Dance Explosion - Classes offered in Charlottesville, VA

(Currently not offered) Enjoy exploring dance with the security of mom or dad in the classroom! Parent/caregiver participates the entire class. For budding dancers who have not been in a classroom or preschool environment before, this is a great start to your child's dance education. Students will develop gross motor skills, coordination, and movement imagination while introducing basic dance skills in a fun environment with props, song and dance!

(Students must be 3 by August 1, 2010) Designed for the young dancer, this class develops gross motor skills, coordination, and movement imagination to boys and girls while introducing basic dance skills in a fun environment. Students expand their creativity by utilizing props, song and dance. Students begin exploring pre-ballet concepts, coordination and terminology.

Attire: Girls- Mirella garnet camisole leotard with matching skirt, pink tights, pink ballet shoes (not bedrooms slippers), hair secured back. Boys- white t-shirt and black cotton shorts, black ballet shoes.

(Students must have previously taken Pre-Ballet/Tap I and be 4 years old by August 1, 2010 Students explore ballet, tap, creative movement, and song and dance concepts in a structured but fun environment by learning terminology, technique and movements appropriate for the young dancer.

Attire: Girls-Mirella light blue camisole leotard and matching skirt. Pink tights, pink ballet shoes (not bedrooms slippers), black tap shoes, hair secured back. Boys- white t-shirt and black cotton shorts, black ballet shoes, black tap shoes

Students learn the classical ballet based on the Russian Vaganova style through barre exercises, center work, allegro, progressions, and choreography in a structured and fun environment. Fun props are utilized to help students discover the importance of good posture and balance.

Attire: Level I/II Girls Mirella buttercup camisole leotard with matching skirt, pink tights, ballet shoes, hair secured back. Boys-white tshirt, black leggings, black ballet shoes.

Level II/III Girls Mirella seafoam camisole leotard with matching seafoam skirt, pink tights, ballet shoes, hair secured back. Boys-white tshirt, black leggings, black ballet shoes.

Ages 9-12 Level I/II Girls Capezio black camisole leotard with matching black skirt, pink tights, ballet shoes, hair secured back. Boys-white tshirt, black leggings, black ballet shoes.

Students progress through learning basic, high-energy jazz and tap technique with fun, age appropriate music! Warm ups, progressions and routines. Students in level III are strongly encouraged to be enrolled in ballet.

Attire: Level I/II Girls - Mirella buttercup camisole leotard, black jazz pants, black jazz shoes (with no laces), black tap shoes. Boys - Solid color shirt with black track or sweatpants, same shoes. T-shirts or other clothing not permitted.

Level III Girls - Mirella seafoam camisole leotard, black jazz pants, black jazz shoes (with no laces), black tap shoes. Boys - Solid color shirt with black track or sweatpants, same shoes. T-shirts or other clothing not permitted.

This class features the structure and technique of jazz along with the exciting, hip hop and jazz styled choreography that is age appropriate. Students also learn tap technique, progressions and routines. Students in level III are strongly encouraged to be enrolled in ballet.

Attire: Level I/II Girls - Capezio royal blue camisole leotard, black jazz pants, black jazz shoes, black tap shoes. Boys - Solid color shirt with black track or sweatpants, same shoes. T-shirts or other clothing not permitted.

Level III Girls - (See Lea Moore to order) Balera Leotard and capri pants, black jazz shoes (with no laces), black tap shoes. Boys - Solid color shirt with black track or sweatpants, same shoes. T-shirts or other clothing not permitted.

This upbeat class familiarizes students with hip-hop style dancing. The class builds dancers' skills weekly beginning with total body warm-up exercises, dance mini-combinations, across the floor work, and finishing with a choreographed dance and occasional freestyle! Students will improve their musicality, learn numerous named dance skills, and incorporate the essence and their own interpretation of hip-hop style into their performance quality.

Attire: Black track pants and solid colored tops only. Jazz shoes or clean sneakers not worn on the street (NO JEANS OR STREET SHOES PERMITTED ON THE DANCE FLOOR), hair secured back.

(Ages 9 and up) Zumba is a Latin-inspired, dance-fitness class incorporating Latin and International music and dance movements, to create a dynamic and effective fitness system. The class format combines fast and slow rhythms to tone and sculpt the body to achieve a unique blended balance of cardio and muscle-toning benefits. Dancers and non-dancers alike immediately and easily master Zumba! Zumba creates a party-like atmosphere providing a non-intimidating opportunity to participate in group exercise classes. It's fun! It's different! It's easy! It's effective! All fitness levels are welcome! Just wear exercise appropriate clothing and bring your “party” attitude!

Attire: Exercise appropriate clothing that does not restrict movement, dancesneakers or tennis shoes (NO SHOES WORN ON THE STREET PERMITTED)hair secured back.

As one of the fastest-evolving dances in modern Latin entertainment, dancers learn the international format and structuring of both the Bachata rhythm and its dance. This course is designed for dancers who already have a basic understanding of the dance, and now wish to advance to a substantially superior presentational format both socially and for competition. This course teaches both sectional movements which can be combined to form a routine, and improvisational styling that can be incorporated into social dancing. Important Note to dancers: this dance is in close-embrace, therefore, male dancers come with their own partners. Females without partners may rotate with instructor throughout session.

