We are thrilled to enter our fifth year at our Main Line location at 116 Cricket Avenue in Ardmore .
We began offering Early Childhood, Primary, and Pre-Professional classes on the Main Line in the 2013-2014 school year at Kaiserman JCC in Wynnewood. In 2019 we begin offering our Contemporary and Theater Dance Programs. We opened our current location on Cricket Avenue in September 2019.
All students in Pre-Ballet 1 and up are eligible to participate in our Spring Showcase, which occurs in late May/early June each year at the Gordon Theater at Rutgers-Camden. Students learn their Showcase dance during normal class time and rehearse together during the mandatory In-Studio Dress Rehearsal before the Showcase. All students in Ballet 1/1X and higher and age 6 by the audition date are eligible to audition for our annual production of the Nutcracker. Nutcracker rehearsals take place at our Old City location on the weekends.
2023-2024 Schedule
Academic year (Sept - Jun) enrollment opens May 15
Enrollment is for the academic year: Sept 11, 2023–June 2, 2024
Early Childhood
This program is designed to cultivate the joy for ballet in our youngest dancers while introducing them to the format of a dance class. The use of music and imagination keeps students engaged while they learn basic ballet vocabulary. Dance-Together and Creative Movement classes do not participate in the Spring Showcase.
Tuition is non-refundable. This includes changes in nap times, moving, time conflicts, etc. We will try to accommodate schedule changes if there is space available in another class.
Dance Together - Toddler/Caregiver | 2-4 years old
Dance Together-Toddler & Caregiver Creative Movement offers an opportunity for toddlers and their caregivers to experience the joy of dancing together. Caregivers actively participate in this class. Be prepared to move!
Creative Movement | 2.5-4 years old (at least 3 if joining after December)
Students go into class independently in Creative Movement.
Pre-Ballet 1 & 2 | 4-6 years old
In Pre-Ballet students use imagery and props as part of the class, but more ballet vocabulary is integrated into the curriculum than in Creative Movement. We begin to integrate more structured exercises so that students can transition smoothly into the beginner ballet class (Ballet 1) at age 6.
Primary
The Primary Program begins with Ballet 1, a beginner class for ages 6-9 years old. This fundamental class focuses on body alignment, proper external rotation from the hip, articulation of the feet, and elementary ballet vocabulary. Students progress through Ballet 1/1X, 2/2X, and 3/3X at the discretion of the faculty.
Students age 8 and older and enrolled in Ballet 3/3X and up have the opportunity to audition for The Philadelphia Youth Ballet.
Ballet 1/1X | 6-8 years old
Ballet 2/2X | 7-12 years old
Ballet 3/3X | 8-13 years old
This class meets twice a week: Mondays from 5:00-6:30p & Wednesdays from 5:20-6:50p.
Pre-Professional
The Pre-Professional Program begins with Ballet 4/4X. As students progress through these levels, their coordination and control is developed through more demanding and complex exercises. As they advance, an emphasis is placed on developing personal artistry through port de bras and epaulement (head and arm movements).
Students age 8 and older and enrolled in Ballet 3/3X and up have the opportunity to audition for The Philadelphia Youth Ballet.
In upper level pointe classes, students gain strength and perform pointe work in center, as well as at the barre. In Ballet 5, students begin to study classical variations in a weekly Variations class.
Note: A placement audition is required for students who are not starting in beginner ballet to ensure appropriate placement. Ages listed for each level are merely guidelines.
Ballet 4/4X | 9-13 years old
This class meets twice a week. Pointe work is included in both classes. Instructor approval is required to buy pointe shoes. Those not yet en pointe will take the class in ballet slippers (pre-pointe).
Ballet 5/5X/6 | minimum 12 years old
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday classes required (8 hour minimum). All classes include pointe work.
Contemporary
The Contemporary Dance Program is an opportunity for students to become more versatile dancers by exploring parallel alignment, spinal articulation, weight-shifting, and groundedness through floor work. Dancers explore strength and subtlety, movement dynamics and space, the expansiveness of their kinesphere, and movement invention through improvisation. This program helps dancers to continue to refine the balance between technique and artistry.
Theater Dance
The Theater Dance Program pulls from many techniques, genres, and styles. The class focuses on balancing technical ballet training and stylized theater choreography. Students will learn a vast repertoire of classical, as well as contemporary, Broadway, and Movie Musical choreography. In addition, they will learn to recognize and appreciate the diverse styles and techniques of such legendary choreographers as Agnes De Mille, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, and Michael Kidd. Theater Dance curriculum includes a fall and spring tap session. Tap shoes are recommended but not required.
It is strongly recommended, but not required for all levels, that Theater Dance students also take ballet to help with control, strength, and refinement of their technique.
Adult / Teen
Prior ballet experience is required for the Adult/Teen Intermediate classes. Enrollment is for the school year (September-June), but you may join mid-session. Classes are structured and build during the course of the semester, so for that reason we do not offer “drop-in” classes. These technique classes are designed for students who wish to further their training, learn a new skill for recreational purposes, or supplement training in another art or sport, i.e. acting or ice skating.