BALLET

Ballet is the root of all styles of dance. Proper technique, positioning & framing begins in ballet. Students will learn positioning of the feet, arms & body, as well as across-the-floor and on-the-barre routines and combinations. Basic leaps, jumps and turns begin in level 1 and become more advanced as the dancer progresses. Students will also work on musicality and rhythm, posture, and flexibility. A background in ballet is also essential for any lyrical or jazz dancer.

TAP

Tap never gets boring because of the constant challenges it presents & the fact that you can always build on it. A lot of kids take their first couple of tap classes and get discouraged that it is "too hard". Tap is a bit like learning how to read or to do math. You can't read a word or solve an equation the first day you're introduced to these subjects. You first need to learn the individual letters & numbers. After getting familiar with them, you start putting them together to make words & equations and it all starts to make sense. It is the same with tap- you need to learn all the basic steps first. Once you do, you can start combining them to make new steps and combinations, and the possibilities are endless. It's a bit like having your own personal drums attached to your legs.

HIP HOP

The classification of "Hip Hop" dance is all over the place these days. It tends to carry a bad reputation because the over-sexualized dancing on social media and music videos is portrayed as hip hop. In actuality, most of that is not technically hip hop, but rather a commercialized form of dance (that should only be reserved for consenting adults), and is not what we teach at BAHS.
Hip Hop does in fact have a base of technique and structure (breakdancing, popping, locking, house, footwork, isolations, tutting, etc.) It is a fun, fast-paced, high-energy class. We focus a lot on loosening up the body (i.e.: don't have a stiff posture; slouch your shoulders; stay in your plie'- A.K.A. always dance with a bend in your knees; stay on the balls of your feet, etc.) which is a skill that is surprisingly challenging, especially for those with a background in classes like ballet or jazz. This class is a great way to express one's own individual style and unique personality.

LYRICAL

Lyrical is often defined as a loose combination of ballet, jazz & modern dance. Focus on expression and interpretation is key. Much of the technique used in this style of dance is ballet & jazz based, which is why we begin our younger dancers in ballet & jazz training before lyrical classes are available to them. Building on technique and adding expression and emotion to a dance is the basis of the lyrical style.

JAZZ

Jazz is a fast-paced style of dance with a lot of technique, which stems from ballet. Students will work on advanced leaps, turns and jumps as well as focus on flexibility & strength. This style of dance pairs the grace and technique of ballet with the intensity & energy of faster, more upbeat music.

INTRO TO DANCE/INTELLIDANCE® KIDS

Intellidance® Kids is designed for children who are ready for a dance and music adventure independently! Kids will explore dance and music concepts through imaginative play while developing movement skills, balance, flexibility and coordination.

Instrumentation, singing, sensory props and creative dance will support the development of musicality and self-expression, helping all children become confident movers and shakers!

This class will also learn ballet & tap basics and perform in our end-of-the-season dance showcase.

INTELLIDANCE® TOTS

Intellidance® Tots offers a lively environment for independent movers and their caregivers to experience the joy of dance and music together.
Tots love to figure things out and this class will provide opportunities to problem solve together. Discover and explore movement and music concepts while gaining balance, flexibility and coordination.
Animated story telling, songs and rhymes, instruments, props and simple choreography will add fun and excitement!

Our Tykes & Tots class explores new movement and corresponding music concepts in 4-week sessions. You do not need to commit to the full season, as this class does not perform in our showcase, but we recommend trying at least 2 full sessions to allow your child time to acclimate to a new environment and structure.

INTELLIDANCE® TYKES

Creeping, crawling, walking, bouncing! Your little one is now moving and exploring the world like never before.

With busy little ones in mind, Intellidance® Tykes will focus on nurturing gross-motor, cognitive and social-emotional development through movement and music concepts, circle dances, free exploration, songs and rhymes, and sensory activities. Caregivers will delight in watching their little one's curiosity and joy while making friends and socializing with others.

Classes: Classes

PRE-POINTE/POINTE

Pointe is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns pointe work, in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet. Pointe work is performed while wearing pointe shoes. A dancer should never work in pointe shoes until their teacher has told them they are ready to do so. Only after a dancer has demonstrated mastery of proper skills and technique, alignment, balance, control, strength and flexibility will a dance teacher recommend that the student advance to pointe ballet work. Starting pointe ballet training before these elements are acquired can lead to injuries because of weakness in the foot and ankle and overall lack of coordination.

Pre-pointe is taken in ballet slippers until the dancer has developed the strength and muscles necessary to go en pointe. All dancers wishing to take this class must be enrolled in an advanced ballet class to further assist development of technique and strength.

MUSICAL THEATER

Musical Theater is a combination of dancing, singing and acting. This class focuses on dance styles found in Broadway musicals. Students will learn dance technique, but also work on acting skills and performing with emotion and stage presence.