COLBY CENTER FOR DANCE & PERFORMING ARTS

INTRO TO DANCE

Offered in 2 levels, for our dancers ages 3-6.

Intro to Dance is a Ballet/Tap/Jazz Combination Class for Ages 3-6: A unique, fun and exciting program, constructed especially for the very young. Lessons are designed to stimulate the imagination and creativity of each child and encourage strength, flexibility, balance and precision in the child's body. A basic introduction to both tap & jazz dancing is also provided to foster a sense of rhythm within the child, which is an important foundation for further dance study.

Level 1: age 3, 4 & 5 new dancers, or 3s & 4s with 1 year experience

Level 2: new age 6 dancers, and 5 year olds with 1-2 years experience in ballet, tap & jazz

BALLET

Offered in 4 levels, for dancers aged 6-18

This class is about expressing the language of ballet as an art form with emphasis on the traditional, academic, technical steps and vocabulary. Correct placement and carriage of the body is stressed along with the instilling of a good performing spirit in each student. Classical ballet is the foundation of all dance movement and is the most important subject to be studied.

Upper-level Classes:  for students with significant dance experience, and who have mastered the Prior Level's curriculum. Dancers must be recommended/placed in these levels by a Colby Center instructor. Dancers in the Sapphire Level only are selected on an individual basis for pointe work based on age, ability, and ankle stregth.

JAZZ

Offered in 4 levels, for dancers aged 6-18

Various styles and moods in jazz from the latest in funk and hip-hop to Broadway musical comedy theater dance are presented in this class. The class emphasizes the mastery of correct technique and proper body alignment designed to increase body strength and flexibility. Special jazz walks, runs, leaps & turns are added as the student advances.

Upper-level Classes: for students with significant dance experience, and who have mastered the Topaz Level jazz curriculum. Dancers must be recommended/placed in this level by a Colby Center instructor.

TAP

Offered in 3 levels, for our dancers ages 6-18.

Tap dance techniques from the early soft shoe to advanced contemporary & Broadway tap steps. Emphasis on clear tap sounds & rhythm.

At intermediate & advanced levels, classes feature a focus on quick memorization of footwork, accurate execution of combinations, advanced ankle strength development, and the identification and execution of advanced rhythmic tap patterns and combinations. Dancers must be recommended/placed in this level by a Colby Center instructor.

HIP-HOP

Offered in 4 levels, for our dancers ages 4-18.

Students will enjoy this fun & upbeat class! Throughout the year, the class will examine different areas of this ever-changing dance form -- breaking, popping and locking, house, and fusion. While no previous training is required, classes will use basic body isolations found in other technique classes, and a good warm-up is part of each hip-hop class as well. This class will break down steps and technique and also emphasize bringing style and personality to the movement.

At more advanced levels, classes will focus on learning choreography quickly & the attention to details and styles that will help prepare a dancer for auditions. Good for those seeking future work in the dance industry, or those with experience that simply seek challenge and a great workout. Dancers must be recommended/placed in this level by a Colby Center instructor.

ACROBATICS & TUMBLING

Offered in 4 levels, for our dancers ages 4-18.

Acrobatics is the art of strength & control, tumbling, and flexibility. Our classes explore these elements in a safe & supervised environment, on high-quality mats. Classes start with a warm-up & stretching session, and progress to balance work such as tripods, headstands & handstands, traveling acrobatic skills like cartwheels and walkovers, and aerial tricks like aerial cartwheels, backhandsprings and tucks or "flips,"

Each student's progress is handled individually, and dancers can only be placed in advanced levels after completing the prior level's skills & after having been recommended by a staff instructor. Class size is limited to 9 students to ensure ample one-on-one spotting time for each student.

LYRICAL, CONTEMPORARY & MODERN

Offered for our team-level dancers.

Lyrical, contemporary, and modern are fusions of other dance forms, used mostly in performances during early training. All are expressive & interpretive forms of dance, and use the techniques learned in all other subjects combined with unique new terminology & steps, which is why we only begin working with students in these areas after they have had significant training in all other areas.

New students can use these videos to get an idea of what forms of dance suit them best! Have fun, and remember, dance is for everyone!

As a dancers' training progresses, if his/her interest & motivation grows, taking classes in all forms of dance is a great benefit, and our school's unique syllabus effectively infuses the techniques and principals of ballet into ALL subjects. While ballet is the foundation of all dance forms, and should be studied by any career-track dancer, the most important thing such a dancer can do is to gain technical proficiency in ALL forms of dance, and to develop quick study skills in learning complicated choreography - all while giving the choreographer the exact style & flavor he/she is looking for! Being a specialist in one dance subject is not the best way to market yourself!