CLASS OFFERINGS

Thrive offers classes for all ages, levels, and experiences in all genres of dance including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Modern, Hip-Hop, Acro, and Musical Theater.

Ballet is a foundational technique! Classes include traditional barre and center work designed to build a strong, beautiful, graceful, and healthy body with fine posture and poise.  Instruction is focused on infusing the fundamentals of ballet technique into the psyche and muscle memory of each dancer so as to be able to properly execute all dance steps while avoiding potential injuries. Excellence in all other forms of dance is contingent upon the mastery of ballet dancing. Without a proper ballet foundation, a dancer can never reach his or her fullest potential.

Pointe is an advanced level of ballet for dancers ages 11+ and must have a ballet instructor’s approval. This class will prepare dancers for the rigors of pointe by focusing on the development of the bottom of the foot, their increased awareness of the center, and overall body control. All students must be enrolled in a ballet class to participate in a pointe prep or pointe program.

Tap is a traditional style of dance using the shoes with metal plates on the bottom striking the floor, creating rhythmic choreography. Tap focuses a lot on musicality and percussion. Instruction will focus on developing students’ rhythmic and musical proficiency through the use of their feet. Classes will include work on timing, coordination, and more.

Dancers learn to express themselves through the lyrics of contemporary, emotive music. Lyrical is strongly rooted in ballet technique while blending jazz and modern styles.  Lyrical dance is characterized by sustained extensions, dynamic movement, and expressive presence.  Instruction involves tweaking and fusing ballet and jazz to encourage dancers to explore their personal purpose as an artist and tell a story. Like Jazz, this class aims at promoting proficiency in transitions, movement quality, stretching, leaping, and turning; but in a softer texture.

Jazz shares many of the same tenants as ballet, but its turns, connecting steps, runs, walks, leaps and jumps are presented in parallel position rather than turned out, as in ballet.  Jazz is energetic and fun, consisting of unique moves and footwork. Jazz also encourages the dancer to embrace personal expression .Instruction is based on utilizing ballet technique to move in an upbeat environment. This class aims at promoting proficiency in transitions, movement quality, stretching, leaping, and turning.

Learn the basics or work on advancing your skills in this flexible Acro class! Acro is not the typical tumbling or gymnastics class. Our experienced acro instructor will guide the class towards increased flexibility, balance, strength, muscle control, discipline and concentration. This class will focus on fundamental acrobatic technique, teaching such skills as handstands, chin stands, elbow stands, cartwheels, back bends, walkovers, balance and contortion tricks, all each student’s individual level of experience. And it’s fun, too!

Hip Hop incorporates a variety of old and new urban dance styles. The dancing represents body movements that go with the beat and rhythm of hip hop music. Hip hop dancing is very dynamic and helps the dancers improve flexibility develop body balance, and coordination. Instruction is rooted in styles seen on T.V. and music videos in the media today. This class aims at enhancing movement quality in a sharp and funky way.

This class will be focused on technique and proper body placement; the fast pace contributes to building stamina, strength, and flexibility, for improved execution of turns, jumps, and leaps. In addition, Stretching has a number of benefits for dancers. Stretching helps keep muscles long, while exercise gives them additional strength. This class will teach how stretching properly helps to prevent injury, by making the muscles more pliable. In addition, students will work on improving posture, increasing flexibility and range of motion and strengthening the muscles. It will also aim at increasing the core body strength essential for a dancer.

Combination classes are a great way for dancers to try multiple styles of dance while meeting new people and having fun. Classes include stretches, barre work, class etiquette, basic technique of each style, games and learning choreography in both ballet and tap. As the foundation of all dance, Ballet emphasizes precision, balance and strong technique while tap is an American made dance form the focuses on the energetic rhythm, musicality and strength of the feet.

Introduction to ballet and jazz fundamentals through movement, musicality, improvisation, and games. Students will learn basic dance steps and terminology while exploring their own personal voice and physical creativity (30 minutes)

Modern dance is a highly expressive style of dance that challenges the structured dance technique of classical ballet. The focus of modern dance is expression, rather than following a rigid set of postures or technical positions that ballet dancers are trained in.

Experienced and knowledgeable teachers will be brought in for cutting edge dance classes in different styles so as to stay in tune with what’s current in the industry. A separate fee will apply for these classes. Schedules will be posted in advance.

Musical Theatre introduces students to the songs of Broadway Musicals. Classes consist of combining dance with acting techniques. The kids will also learn important stage skills such as connecting with the audience and facial expressions for the enhancement of overall performance.