Dance Gallery of South Dakota

In LNL 7 dance classes focus on the transition from the pre-ballet creative movement program of younger ages into the beginning level of classical ballet taught at age eight. Children begin to use the ballet barres. There is an increased focus on French terminology, musical awareness, balance, agility, and gross-motor development.

In LNL 6 dance classes focus on primary ballet concepts with greater complexity using the Leap 'N Learn curriculum. Students now perform exercises in a "turned-out" position and steps are combined to form dance combinations. Each class focuses on French terminology, musical awareness, balance, agility, and gross-motor development.

In LNL 5 dance classes focus on pre-ballet at a primary level, creative movement concepts, and pretend play with greater complexity using the Leap 'N Learn curriculum. Students continue to expand their vocabulary in French terminology of ballet terms.

In LNL 4 there is a focus on pre-ballet, creative movement, and pretend play using the Leap 'N Learn curriculum. Students are introduced to basic French terminology of ballet terms. Classes are designed to meet the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social needs of a 4 year old.

In LNL 3 dancers are introduced to the dance class environment. Dancers begin to develop an awareness of their bodies in relation to movement. Pretend play is an additional piece incorporated into LNL 3. It is through the use of pretend play and movement that children begin to develop spatial awareness with the use of creative movement and pre-ballet exercises.

This class is an introduction to dance for our young toddlers, they will have the opportunity to continue to develop their independence while dancing and exploring rhythms. They will use their imaginations, begin to develop an understanding of how to follow instructions, and begin to develop classroom etiquette. This class incorporates concepts from our Leap ‘N Learn Curriculum.

The Leap ‘N Learn Curriculum is the introduction to ballet, as well as other forms of dancing. With Leap ‘N Learn, Dance Gallery has a fantastic method to begin a child’s dance journey!

Adult Dance Programs offering a variety of styles and levels for adults interested in dance.

Engage in Contemporary, Modern, and Liturgical Dance classes designed for children aged 18 months to 7 years.

A vibrant combination of Jazz, Musical Theater, Tap, and Hip Hop styles for young dancers aged 18 months to 7 years.

Classical Ballet Program for ages 18 months to 7 years. Explore the foundational techniques and artistry of classical ballet.

Dance Gallery offers a Basic Tap class for adults. This is an upbeat class where your feet become part of the music, building strength and endurance in the beginner level. If adults come to Dance Gallery with Intermediate or Advanced Tap skills, we would suggest trying the student Tap classes to enroll in the correct level. Musical Theater is a new class option available to our adults. Dancers will explore the style and steps associated with legendary Broadway musicals. Being able to sing is not a requirement of this class. Dancers will primarily focus on dance skills for this class format. Adults in Tap and Musical Theater can wear athletic wear with black jazz shoes for Musical Theater or black tap shoes for Tap class. Hair should be pulled away from the face.

Dance Gallery offers three levels of Adult Ballet (Intro, Beginner, and Intermediate). Intro level ballet is designed for those dancers that are in the first year or second year of dance training. Beginner level is for dancers that are familiar with the basics of ballet and are beginning to put together consecutive steps to create complex combinations. Intermediate level is for ballet dancers that have taken several years of ballet and can pick up on complex ballet combinations quickly. All levels will challenge dancers, and will be a wonderful way of creating strength, endurance, balance and develop cardio. At Dance Gallery, our adult dance classes participate in the spring recital. All dancers have the option of participating in the recital if they choose. Additionally, some of our ballet productions may have parts available to adults. Most productions require an audition to determine casting. Dancers participating in the Cecchetti Ballet syllabus will work on specific dance steps, and work to perfect them over the course of the training. Dancers will need to know the French terminology, recite the theory, and have all of the steps completely memorized. Dancers that are selected to examine will have an examination fee to pay in order to take the examination. For more information on this, go to the ”Classical Ballet Program” tab, and read about the “Cecchetti Syllabus Ballet” In July, Dance Gallery offers an Adult Dance Intensive during two evenings each week for the course of the month. This is open to all levels of dancers, and includes a daily ballet class and one other dance format such as Musical Theater, Tap, Silks, Contemporary, and other dance formats. Information about the Adult Dance Intensive will be released in the Spring. Adults in ballet can either follow the ballet dress code or if they are more comfortable, they can wear athletic wear with pink ballet slippers. The only request is that the teacher is able to see the knees, ankles and torso. A pair of legging and a slim fitting shirt would work well. Hair should be pulled away from the face. If you opt to participate in the spring recital, ballet production, or Cecchetti Ballet examination, there will be some requirements for dress code. For all examinations, dancers will need to wear a simple black leotard, pink tights, and pink ballet slippers. Men will wear black tights, white shirt, and black ballet slippers.

Liturgical dance is a style of dance which in more interpretive. It is centered around the concept of faith. It is a non-denominational group that occationally participates in worship service around the Sioux Falls area. The choreography of this group is generally centered around the music which can be anything from contemporary Christian to traditional hymns.

Modern dance is a highly expressive style of dance that challenges the structured dance technique of classical ballet. The focus of modern dance is expression, rather than following a rigid set of postures or technical positions that ballet dancers are trained in. Modern dance movements are considered freeform and fluid, and are often inspired by other dance styles—like African dance, ballet, and folk dance. Though modern dance technique is considered more relaxed and natural than ballet, it can require considerable core work and strength.

