Good Morning!

We are excited that we’ve been getting so much interest in our Ballet 3 class, held on Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  I wanted to use this post to provide you with more information about the class and to answer some questions you may have.  This post might also be of interest to you if you have questions about the age requirements of our classes.

The Ballet 3 class has been created for young students who want to continue serious ballet training.  It is designed as a transition class for students who may have danced for years but are not used to an hour-long, classical ballet class format.  Also, this class relates directly to the students’ next year of training at Dance Daze, by introducing them to standards outlined in the American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum.  According to ABT’s website, the National Training Curriculum “aims to assist beginning through advanced teachers in training dance students to use their bodies correctly, focusing on kinetics and coordination, as well as anatomy and proper body alignment. Artistically, the National Training Curriculum strives to provide dance students with a rich knowledge of classical ballet technique and the ability to adapt to all styles and techniques of dance.”  The Ballet 3 class is a preparation course, because instructors will expect students to have an understanding of the format of a classical ballet class, a general respect for dance as an art form, and the discipline required to continue serious ballet training by the time they are studying in Level 1.

It is important to state that, although there are age prerequisites listed on the Dance Daze schedule, ALL students will be admitted into classes based upon ability and potential. We strongly care about have classes that are developmentally appropriate for all students in the level.  This means that we do not want students in the class feeling that they are too far behind, and we also want to make sure that every student feels that they are being challenged.  Although setting age requirements gives us a general guideline for creating developmentally appropriate classes, we know that not all children develop in the same way at the same time.  Therefore, although your child may be the proper age for a class, it is possible that the instructor will suggest that they study at a different level.  Simultaneously, although your child may be younger than the suggested age for a class, the instructor may feel that your child has the ability, discipline, and passion to move up to a higher level, in order to aid them in their progression and continue providing them with training that is comfortable yet challenging.

Please contact us at (510) 523-2568 or dancedance1[at]gmail.com if you have any questions about which level your child sample.  Evaluations for class placement will be given after participation in the first dance class.