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Classes

Dress Regulations

  • Dress regulations are few, but are enforced
  • DANCE SHOES are NEVER to be worn outside
  • BAGGY TSHIRTS, JEANS/DENIM are NOT permitted
  • JEWELRY & WATCHES are NOT to be worn in class
  • HAIR for all classes must be tied back securely off the face. Short hair is to be held back with barrettes or a hair band. Ballet students must have hair in bun – parents please attend first class for special instructions if unsure!

Bun Instructions (click to enlarge)

Ballet

Primary – Advanced II

A classical dance form characterized by grace and precision of movement. Ballet is the foundation of all dance forms and will maximize technique and longevity in a career of dance. It provides grace, poise, and technique needed to be proficient in all other areas of dance. Ballet classes will help dancers with posture, flexibility, fitness, balance, self-discipline, and self-confidence. All of Shuswap Dance Center’s Ballet classes are taught by teachers who hold their certification with either the Royal Academy of Dance, Cecchetti or Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. Please visit www.ISTD.org for more info. I.S.T.D. Ballet Exams are held at the studio every March and are open to all ballet students.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: PrePrimary & Primary Levels: pale pink short sleeved or sleeveless bodysuit; pink tights, pink ballet slippers with elastics, gathered pink skirt
  • Grade 1/2: Teal sleeveless cotton/lycra ISTD bodysuit, ballet pink tights, pink ballet slippers with elastics.
  • Grade 3/4: Purple sleeveless cotton/lycra ISTD bodysuit, ballet pink tights, pink ballet slippers with elastics
  • Grade 5/6: Black sleeveless cotton/lycra ISTD bodysuit, ballet pink tights, pink ballet slippers with elastics or ribbons
  • Intermediate, Majors & Teen Levels: Black sleeveless cotton lycra or spandex bodysuit, (any make); ballet pink tights, pink ballet slippers with elastics or ribbons & pointe shoes .
  • Boys (All Levels): white t-shirt, black tights or lycra shorts, black or white ballet slippers with elastics.

Pointe

12 Years & Up

Dancing on pointe is the act of standing on the tips of the toes while performing steps from ballet. Also known as pointe work, it is performed using hard–toed and stiff-shanked pointe shoes. Dancing on pointe requires strength and skill, so prior permission from the director is required before students begin taking pointe classes. Prerequisite: Passing of Grade 5 I.S.T.D. Ballet Exam or special permission.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: Bodysuit, Ballet tights, pointe shoes

Preschool Dance/Acro/Tap

3 & 4 Years

Foster a love of movement in your child with this fun and energetic class. This class takes into consideration students’ attention spans and keeps them happily engaged while learning to translate music to movement. Focus is on basic musicality and co-ordination.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: Bodysuit and tights, any color, pink ballet slippers.
  • Boys: T-shirt, sweat pants or shorts, black ballet slippers
  • Tap shoes required for ballet/tap combo class
  • Preschool Acro: Bare feet is accepted and encouraged

Pre-Primary Ballet

5-7 Years

A creative, fun intro to Ballet for five & six year olds.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: Pink Ballet bodysuit, tights, and pink ballet shoes
  • Skirts are optional
  • Boys: white shirt, black pants, black ballet shoes
  • Tap shoes are required for the combo class

Tap

3 Years & Up

The rhythm and movement of tap, created by the 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 own bodies.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: Bodysuit and tights or jazz pants (preferably black), (black skirt optional for girls) low heeled black tap shoes
  • Boys: T-shirt, shorts or jazz pants(black), tap shoes

Hip-Hop

7 Years & Up

Hip-hop is a dance style, usually danced to hip-hop music,that evolved from the hip-hop culture. Hip-hop includes various moves such as breaking, popping, locking and krumping, and even house dance. Improvisation and personal interpretation are essential to hip-hop dancing. Often hip hop is referred to as a “street” style of dance based on music videos. It is a less technical and high energy style of dance that is often done in street clothes and sneakers. This class also incorporates breakdance.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls & Boys: T-shirt, sweats or gym pants, clean indoor runners with non-marking sole (NOT to be worn outside the school)
  • Hair is to be pulled back off of the face.

Jazz / Lyrical

4 Years & Up

Jazz dance combines techniques of classical ballet and modern dance with the current forms of popular dance. Jazz also has its own movement vocabulary ranging from the isolation of certain body parts to the movement of the entire body with the accents of musical rhythms. Jazz dance can take on many different characteristics and styles, including Street Jazz, Percussive, Broadway, Contemporary and Lyrical. Jazz classes can be patterned in any of these styles or a combination of them. Emphasis is on the importance of energy, rhythmical accuracy, and style.

Lyrical is a slow, expressive type of dance that incorporates ballet technique. This dance style’s main goal is to interpret the lyrics of the song through movement.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: Leotard and lycra/cotton shorts or jazz pants, any color or style (preferably black), bare feet
  • Boys: T-shirt, shorts or jazz pants, bare feet
  • Black jazz shoes, half soles, or bare feet
  • Jazz runners are NOT allowed

Musical Theatre

5 Years & Up

Acting, vocals and broadway jazz movement techniques are brought together and performed to songs from popular musicals.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: Leotard and lycra/cotton shorts or jazz pants, any color or style (preferably black), bare feet
  • Boys: T-shirt, shorts or jazz pants, bare feet
  • Jazz runners are NOT allowed

Contemporary / Modern

8 Years & Up

Contemporary combines ballet and modern techniques with musical and emotional expression with a strong focus on modern techniques (contractions and release, off-center balances and suspension) as well as musicality and self-expression emphasizing creativity in choreography and performance.

Most of the dance you see in the commercial world (TV and pop videos) and West-End musicals has its roots in Modern Dance. … The ISTD modern syllabus contains elements of Jazz, Lyrical and Contemporary styles of modern dance. According to the ISTD , Modern Theatre Dance defies a single permanent definition. ISTD Modern Exams are offered at the studio every March. Please visit www.ISTD.org for more info.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: Leotard and lycra/cotton shorts or jazz pants, any color or style (preferably black), bare feet
  • Boys: T-shirt, shorts or jazz pants, bare feet

AcroDance

3 Years & Up

Acro dance is a style that combines the techniques of classical dance with acrobatic movements. This form of dance is very athletic and has unique choreography to incorporate gymnastic-like elements into dance.

Classes will focus on strength and stretch, balancing, tumbling, as well as learning basic dance steps.

Dress Requirements

  • Girls: Bodysuit with shorts or leggings.
  • Bare feet only
  • Hair is to be tied back off of face
  • No baggy shirts or pants.

Strength & Stretch

8 years and up

One of the most important factors of being a well-rounded and successful dancer is flexibility. This class will focus on stretches to help maintain and grow dance muscles, while also preventing injury. It incorporates specific strenth exercises to enhance the student’s ability in dance class. This is a great class for all levels and ages.

Dress Requirements

  • Bodysuit, shorts, pants