NS Dance Academy

Pointe is simply the continuation of ballet technique. Once a dancer has developed solid ballet technique, she is eligible to be considered for pointe. Dancers will spend some time in regular ballet shoes warming up as they would in a ballet class and then they will put on their pointe shoes and continue their ballet training on their toes. This is the style that comes to mind when someone says "Ballerina" but it is not a step to take lightly. When deciding to begin pointe work it is important to understand the physical demands of the class. If you are interested in beginning pointe, please ask your ballet teacher and honor their opinion. Pointe can be a very dangerous dance style when not approached with caution and experienced support.

Pre-Pointe is an hour long class in regular ballet shoes that is designed to teach dancers what they need to focus on if they would like to continue their ballet training on pointe. Class time will be spent teaching dancers what muscles must be strengthened, what technique is essential to going on pointe, and putting that knowledge to work at the barre. This class is open to dancers 9 and up but please be aware, pointe-work is very hard on the body and in order to protect our dancers, it is very rare for a dancer to start pointe until she is at least 11.

We designed our Musical Theatre program for those who’ve dreamed of training with Broadway’s best. Whether you’re just starting to explore musical theatre or looking to pursue a career in the arts, our instructors will empower our dancer with the skills they need to take your acting, singing, and dancing to the next level. With classes in all levels, there’s something for every musical theatre dancer.

Hip Hop dance classes are popular and a perfect choice for energetic kids who are always on the move and enjoy popular music. We start dancers in Hip Hop classes as young as age four and support them straight through to their teens. As the dancer advances in skill they will learn numerous other Hip Hop elements like Freezes, Grooves, Locking, Tricks, Tutting, and Vogueing. Our instructors focus on teaching Hip Hop rhythms and encouraging our students to hear the music and “feel the beat.” Let’s get moving.

Contemporary is a hard style to explain. This dance style has been one of the fastest evolving styles of the past few years. Starting out as a natural movement alternative to Ballet, modern was the jumping off point for dancers to express themselves through dance in a way that Ballet didn't allow. Lyrical soon followed as songs with lyrics, rather than the classical instrumental songs of ballet, were used to choreograph emotional and expressive dances. Now we have moved on to the name contemporary and this, depending on who you ask, can encompass a great variety of different dance styles. Our contemporary classes aim to teach our dancers how to listen to music and find an emotional connection to it in order to share that emotion with their audience. Classes will spend about half of their time on technique and steps that are not used in ballet or jazz and the other half of their time is used to learn and perfect recital dances. Because performance is a huge aspect of contemporary we require dancers to also take a ballet or jazz class so contemporary class time can be used more to develop our dancers' artistry.

Jazz is a dance style that has been developing into new and interesting iterations in the past few years. Our jazz classes are centered around classical jazz technique which allows for the leaps, turns, and tricks that wow audiences. When choreographing dances, we encourage our teachers to introduce our dancers to all sorts of jazz styles including Broadway/musical theater, jazz funk, character, classical jazz, and anything else they can think of that uses the core jazz technique that they have been teaching throughout the year so our dancers can gain experience throughout the years in different performance styles.

Leaps and Turns is a jazz-based technique class based. This class focuses on strict technique to help the dancer achieve their fullest potential. This class includes a warm-up focused on strength, conditioning, and flexibility. The rest of the class is focused on learning new turns, leaps, and jumps.

Our beginning ballet classes are structured to give our students a fun introduction to the world of classical ballet. Our teachers have learned many different styles and incorporate the best of what they have learned into their classes. All classes strive to teach proper ballet class etiquette as well as proper ballet technique. As students progress into higher levels of ballet, classes become more intense and focus on correct posture, exceptional balance, and perfecting technique so that they can learn more challenging steps.

Our Petite classes are designed for younger dancers who are not quite ready for a full hour of one dance style. These classes start with 60 min of ballet, learning ballet positions and basic steps. After a short bathroom and drink break, class resumes for tap or jazz to start learning the beginning tap or jazz steps as well as working on some gross motor skills. Most classes end with a game of freeze dance and a stamp or sticker to reward good classroom behavior. Combo classes for 3-4 year olds focus more on learning gross motor sills and proper classroom behavior while 5-6 year old classes focus on perfecting those skills an moving on to more complex dance moves commonly found in the style of dance they are learning.

Learn from our distinguished faculty, including renowned dancers and choreographers, who bring a wealth of experience and dedication to the classroom. Our curriculum covers all facets of classical ballet, contemporary techniques, and character dance, complemented by classes in conditioning and pilates to promote strength and injury prevention.

Classes are designed to strengthen technique, develop artistry, and build confidence in a positive and challenging environment. Whether you’re preparing for a professional career, college dance program, or simply want more training time to refine your skills, the Day Program offers individual attention and small class sizes to support your personal goals.

Our new Day Program offers dancers the opportunity to receive high-quality training during daytime hours. Designed for those wanting to take their technique to the next level, this program is perfect for homeschooled students, online learners, and dancers with flexible school schedules who are looking for more intensive and focused training. Dancers in the program will participate in a well-rounded curriculum that includes ballet, pointe, contemporary, conditioning, and repertoire.

We’re celebrating five amazing years with new classes in ballet, contemporary, musical theater, and more, plus our exciting Day Program for intensive training.

We’re celebrating five amazing years with new classes in ballet, contemporary, musical theater, and more, plus our exciting Day Program for intensive training.

We’re celebrating five amazing years with new classes in ballet, contemporary, musical theater, and more, plus our exciting Day Program for intensive training.

We’re celebrating five amazing years with new classes in ballet, contemporary, musical theater, and more, plus our exciting Day Program for intensive training.