What We Teach – Leesburg Dance Centre

Jazz
Pointe
Pointe
Tap
Tap
Ballet
Creative Movement
Ballet
Ballet
Hip Hop
Combo Kids Ballet
Combo Kids Jazz
Hip Hop
Combo Kids Tap

    Because ballet is the foundation of dance, we encourage our dancers to study it throughout their training. Ballet requires precise, non-intuitive movements, so it must be taught over time and in a progressive way that allows the student’s mind and body to absorb its challenges.
    In addition, we teach pointe, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and contemporary; each of which adds to a dancer’s movement vocabulary. Jazz and hip-hop emphasize creative movement, while tap emphasizes rhythm and sound. We also offer introductory classes for children ages 3-6. Each class is taught one day per week. Our students are placed in classes according to their development and abilities, as well as by age considerations.
    Dance is an individual art form and children need to be allowed to achieve at a pace that’s comfortable. No two students will progress at the same rate, even if they experience the exact same training. It’s important to encourage children to focus on themselves, give their all, and be satisfied with their own accomplishments.
    Dance education encompasses far more than technique and the steps your children learn. We believe the discipline of dance training gives young people a better understanding of commitment through learning, experiencing the spirit of teamwork, and discovering what they can accomplish through hard work. Our goal is to educate the minds, bodies, and souls of our students, teaching them the skills needed for a successful life, whether or not they stay involved in dance.

We offer instruction in the following dance styles:

What We Teach1

1-hour class for students 7 years old and up. At the heart of Acrobatics class (or “Acro” for short) is a fusion of endurance, flexibility, strength, balance, limbering, tumbling, basic contortion, and stunting for dancers. We stress technically correct work on both the left and right side of the body which allows dancers to progress more quickly (in the long run) while also reducing injury. As students advance through the Acro curriculum they will learn a variety of forward rolls, bridges, handstands, headstands, chest stands, splits, cartwheels, round-offs, front walkovers, back walkovers, aerials, and more! The Acro Arts curriculum is robust and this is only a small sampling of what our dancers will learn from our AcrobaticArts Certified Teacher.

A 45- minute class for children 3-4 years old. This is a fun class that uses props to stimulate the students’ creativity in an improvisational setting while introducing them to the basic elements of dance.

A 1-hour class for children 4-6 years old. Each class period provides a 1/2 hour of introductory ballet instruction and a 1/2 hour of tap instruction. The child remains in this class for 2 or 3 years depending on age. Second and third year Combo Kids will also be introduced to basic jazz concepts and movements.

1-hour or 1 1/2-hour classes for students 7 years old and up. Ballet is an artistic dance form performed to music using precise and highly formalized set steps and gestures. Ballet is the technical backbone for all forms of dance and emphasizes the development of technique, musicality, coordination, discipline and artistry. Ballet classes are devised to break to break down steps and properly set up the dancer to gradually advance.

A student is eligible to begin pointe instruction when Miss Sally determines that she has demonstrated a sufficient strength and balance in basic ballet technique.

1-hour classes for students 7 years old and up. The rhythm and movement of tap, created by metal taps on the heels and toes of a dancer’s shoes, transforms the dancer into a percussive musician. Tap dance emphasizes the flow of movement by teaching the dancer to find rhythms and beats not only in music but in their bodies.

What We Teach 2

Open to students 7 years old and up. Each season brings a new flavor: old school, new school, free-style and many more. If you want fun, an aerobic exercise, and upbeat music, then Hip Hop is the style for you.

Open to students 7 years old and up. Jazz classes are fun and energetic. They include such elements as kicks, leaps, turns, splits and isolations. Classes include stretch and strengthening exercises, floor work and across the floor progressions in addition to center floor combinations. Students gain flexibility, strength, and balance while being exposed to the many different styles of Jazz dance.

Open to students 9 years old and up. A concurrent ballet class is required and a concurrent jazz class is recommended. Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical, and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements.

Open to students 9 years old and up. A concurrent ballet class is required and a concurrent jazz class is recommended. Lyrical dance emphasizes strong emotional feeling and line while telling a story.

Open to students 9 years old and up. Musical theater combines jazz technique with other genres to teach Broadway-style choreography, show-stopping stage presence and acting with a focus on learning song-and-dance numbers from a variety of musical productions past and present.