Our Classes

Dance with me

Dance with me classes are for tiny dancers ages 1-5 and their enthusiastic grownups. We sing songs, dance with scarves, read stories and jump in imaginary puddles. These classes introduce the structure of a dance class with a focus on holding space for you and your tiny dancer to connect and play.

Creative Dance

Creative Dance for 3-4yrs engages children through the use of their imagination while introducing them to class structure, taking turns, waiting (it’s not easy)! And basic dance vocabulary. We tap into developmentally appropriate gross motor skills like galloping, skipping, leaping, balancing and so much more. This is a class for your dancer to begin their independence and gain confidence in a safe and encouraging environment.

Ballet

In our non-syllabus ballet classes, students are taught the fundamentals of ballet technique appropriate for their age and experience in an atmosphere of encouragement, discipline and warmth. Emphasis is on correct body placement, building a strong foundation for the execution of turns and jumps, and cultivating a love for this beautiful and challenging art form.

Tap

Our Tap classes introduce students to the fundamentals of tap as well as its rich history. Dancers will learn drills, fundamental music theory, improv techniques and choreography in a fun and encouraging environment. Our Tap classes focus heavily on musicality as the foundation for technique.

Grooves/Choreography

Each Grooves/Choreography class is customized to the student’s ages and abilities. Exploring different street styles/techniques and cultivating a love of each style and the music. These classes will Incorporate lessons on street dance history to encourage an appreciation and respect for the many styles and their deep cultural roots. Some of the many styles we will explore are Hip Hop, Breaking, House and contemporary as well as developing each dancers ability to express themselves through freestyle.

Contemporary

Our contemporary classes incorporate techniques from many different genres of dance with an emphasis on quality of movement and expression. Dancers will learn principles of floor work, improv techniques and lots of fun choreography.

Beyond Dance

Beyond Dance is a group for our Dancers to deepen their connection to each other and themselves. We will discuss various topics from mental health, body positivity, self care, friendship and of course Dance. Facilitated by our caring group of instructors in the hopes that this can grow and becomes a peer project. This group provides a place for dancers to look beyond their dance training and connect with each other in real life about all things that matter most to them.

NEW THIS SEASON

with Kara Bullock

Kara is informed by Ballet, Graham-based modern, Limon-based modern, Yoga, Pilates, Lecoq Movement Essentials, Disability Arts practices, physical theatre, release technique and floor work. As well as by her ongoing practice in abolition, anti-oppression, harm reduction and collective transformative justice.

Creative movement ages 6-8yrs

A class for fostering creativity through structured games, intentionally exploring imaginative play, self-expression and physical story telling. Guided by the interests of the kids.

Creative arts for mental health

A class where we practice building safer, braver, accountable spaces together. Taking time to connect our Body, Mind, Spirit through grounding exercises and meditations. Checking in to how we are physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, using concepts of informed consent and personal autonomy. This aims to be a pressure-free, non-punitive and participate-as-you-are space, with a mixture of large, small groups, and individual exercises. There will be opportunities for sharing, basic movement, voice, writing, drawing, with no experience necessary in any art. Participants are asked to bring a journal to write and/or draw in. Direction shaped by participants’ needs, guided by facilitator. Aims to be a 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC affirming space as well as adaptable to neurodivergence and individual access needs.

Contemporary Tech/Choreo/Improv

We will be finding safe and fun ways to connect to the floor, to prepare our legs for working in parallel positions, to work with a curved spine, to spin and spiral, to move from a jump onto the floor and exploring music outside of 4:4-time signatures. The class will follow a warmup/basic technique, across the floor structure and end with learning long form choreography which will be added to each week.

Students will learn how/expand on their craft of how to choreograph starting from structures/techniques for improvisation. Using different systems and strategies for improvisation: basic physical literacy techniques, somatic (inner imagining and imagery), mathematical (counts/timing), story based (telling a story with the body), text based, sound/music based, and more.

Parenting creatively

This is a space for connecting and creating relationships, building a community of care where the creativity of children is followed, and caregivers can come as they are. We will practice focusing on the creativity of children and allowing it to inspire our parenting and our own creative energy. We will be embracing play together, centering inspiration and fostering a community Space through an artist lens. Facilitation will be around games, sharing stories and small rituals as a group for grounding together. Children are allowed to be children here. We welcome sound, interruption and unruly structure. Direction shaped by participants’ needs, guided by facilitator. Aims to be a 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC affirming space as well as adaptable to neurodivergence and individual access needs. The facilitator is influenced by her ongoing practice in abolition, anti-oppression, harm reduction and collective transformative justice.

Movement, Film and Nature

Using the studio and outside spaces together to experiment with DIY Film techniques. Students who have a device to film with and some way to edit (phone, tablet, computer) are asked to bring or let us know what they have. We will share or form small groups/pods with separate roles ie. Camera person, director, choreographer, dancer etc. Students can choose tasks they are interested in and try different things. We will be finding inspiration from nature, experimenting, watching dance films made in nature for inspiration. We will explore how to make movement for film in nature, costume choices, music, messaging and editing.