CLASSES
JAZZ
Jazz showcases a dancer’s individual style and originality. It is a performance dance technique that first emerged in Brazil in the early twentieth century whereby dancers interpreted and executed moves and steps in their own way. Jazz is energetic and fun, consisting of unique moves, footwork, big leaps and quick turns. To excel in Jazz, we recommend dancers build up their skills in ballet, as it encourages grace and balance. Our Jazz classes focus on traditional jazz styles through to commercial jazz styles and are designed to encourage dancers to add their own personality to make each step unique and fun. Students love learning upbeat Jazz choreography to their favourite songs.
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TAP
Tap dance is a challenging genre whereby a rhythmical tapping sound is attained from the small metal plates on the dancer's shoes. The dancer becomes a percussive musician. Tap dance is often characterised by syncopation and improvisation. Tap can also be performed without music, known as ‘Capella’ dancing. Tap shoes fitted with heel and toe taps sounds out audible beats by rhythmically striking the floor or any other hard surface. At DC, Broadway tap focuses on a dance that is widely performed as a musical theatre piece and Rhythm tap focuses on musicality incorporating jazz technique.
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RAD BALLET
Classical Ballet is the essential component of every dancer’s repertoire. It creates balance, grace, agility, core strength and discipline. DC follows The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus, one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organisations in the world.
The most identifiable aspect of the RAD method is the attention to detail when learning the basic steps, and the progression in difficulty is often very slow. While the difficulty of an exercise may only increase slightly from grade to grade, more importance is placed on whether the student is performing the step with improved technique. Ballet gives students the basic arm and leg movements they need in other dance styles. It helps dancers find their centre of balance, gain strength and agility and move gracefully. Ballet is the backbone of all dance genres.
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BALLET CONDITIONING AND PILATES
Ballet conditioning class includes exercises to strengthen the body's core, balance, flexibility, and alignment. We use resistance bands & exercise balls to help dancers achieve the strength, stamina and flexibility needed to improve technique while avoiding injuries.
Pilates is incorporated into the class for a whole body workout that will improve overall fitness. This classes also helps to improve ballet technique and assists dancers to make strong connections between mind and body. Focusing on strength, muscular endurance and fitness, these classes will help to develop a strong and toned physique. Pilates classes involve high impact workouts and typically involve stretch, strength and toning.
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POINTE CLASS
For students participating in vocational levels of exams with DC, ie. Intermediate Foundation & above and who have passed a pre-pointe assessment with our physiotherapist.. The class teaches the basics through to more advanced exercises of pointe work focussing on strengthening the feet, correct technique and injury prevention.
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CONTEMPORARY
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. Contemporary dance stresses versatility and improvisation, unlike the strict, structured nature of ballet. Contemporary dancers focus on floorwork, using gravity to pull them down to the floor. This dance genre is often done in bare feet. Contemporary dance can be performed to many different styles of music.
Pioneers of contemporary dance include Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Merce Cunningham.
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ACRO
Acro dance style combines classical ballet techniques with fluid movements and tricks such as cartwheels, aerials, handsprings, backbends and the splits. It is a physically demanding style that requires you to build great strength, control and flexibility and therefore holds a pre-requisite of attending Jazz or ballet to be eligible to participate in the class.
The aim in Acro is for the dancer to move gracefully from one trick to the next, incorporating dance techniques between each trick. This is different from the isolated movements of a gymnastic floor exercise. In true acro dance, the dancing portion comprises more of the performance than the acro moves.
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MUSICAL THEATRE
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialog, and dance. The varied emotional aspects of the production—humour, pathos, love, anger—as well as the story itself, are communicated through the words, music, dance, and staging of the entertainment as an integrated whole.
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HIP HOP
Hip Hop is a street style dance originating from the Bronx in New York City in the 1970’s. Constantly evolving, it is a free, funky and soulful expression of movement used by artists such as Beyonce, Kayne West, Justin Timberlake, Neo, Flo Rida and Rihanna. Our Hip Hop program incorporates urban dance techniques such as popping, locking, breaking, freestyle & groove.
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KICKS, LEAPS & TURNS
As the name suggests, students will spend their time perfecting their kicks, leaps and turns amongst other steps and techniques!
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