Leap Dance Studio's Class Descriptions

Creative Movement is a ballet-based class for 3 and 4 year olds where students learn the beginning ballet positions, steps, and French terminology. This class focuses on rhythm and coordination, mixing in lots of creative ideas to keep the children interested and having fun. This class meets once a week for 45 minutes. (We ask that children who participate in this class are fully potty trained, turn three by October 1st, and are able to be in the classroom without their parents.) Creative Movement classes have a special in-class performance at the end of the year and do not participate in Leap's spring recital at the Newman Center.

Beginner Ballet/Tap Combo is a great introductory class for children ages 4.5 to 6 years old, and Intermediate Ballet/Tap Combo is a great mix of dance disciplines for children ages 6 to 8 years old and who have completed Beginner Ballet/Tap Combo. Time is divided between ballet and tap with students changing shoes halfway through the class.  The combination allows for students to experience the structure and discipline of ballet, while supplementing it with another dance technique. Beginner Combo performs either a ballet or tap dance for our annual spring recital. Intermediate Combo performs both a ballet and tap dance for our annual spring recital. This class meets once a week for 60 minutes. 

Advanced Ballet/Tap Combo is for ages 8-11 who have completed Intermediate Combo, and are serious about learning and practicing the ballet and tap techniques. During this class, students work at the ballet barre, complete center exercises including an adagio, petit allegro, and stretching, and practice multi-step exercises that move across the floor, such as a grand allegro and turn combinations. During the tap portion, students warm up, practice specific steps in the center of the room, move across the floor, and work on dance routines from week to week. Advanced Combo performs both a ballet and tap dance for our annual spring recital. This class meets once a week for 75 minutes.

Tap IV is for ages 10-14 who have completed Advanced Combo, and Tap V is for ages 14 and up who have completed Tap IV. These students are serious about learning and practicing tap dancing. During class, students warm up, practice intricate steps in the center of the room, move across the floor, and work on dance routines from week to week. Dancers improve their tap skills working on small and large movements, complex rhythms, and multi-step exercises. This class meets once a week for 45 minutes.

Hip Hop I is for ages 6-8 and Hip Hop II is for ages 9-12. These are great classes where children can be themselves and develop their own styles and movement. Students learn the basics of hip hop, including aspects of break dancing and video movement. Classes tend to be energetic, fun, while still working on the discipline of dancing in a group setting. Music and movement are clean and appropriate for all ages. This class meets once a week for 60 minutes. 

Hip Hop II/III is for ages 11-16 and combines the sharp, energetic pop movements of hip hop with the advanced level of incorporating one’s own movement style into the choreography. Class consists of a warm-up, stretches, strengthening exercises, body isolations, working on center combinations and improvisation. Classes tend to be energetic and fun, while still working on the discipline of dancing in a group setting. Music and movement are clean and appropriate for all ages. This class meets once a week for 60 minutes.

Hip Hop III is for ages 12-16 and combines the sharp, energetic pop movements of hip hop with the advanced level of incorporating one’s own movement style into the choreography. Class consists of a warm-up, stretches, strengthening exercises, body isolations, working on center combinations and improvisation. Classes tend to be energetic and fun, while still working on the discipline of dancing in a group setting. Music and movement are clean and appropriate for all ages. This class meets once a week for 60 minutes.

Ballet I is for ages 5-7 who are excited to learn ballet. Children spend the class warming up, practicing exercises at the ballet barre, moving across the floor, stretching, and having time at the end of class to explore their own body movements. This class meets once a week for 60 minutes.

Ballet II is for ages 7-9 who have completed Ballet I or are advanced in age with some ballet training. Children spend focused time at the ballet barre, exercise their balancing and jumping skills in the center, practice multi-step combinations traveling across the floor, and work on flexibility. This class meets once a week for 60 minutes.

Ballet III is for ages 10-13 who have completed Ballet II and are serious about learning and practicing the ballet technique. During this class, students work at the ballet barre, complete center exercises including an adagio, petit allegro, and stretching, and practice multi-step exercises that move across the floor, such as a grand allegro and turn combinations. This class meets once a week for 75 minutes.

Ballet IV is for ages 12-15 who are committed dancers. The class is a mix of students working on and off pointe. This class focuses on complex barre combinations, long memory exercises in the center, working on higher levels of jumps and turns, learning proper ballet terminology and definitions, and spends some class time on pointe and/or pre-pointe exercises. All students are expected to take both Ballet IV classes (75 minutes) each week. Training in ballet at least twice a week is very important to mental and muscular development at this level. Students are encouraged to take one additional class at their age level, such as Pointe, Hip Hop, Tap, or Jazz/Lyrical, at no additional charge.

Ballet V is for ages 14-18 who are committed dancers. The class is a mix of students working on and off pointe. This class focuses on complex barre combinations, long memory exercises in the center, working on higher levels of jumps and turns, learning proper ballet terminology and definitions, partnering, and spends some class time on pointe and/or pre-pointe exercises. All students are expected to take both Ballet V classes (90 minutes) each week. Training in ballet at least twice a week is very important to mental and muscular development at this level. Students are encouraged to take one additional class at their age level, such as Pointe, Hip Hop, Tap, or Jazz/Lyrical, at no additional charge.

Pointe is for ages 11-14, already on pointe, and currently enrolled in Ballet IV or V. This class focuses on pointe work—strengthening the feet, ankle and leg muscles used for pointe, stretches, complex barre combinations, long memory exercises in the center, working on higher levels of jumps and turns on and off pointe, variations, and learning proper ballet terminology and definitions. This class meets once a week for 45 minutes either before or after a dancer’s regular ballet class.

Jazz/Lyrical I is for dancers ages 8-13, Jazz/Lyrical II is for dancers ages 12-16, and Jazz/Lyrical III is for dancers ages 14-18 who love to express themselves through their physical body. The class consists of a warm-up, stretches, working on body isolations, across the floor exercises, and a center combination. An emphasis is placed on interpreting music and emotion into movement and dancing from the heart. Students are required to have had at least one year of ballet training and are strongly encouraged to supplement this class with a weekly ballet technique class.  This class meets once a week for 60 minutes.

*All of Leap's classes invite only the students into the room during class time.  We find that students focus and have the greatest opportunity for learning when alone with the instructor.