Joan Kathey Dance Center

We carry everything you could possibly need for dance and gymnastics class- leotards, tights, bootie shorts, and a FULL assortment of dance shoes.

Advance Level Dancers are the elite dancers here at JKDC. Dancers are hand selected by the teachers to perform at this level. We offer all classes at this level as well as teaching opportunities for those interested in pursuing a career in dance.

Junior Advance level dancers act as the feeder class for the advance level. They continue their extensive study of technique and theory in preparation of their promotion. Many times we have students double in the Advance classes at this level to observe how they handle the advance work load. The Junior Advance Level classes often suite with the Advance classes for recital.

Dancers at this level are preparing for our junior advance and advance level classes. We introduce a new class for this age group- Turn and Leap. This class is specifically designed to help our aspiring dancers master some of the most difficult dance steps and concepts- turns and leaps. In this class students do not learn a recital routine- they spend the whole year developing the afore mentioned concepts.

Many times, we have dancers who enter the world of dance at an older age. These dancers need the extra time and basic training which is received at lower levels without putting them in a class with young children. Our Advance Teen Ballet class is an exclusive class designated for those students who are knowledgable in dance theory and technique, but do not wish to participate in the Cecchetti program or Pointe class. These students often suite with the Jr. Advance Ballet and Advance Pointe Class for recital.

At this point, dancers have a well of knowledge about basic techniques and skills of dance. We begin to focus their minds on not only technique but also on dance theory. Students who are recommended by their ballet teachers will have the opportuntiy to enroll in the Cecchetti program. The Cecchetti Council of America is a national dance organization which focuses on a "rigorous system drawn up with careful regard for the laws of anatomy. It was designed to endow the human body with all those qualities essential to the dancer...balance, poise, strength, elevation, elasticity, 'ballon' and so forth."

Children at this particular stage in their lives are more aware of their bodies and how to make them move. We focus on developing skills which will prepare them for more extensive dance work. They focus on turn basics, proper use of arms and legs in conjunctions with one another, extension and flexibility. We also focus a great deal of time on musicality- teaching them to hear and dance to the different rhythmic patterns found in music.

Children at this developmental stage are ready and eager to develop more advance motor skills such as balance, fluidity, spacial coordination, etc. Dancers focus their energy on learning basic dance skills such as plie, releve, tendues, echappes, etc. They work on recognizing how their body moves from one position to another with grace and poise.