Ahlers Dance

Youth ballet classes are designed to equip students with skills that will help them be successful dancers. Class work involves strong emphasis on proper placement at the barre and center. Students will practice aligned positions so that they can achieve balanced extensions, turns, and jumps.

Proper Alignment with accurate range of motion, balance, self-care emphasized.

Warm-up, Centering, and Strength for optimal results.

Uses a passionate & powerful movement base inspired by classical Modern techniques. The floor work and intricate movements are inspired by the classical lines of ballet, the contract and release concepts of modern dance, and the lowered center of gravity and stylistic concepts of jazz.

Pointe students who have teacher’s approval, show appropriate foot flexibility, strength & stability. Students must have a good attitude about corrections & they retain corrections well. Pointe students must be able to learn complex combinations & have strong ballet technique. Pre-Pointe students must demonstrate serious and consistent class attendance. Pre-Pointe students must attend at least one other weekly ballet class with me. Footwork all students for conditioning, strength, range, and coordination of steps in alignment with classical ballet. Floor barre exercises will enhance footwork and classical ballet lines.

Barre work emphasizes proper placement. Center combinations include all aspects of ballet technique including Adagio, En Tournant, Allégro, and Traveling combinations. Connecting and rhythm sequences focus on clean lines, dynamic timings, musicality, and spacious movement. This is a medium to fast paced class for strong dancers who have a regular practice.

Individual steps will be practiced at the barre and subsequently transferred to the center. As time in the dance studio continues, combinations will become more complex. Thorough barre exercises achieve correct body alignment. Instruction integrates both technique and lyrical expression.

At the barre, dancers will be introduced to basic and beginning ballet vocabulary and technique. Character steps will be introduced.