Ballet
Ballet is a fantastic way to learn how to move and control your body. It’s often referred to as the foundation of dance, and it’s easy to see why. Other forms of dance like modern, have grown out of the basics of ballet. It requires commitment and often gets the best results from more than one lesson a week. Practicing ballet can help improve posture and promote graceful movement. It’s also incredibly strengthening and contributes to core strength as well as improving flexibility. Learning ballet is a great base to start to learn many other dance forms.
A1 Dance Academy follows the the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Syllabus from Pre-Primary to Advanced level
Pre-Primary and Primary are where most children start to learn about ballet. It’s a fun, short class where the very basics are taught in an engaging way. Our teachers are very experienced at getting the best from children, and teaching them in a way that encourages them to learn at their own pace. If a child is ready to take an exam it’s usually done in a familiar studio and is a very relaxed sort of affair.
By progressing through Grades 1–3, children start to build up knowledge of ballet moves, making this perfect for older children. Children who have come up through Pre-Primary and Primary will have the benefit of the RAD training and will now start to build a greater knowledge of technique and steps including the introduction of Character Dance. Regular ballet classes will help improve co-ordination, confidence and movement memory.
Grades 4–8 are when the dancer really starts to emerge. Once students reach these levels they are challenged with more and more demanding work. When dancers are exercising their bodies their brains are also being given a work out.
Once students reach a certain standard and can demonstration potential and dedication to progress they may be invited to begin Vocationl training. These classes may be attended for fun but are mainly aimed towards students considering pursuing Vocational training for a professional career in dance.
The work at this level is extrmely demanding and required dedication and commitment from the student as they will be expected to attend at least two ballet classes per week and may be combined with Modern and Body Conditioning where available to improve strength and stamina. This will be required to achieve exams at this level.
This is also the level at which Pointe work is introduced through series of pre-pointe strengthening exercises. The teacher will review and assess each student individually for readiness to begin pointe work, when the teacher will accompany the student on a shopping trip to get measured for pointe shoes.
Modern
Modern Theatre dance is a rhythmic dance style which originated in America before travelling to the rest of the world. It is often seen on the stages of musical productions and is known for its theatrical qualities. The style uses travelling steps, high kicks, leaps, and turns which all need strength and flexibility. This is a highly energetic dance style.
Students can begin modern classes once they have reached school age. The ISTD Modern Theatre Syllabus is a fun syllabus that allows children to build a safe and solid technique in preparation for the higher grades.
The syllabus at this level helps to develop a wider vocabulary of dance movements and promote the understanding and use of dance terminology. Students will be increasing strength and flexibility as well as improving their creativity and dance technique.
Once the student has completed the graded exams, they will progress to the Vocational grades. These grades are much more challenging, both physically and mentally, as they require a high level of technique, fitness and flexibility.
Tap
A1 Dance Academy follows the ISTD Tap Syllabus. Tap has evolved as an American dance form, popularised throughout the world, with debate about its origins coming from African dance, Irish dance and/or clog dancing. The dancer uses their feet to strike the floor, beating out different rhythms, with dancers wearing tap shoes which have small metal plates on the toe and heel to give the distinctive sound. Tap dance is a theatrical art form often seen on stage in musicals.We
Students can begin tap classes once they have reached school age. Starting from Pre-Primary this teaches the basics of tap for beginners. This helps them to learn about rhythm, basic steps and how to use different parts of the tap shoe to create different sounds.
Following the ISTD Syllabus allows students to learn through a graduated progression of well structured exercises with more challenging rhythms and tap steps to become an accomplished tap dancer.
Once the student has completed the graded exams, they will progress to the Vocational grades. These grades are much more challenging, both physically and mentally, as they require a high level of fitness and technical skill.