Contemporary dance is a style of interpretive dance that embraces innovation, blending techniques from various genres, including Classical Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and Lyrical Dance forms. This genre of dance, which focuses more on floor work and use of different levels of dance. It isn’t restricted by the rules that govern traditional dance forms. Instead, it relies on improvisation and versatility and is characterized by freedom of movement and fluidity, letting dancers explore the mind-body connection and ideally evoking emotion in the audience. Contemporary dance is sometimes considered a form of storytelling, and dancers may use the medium to portray characters, replay events, or convey personal stories.

Hip Hop dance is a style of street dance form that evolved from hip hop culture and hip hop music. It borrows elements from a number of different styles like African dance, tap, and ballet.

Tap dance is a style of dance in which a dancer wearing shoes fitted with heel and toe taps sounds out audible beats by rhythmically striking the floor. Tap dance is a wonderful way to teach children and all dancers about rhythm.

Musical Theater dance is the type of dancing—usually ballet, jazz, hip-hop, or tap—used in choreographed sequences for musical theater.

Jazz dance is a form of dance that combines both African and European dance styles. This high-energy dance has a liveliness that sets it apart from traditional dance forms, such as classical ballet.

The pointe program at Dance Gallery begins with ballet class training and conditioning! Dancing on pointe is not something that a dancer can just “jump into!” Dancers need to work through several years of ballet class training and strength conditioning before being able to purchase pointe shoes and begin training on pointe. If the entire body is not conditioned (core strength, leg strength, ankle and foot strength) dancers could be easily injured. Dance Gallery invites dancers to begin the pointe training regiment. This training can begin between 10-11 years old. Commonly, dancers will train in and out of class for one year or more depending on the natural strength and flexibility of the dancer. Often times, dancers will opt to continue this cross-training throughout their pointe training (until graduation) in order to maintain the strength needed to perform classical variations from classical ballet productions. Once the dancer has been invited into a Pointe Class, the dancers will go with the instructor and/or the director to have a proper pointe shoe fitting. Pointe shoes and all of the accessories can be very expensive which is why we require that new pointe dancers are accompanied by an instructor to ensure proper fitting for pointe training at Dance Gallery. The first year of training, Dance Gallery requires that the pointe shoes are stored at Dance Gallery so there is no temptation to wear the pointe shoes at home. During the first year of training, dancers need to be under the instruction of a Dance Gallery pointe instructor in order to wear the pointe shoes to avoid injuries. Additionally, pointe shoes can quickly break down with unnecessary wear. In order to maintain the life of the pointe shoes, we require that our dancers only wear the pointe shoes in a proper pointe class at Dance Gallery. There are five levels of Pointe classes (Levels I-V). Placement is at the discretion of the Pointe instructor. If you are new to Dance Gallery and need advice on placement, please contact us for assistance. We’d be happy to help you find a proper Pointe class level.

Dance Gallery is fortunate to have gifted instructors that can teach not only Cecchetti ballet, but can also teach combinations of other styles of ballet (Russian, Balanchine, Cecchetti). The levels of Non Syllabus Ballet range from Level I to Level V. Commonly, all ballet classes include barre, stretch, adagio, pirouettes, allegro, traveling turns, and reverence (bow). Students that have a background in Cecchetti syllabus or previous ballet experience may advance faster through the levels. Advancement is determined by the dancer’s technique, ability to quickly memorize combinations, and use of style and performance. Some of the upper levels of Non-Syllabus ballet may offer the option to wear pointe shoes for the duration of the class, but this should be discussed with your instructor prior to class. Dancers that have worked through Grades I and II of the Cecchetti syllabus would find this class challenging, but fun! If you are not sure of your dancer’s level, please contact us for placement suggestions.

Dance Gallery has the longest running and the most successful Cecchetti examination program in the area. Over 20 years of training dancers in the Cecchetti method has created generations of successful dancers that have moved on from Dance Gallery to pursue careers in dancing professionally. We also have a vibrant teacher training program under the direction of Jackie Pederson-Kriens, who also serves as a Cecchetti Examiner for the Cecchetti Council of America. All dancers that wish to be considered for examinations will start at Grade I. There are four basic Cecchetti ballet levels (Grades I, II, III, IV). There are three professional Cecchetti levels which are recognized worldwide (Elementary V, Intermediate VI, and Advanced VII), and the Final Enrico Cecchetti Diploma. Advancement through the levels is determined by the teacher and the director of the program. Students that are being considered for examination must memorize all of the exercises, understand the theory of ballet movement, and be able to define the French terminology. Each level can take up to two years to learn and perfect. Every individual dancer is analyzed before taking the examination. A dancer’s ability to take a teacher’s correction along with their work ethic and drive will determine when a dancer is completely ready to examine. Rushing through the levels is not advised as it can greatly hinder the dancer’s progress. Success in this program is determined by the dancer and parents’ cooperation on studying and supporting the examination timeframe.

In LNL 5 dance classes focus on pre-ballet at a primary level, creative movement concepts, and pretend play with greater complexity using the Leap 'N Learn curriculum. Students continue to expand their vocabulary in French terminology of ballet terms. During class time, exercises used are to help increase the child's musical awareness, balance, agility, and gross-motor development.

This class is an introduction to dance for our young toddlers, they will have the opportunity to continue to develop their independence while dancing and exploring rhythms. They will use their imaginations, begin to develop an understanding of how to follow instructions, and begin to develop classroom etiquette.

Leap 'N Learn is a dance curriculum written by Beverly F. Spell with applied expertise from child psychologist Dr. Annie Spell, Ph.D. Leap 'N Learn has a deep understanding of the progression of movement in children and integrates into the curriculum child development.