers try a class first to find the class that speaks to them. Contemporary differs from Modern Dance in that there is no strict adherence to any one technique style such as Cunningham, Graham, Limon etc.
MODERN DANCE WORKSHOP ages 10+ NOT OFFERED AT THIS TIME
Modern dance was a reaction to the rigid structure of Ballet. In the early 20th Century there were several schools of thought that wanted dance to be a more organic, natural and free flowing artistic expression. Eventually several major choreographers and styles emerged that each, in turn, created an identifiable style and method of training. Modern Dance styles such as Graham, Cunningham, Limon, Duncan, Taylor, Horton, and Lewitsky can be studied in training programs and on the collegiate level. Modern Dance differs from Contemporary in that Modern Dance styles try to keep pure to the method and intention of the movement style’s founder. Contemporary is much more dependent on the individual choreographer or teacher’s style and training background. Contemporary can incorporate multiple dance styles and influences in the same choreography. The Modern Dance Workshop will choose 2-3 styles to compare their origins and training methods. This is a good class for beginners or intermediate level students who have not had classes in Modern Dance styles before.
Attire: leggings and leotard or tighter fitting plain top, any color, hair in ponytail or bun. No jewelry. Bare feet or footpads as needed. NO LOOSE SHIRTS OR SHORTS.
CHARACTER: ages 10+ NOT OFFERED AT THIS TIME
The class is patterned after the Moiseyev Dance Company, the premiere Character Dance company in the world, which incorporates ethnic dance styles with extensive ballet training to create vibrant theatrical pageantry. Students will learn the intricate rhythms and staging of Character Dance barre and center work as well as traditional dance styles, new choreography and repertory from many countries and cultures around the world. Non-concurrent Ballet experience is strongly suggested. Character Dance inverts Ballet technique so experience in a Ballet level III or higher is best.
Funk and Jazz Funk are subsets of Jazz. Funk is defined more by street dance and less by technique that can often show Ballet training. Jazz Funk incorporates Jazz technique that is often based on Ballet movements. Both Funk and Jazz Funk incorporate elements of Jazz and Hip Hop; grittier than regular Jazz and incorporating more expansive movements that regular Hip Hop. Both are fun and energetic styles aimed at getting the kids moving while expressing themselves in a current manner.
TURNS & LEAPS: ages 11+ NOT OFFERED AT THIS TIME
This class focuses on how to execute safe and efficient turns and leaps, through both ballet and jazz technique. Proper analysis of how we execute these tricks is combined with stretching and conditioning to improve dancers power and range of motion, Turns & Leaps will benefit the dancer looking to add that extra OOMPH to their technique and dance training.
Turns & Leaps is best suited for dancers ages 10+ with at least 1-2 years of training in Ballet, Contemporary or Jazz.
Teen Accelerated Learning Program – TAL (noted as “For Teens” in class title)
Our Teen Accelerated Learning (TAL) Program is for teens or pre-teens ages 11 and older who are absolute beginners or almost beginners with some dance classes when they were much younger. This unique 2-semester program teaches 1-3 levels of a particular style so the dancer can then enroll in a higher level with their peers in less time than if they had enrolled when they were younger. The TAL Program takes into account an older child’s focus, memory and behavior when compared to students ages 5-10 who comprise the majority of dancers in beginning level classes. We offer teen classes in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Funk and Contemporary.