Learn the techniques of classical ballet based on the Russian Vaganova style through barre exercises, allegro, adagio, progressions, and floor barre for core strengthening. Upper level class will explore learning various classical variations.

Attire: For Level I/II - solid leotard, black or pink tights, ballet shoes, skirt optional, hair secured back, no shirts or shorts. For Level III+ solid leotard, black or pink tights, white waste band, hair secured back. No tshirts, shorts or loose clothing permitted.

(Not currently offered) Ballet III+ experience required. Each lesson will be focused around learning ballet variations from well-known classical repertoire. This class helps students develop a stage presence, practice learning and retaining choreography, and provide a means to express themselves using the movements they learn from technique class.

Attire: Adults: solid leotard, black or pink tights, white waste band, ballet shoes, skirt optional. Hair secured back. No tshirts or loose clothing permitted. White elastic waist band.

This class combines ballet, pilates, yoga, modern dance, lyrical and jazz for a physically diverse, emotionally exciting, and technically challenging hour-long class. Exploration of movements will vary week to week, although consistently through extensive center and barre warm-ups to train the dancer for balance, technical execution, and dance repertoire, on to high-energy across-the-floor combinations including intermediate and advanced jumps and turns, and finishing with choreography inspired by a range of musical selections (instrumental, melodic, contemporary, rock, other). The most successful dancer will arrive to class early to pre-warm up, be uninhibited to try new movements, commit to attend class regularly and embody discipline and excellent work ethic.

(Not currently offered) In the very first session, dancers learn the forward walking-style of both the "Argentine" tango compared to the "Cuban" tango, and the reverse walking-style as well as the proper body-positioning that are signature of the "Cuban" tango dance. By the second session, dancers begin learning routines, turn-patterns, foot-hooking, and improvisational-styling that begin with basic-level and throughout the remainder of the course progress to advanced styling and body-movements. Important Note to dancers: this dance is in close-embrace, therefore, male dancers come with their own partners. Females without partners may rotate with instructor throughout session.

This upbeat class familiarizes teens and adults with hip-hop style dancing in a non-competitive atmosphere. The class builds dancers' skills weekly beginning with total body warm-up exercises, dance mini-combinations and a set of challenging choreographed dances in a variety of styles to different music selections throughout the semester. Students will improve their musicality, learn various named dance skills as well as precision in movement, and be encouraged to freestyle and incorporate their own hip-hop style into their dance performance, whatever the application!

Training includes jazz technique study, terminology, placement, and rhythmic awareness development. Students progress through core techniques and skills from beginner to advanced levels. Class level placement is based on specific skill sets. Students are required to master specific skills before moving on to higher levels. Stretching, toning, floor progressions, core conditioning, center work, and choreography included at each level. Students participating in Jazz IV by permission of Director only and must be currently enrolled at Dance Explosion in Ballet III+.

Based in a strong ballet foundation, modern technique introduces new levels of movement that challenges the dancer to move past the basics of ballet technique, levels, linear precision, and strength are emphasized in all styles of modern along with development of stamina within the movement. The focus of this class will include basic horton technique along with exploration of modern dance movement within choreography.

This class is based off the beginning Pilates mat method, complimented with stretching. This class can accommodate all levels of experience through variations on the level of difficulty in execution of the exercises and stretches. An invigorating and centering way to begin your morning and wake up your core muscles!

Based on the fundamental rhythms of Latin music, such as Mambo and Salsa, dancers learn to train their ears to recognize the rhythms in Latin music, and then how to executive the proper dancing to each rhythm. Dancers learn the difference between dancing "on 1" versus "on 2" versus "in clave." This course requires previous knowledge of salsa dancing and provides intermediate to advanced steps, proper timing, and improvisational styling for both men and women, while it also teaches dancers how to interpret the music and to recognize the rhythms. Partners welcome but not required.

Includes tap technique, terminology, placement, rhythm, musicality, tonality, and good posture. Students will learn about different tap styles--from focusing on a whole body aesthetic to becoming a musician with taps as you utilize different parts of the tap itself. Progressions, improv and acapella work will be explored. Broadway tap covers a style more conducive to tap for theater/musical theater, and "rhythmic tap" focuses on more complex musicality with tap with additional emphasis on acapella style and tone.

Zumba is a Latin-inspired, dance-fitness class incorporating Latin and International music and dance movements, to create a dynamic and effective fitness system. The class format combines fast and slow rhythms to tone and sculpt the body to achieve a unique blended balance of cardio and muscle-toning benefits. Dancers and non-dancers alike immediately and easily master Zumba! Zumba creates a party-like atmosphere providing a non-intimidating opportunity to participate in group exercise classes. It's fun! It's different! It's easy! It's effective! All fitness levels are welcome! Just wear exercise appropriate clothing and bring your “party” attitude!

Attire: Exercise appropriate clothing that does not restrict movement, dancesneakers or tennis shoes (NO SHOES WORN ON THE STREET PERMITTED)hair secured back.

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