Class Descriptions

DANCE

Pre-Ballet
Especially designed for our youngest dancers to get them passionate and excited about ballet. (Ages 3.5-5)

Ballet
Studying ballet is one of the most effective and fun ways of improving posture, grace and body awareness. Ballet I is for beginning dancers, and each next level is for more and more experienced ballerinas.

Pre-Pointe/Pointe
Pre-Pointe and Pointe focus heavily on proper body alignment and balance. Furthermore, students will be refreshed on the ballet terminology as well as parts and workings of the body, especially the feet and ankles. Pointe is for higher level dancers who are ready to do more intricate ballet exercises while in point shoes. 

Contemporary
Contemporary dance explores both abstract forms and daily life, but still emphasizes proper alignment and technique of the whole body. Contemporary encourages dancers to express their emotions through organic movements.

Lyrical
Lyrical dance is a more literal expression and representation of music using a combination of ballet, contemporary and jazz techniques.

Jazz Dance
Jazz class will focus on learning dance technique such as isolations of the body, improving performance quality and developing complex rhythms and patterns.  Class curriculum is based on ballet technique layered with traditional jazz movement and includes a proper warm-up, stretches, isolations, across-the-floor progressions,and combinations. As students progress through each level curriculum will become increasingly more complex.

Tap
Students develop their own sense of rhythm while learning the vocabulary of tap dance.  We will learn about the history of tap and tap as a contemporary dance form.  We will drill technique, learn choreography, and explore structured improvisation all while expressing our own individual style and voice.
Classes increase in difficulty as the dancer progresses.

Hip Hop
These popular classes teach fast-paced, high-energy urban dance. All routines are done to pop and hip hop music. 

Latin Dance
Latin dance is a space where children and young people develop confidence in themselves and their movements, building their self-esteem through dance. Our Latin dance classes are made up of two parts. The first part consists of warming up and stretching. The second part of the class consists of students learning different figures, steps, techniques, and choreography, highlighting linear salsa, cha-cha, merengue, bachata, folklore, and among others. Also, in this class, the students learn to improve positions, turns, and movements, and, above all, they enjoy and explore sounds full of color and joy that transport them to other cultures.

DRAMA

Acting/Improve
Learn and explore the techniques of Improv Acting, group building, and team comedy.  Through games and scene structure the tools of Improv Acting will widen the perspective of traditional theater and work towards being alert and present in all types of performing.

Scene Study
(Ages 9 – and up) Learn and apply acting principles through a step-by-step progression of exercises that develop acting ability and create truthful and expressive behavior. In this class, students will get an introduction to the film and video process and learn basic concepts in pre-production, production, and
postproduction. Students will get to apply the information they learn and create a short film.

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MUSIC

Piano Lab
For beginners to advanced musicians, Piano Lab provides students with the opportunity to explore their passion for music. From learning to read music to improving piano techniques, students can use Piano Lab to learn some of their favorite songs or even play duets together with friends.

Guitar
This class focuses on basic guitar, reading musical notation, and exploration of rhythm, melody, form, dynamic and tempo. Students may enter this class with no previous experience. We have a limited amount of guitars that may be provided in class, but we highly recommend the student purchase their own for practice outside of scheduled lessons.

Drumming
This class is geared towards those who have little or no prior drumming experience, but also accommodates intermediate players. We cover basics such as: holding and striking a drum properly, basic coordination drills, rhythms, and playing as a group. Please purchase a pair of drum sticks upon registration.

Raising Voices
 Raising voices help singers to work and aspire beyond their current abilities and expectations while broadening musical skills and knowledge. This class is inclusive and is structured for beginner to advanced students. Singing engages youth to connect to themselves in a very personal way. RV teacher Cara Williams always explains to audiences that music has a way of touching hearts before the mind has a chance to alter the message Our Raising voices classes inspire lifelong interest in choral singing and this important message.