Little Leapers “Grown Up & Me”* Ballet

Saturdays 10:30 am [45 minutes]

*This class starts October 3rd

Our youngest dancers are introduced to the joy of movement through a safe, developmentally appropriate class designed for dancers and their grownups. Music, props, imaginative play, and guided movement help develop coordination, balance, body awareness, musicality, and confidence while introducing the rhythms and structure of a ballet classroom.

With an emphasis on positive early experiences and age-appropriate development, Little Leapers builds the physical and classroom foundations dancers will need as they grow into more independent ballet training.

* This class requires a grownup to participate with the child dancer.

Fridays 8:30 am [50 Minutes]

Level 1A introduces young dancers to the foundations of ballet in a safe, engaging, and developmentally appropriate environment. Through music, imaginative movement, props, and beginning ballet exercises, dancers develop coordination, balance, body awareness, musicality, and gross-motor skills while learning how to participate independently in a structured dance class.

Dancers are introduced to basic ballet vocabulary, classroom etiquette, and foundational movement patterns, creating a positive first step toward more formal ballet training.

Fridays 9:30 am [50 Minutes]

Building on the foundations of Level 1A, Level 1B introduces greater structure, independence, and precision while preserving the creativity and joy that young dancers need. Students continue developing coordination, balance, musicality, body awareness, and spatial awareness while beginning to perform foundational ballet movements with greater control.

Dancers expand their ballet vocabulary, practice following more detailed movement sequences, and develop the listening skills, confidence, and classroom habits that prepare them for the increased technical expectations of Level 2.

Thursdays 4:15 pm [50 Minutes]
Fridays 10:30 am [50 Minutes]
Fridays 11:30 am [50 Minutes]

Level 2 bridges creative early dance education and the beginning foundations of classical ballet technique. Dancers expand their knowledge of French ballet terminology and begin working with greater attention to posture, alignment, coordination, musicality, balance, and controlled movement.

Exercises and combinations become more structured and complex while remaining developmentally appropriate for growing bodies. Creative movement continues to encourage artistry and expression, while dancers develop the strength, focus, independence, and foundational movement patterns needed to safely transition into formal classical ballet training in Level 3.

Mondays 5:30 pm [60 Minutes]

Level 3 marks the transition into the formal study of classical ballet. Dancers begin working more intentionally with classical posture, alignment, turnout, placement, and technique while continuing to develop coordination, musicality, strength, flexibility, and balance.

Students are introduced to increasingly structured barre and center exercises and begin connecting individual steps into classical ballet combinations. French terminology becomes an expected part of class as dancers learn not only the names of movements, but how to execute them with increasing accuracy and control.

Particular attention is given to developing safe technical habits in growing bodies, creating the strong foundation dancers will need for the increased strength, coordination, and technical expectations of Level 4.

Tuesdays 4:15 pm [60 Minutes]

Level 4A builds upon the classical foundations established in Level 3 with increased emphasis on placement, alignment, turnout, strength, flexibility, coordination, and technical accuracy. Dancers work through a more structured classical ballet class incorporating barre, center work, traveling exercises, and increasingly complex combinations.

Students are expected to demonstrate greater independence in retaining ballet vocabulary and combinations while developing the strength and control necessary to execute movements safely and correctly. Musicality and artistry are developed alongside technique, encouraging dancers to understand that classical ballet requires both precision and expression.

Level 4A establishes the technical consistency and body awareness necessary to progress into the increased complexity and expectations of Level 4B.

Wednesdays 4:05 pm [75 Minutes]

Level 4B deepens classical ballet training for dancers who have established the foundational technique and classroom discipline developed in previous levels. Barre and center exercises increase in length and complexity, requiring greater strength, control, coordination, musicality, and retention.

Dancers continue refining alignment, placement, turnout, transitions, and use of the feet and legs while working toward greater consistency and precision throughout their technique. More complex combinations challenge dancers to coordinate the upper and lower body while developing fluidity, artistry, and confidence in movement.

Level 4B prepares dancers for the physical strength, technical understanding, independence, and discipline expected in upper-level ballet training and eventual pre-pointe work when developmentally appropriate.

Mondays 4:15 pm [60 Minutes]

Level 4.5 provides older beginning dancers with an age-appropriate introduction to the foundations of classical ballet. Designed for teens who are new to ballet or need additional foundational training, this class allows dancers to develop essential technique within a safe, encouraging, mature learning environment.

Students build ballet vocabulary while developing alignment, placement, turnout, coordination, musicality, strength, flexibility, and correct use of the feet and legs. Barre and center exercises progress intentionally as dancers gain the body awareness and technical understanding necessary for more advanced work.

The goal of Level 4.5 is to establish safe, consistent classical technique and prepare dancers to transition successfully into Level 5 when they demonstrate the necessary technical readiness.

Thursdays 7:00 pm [60 Minutes]

Pre-Pointe is a specialized conditioning and technique class designed to develop the strength, alignment, stability, and body awareness required for safe future pointe work. Because pointe readiness is determined by physical development and technical proficiency rather than age alone, this class focuses on building the foundational strength and movement patterns dancers need before pointe shoes are introduced.

Exercises emphasize foot and ankle strength, lower-leg control, core stability, turnout, alignment, balance, relevé technique, and proper weight placement while reinforcing the classical ballet technique developed in regular ballet classes.

Please note: Participation in Pre-Pointe does not automatically indicate readiness for pointe. Dancers progress to pointe only with instructor approval after demonstrating the physical strength, technical consistency, maturity, and alignment necessary to begin safely.

Mondays 6:45 pm [75 Minutes]

Level 5 is an intermediate classical ballet class designed for dancers who have established a strong technical foundation and are ready for increased complexity, precision, and artistry. Dancers continue refining placement, alignment, turnout, strength, flexibility, and use of the feet while progressing through increasingly demanding barre and center work.

Combinations require greater coordination, musicality, stamina, retention, and control as dancers develop more advanced turns, jumps, traveling steps, and movement sequences. Greater attention is also given to épaulement, port de bras, transitions, quality of movement, and artistry, allowing dancers to move beyond simply executing steps and toward dancing with confidence and intention.

Level 5 develops the technical consistency, strength, discipline, and artistry required for continued upper-level classical ballet training and supports dancers progressing into pointe work when individually approved.

Mondays 8:00 pm [30 Minutes]
Thursdays 8:15 pm [30 Minutes]

*Attendance of both the Monday and Thursday classes are required to do pointe, and instructor approval is required for this class. Pointe placement is based on individual physical and technical readiness and requires instructor approval.

This class is an additional 30 minutes after the Monday 12 & Up Ballet Class and the Thursday 10 & Up Pre-Pointe Ballet Classes.

Level 5.5 introduces approved dancers to the technique and discipline of classical pointe work. Pointe is treated as an extension of established ballet technique, with an emphasis on developing strength, alignment, placement, control, and correct execution rather than simply dancing in pointe shoes.

Beginning pointe exercises progress carefully and intentionally, allowing dancers to develop the strength and technical consistency required to work safely en pointe. Training reinforces proper use of the feet and ankles, turnout, core stability, balance, weight placement, and classical alignment while gradually increasing complexity as dancers demonstrate readiness.