Dance 4 Life Academy

Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole.

Tap dancers make frequent use of syncopation. Tap classes are offered to students 3 and up. It is one of the most important styles of dance, it teaches students rhythm and how to hear the beat in the music. It is quite complimentary for students taking other styles of dance, especially ballet.

Contemporary is a mix of ballet, lyrical, jazz and modern techniques. It uses theatrical and concert dance employing specific techniques for developing the use of the entire body in movement. These expressive often abstract movements borrow patterns and ideas from classical dance to gymnastics to current social dance trends. Students get to express their emotions in a whole new style of dance.

Lyrical is currently offered for students ages 5 and up. This style is a combination of the technique and terminology of both Jazz and Ballet with an influence of Modern. Students are required to have a background in Ballet and/or Jazz in order to take this class, however they are not required to take these classes simultaneously though it is highly recommended. Students will learn to feel an emotional connection to the music and will in turn express the story of the music through their movement, lines and facial expressions.

Hip-Hop is a non-technical form of dance and is offered for all ages 5 and up. Hip-hop is a mix of upbeat jazz and break dance moves combined in a hard hitting movement. This is a great class for students who love to dance but do not want the discipline and focus associated with technical forms of dance. If you love to have a great time, get a good workout and dance this is the class for you!

We offer classes in Jazz for students ages 3 and up. Jazz dance uses both Ballet and Modern technique; however it gives the freedom of movement and the opportunity to use a wide range of music to create fun and intricate combinations. We highly recommend that students have past Ballet training or train in Ballet simultaneously in order to optimize their training potential in Jazz. Most of the terminology in Jazz comes from a Ballet vocabulary.

Ages 6 and up. Students will dance and compete at various competitions around Florida winning awards, trophies, scholarships and recognition. Students can compete in solos, duets, trios and groups. Students are required to take ballet and acro training to help them achieve their Platinum goal. This is for students who take their dance career seriously and would like to possibly work in the industry one day.

Ages 6 and up. Advanced class with emphasis on performance. They will learn the terminology , technique and dances in which they will perform at all outside studio events. (Events are at least once a month) Events include but are not limited to, parades, fairs, festivals and more!

Mini Combo is a 60-minute beginning level class for ages 3 - 5. This class combines early basic techniques of ballet, jazz, tap and acro. This class will introduce students to dance movement, dance instruction, age appropriate socialization, and most of all, technique and dance terminology that will prepare them for the next level of dance training. We encourage ages 3 - 5 to take the combo class in order to prepare them properly for the next level of education and to teach them two areas of dance.

Acro technique with 2-3 years prior training. (All the above plus One handed cartwheels, ariels, walk-overs, limbers, switch walkovers, front-handspring back-walkover, back limber, back switch walkovers, back-handspring, back-tuck, spider, chest stand, chin stand and more)

Students will learn basic acro moves with little to no prior training. (Forward rolls, backward rolls, kartwheels, round-offs, handstand, angel kisses, bear runs, donkey kicks, bridges and more)

Intermediate with 5-6 years prior training. Emphasis on pointe preparation. Two classes/week required.

Intermediate. 4-5 years prior training. Two classes/week required. Three classes/week recommended.

Beginner-intermediate.3-4 years prior training. Two classes/week recommended.

Basic ballet technique with 2-3 years prior training.

Ages 3-5. No previous training. Emphasis is on creative movement.

Workshop descriptions: ACTING: Students focus on imaginative play, stage technique, basic acting skills, improvisation and character development.