Off Broadway Dance Studio

Traditional Ballet Class: “Ballet” is the fundamental, technical form from which all other dance styles stem. All the names (derived from the French) of basic dance steps and related terminology arise from “Ballet”. The most classic and often serious dance form, “Ballet” teaches young dancers the most rudimentary terms and techniques and is monumentally important for all dancers to establish and maintain proper form. Our “Ballet” classes include intensive barre work, center exercises, patterns in movement across the floor, both allegro and adagio combinations and our students will be fluent in the terminology they have learned -regardless of age.

Traditional Pointe Class: *This class must be taken in conjunction with a minimum of 1 additional ballet technique class per week. Instructor approval is required before dancer is allowed to enter a pointe class.* Pointe class may be taken by a student who is ready and has been determined by each individual student’s strength and physical development - not necessarily by their age. The instructor will advise parents when the student has the necessary strength and maturity needed to go en pointe.

Tap (Rhythmic & Traditional): “Tap” is a percussive style of dance. Special shoes are worn by tap dancers to create various rhythms on the floor. While the rest of the body is still crucial to this art form, and general balance and grace are important, the fundamental characteristic of “Tap” is the sound it creates. There are different styles of this dance form, from the more classical form associated with the Rockettes, to a more modern, aggressive style called “hoofing”. Our “Tap” classes  center exercises, tap-turns both center and across the floor, and extensive rhythmic combination training. Our students will have an overall comprehension of rhythm, tap technique and terminology which will greatly enhance their coordination skills.

Jazz (Traditional): The “Jazz” dance style covers perhaps the most territory of all. It encompasses a wide variety of other styles. Not to be confused with the musical genre of “Jazz”, this style of dance is not always performed to “Jazz” music, but can often use the popular music of today. Combining the basic techniques of ballet with the more modern steps found in Pop and Broadway, “Jazz” is an upbeat, stylish, and versatile dance form. Our “Jazz” classes include intensive strengthening warm ups, stretching techniques to elongate and encourage muscle strength, across the floor movements, leaps, turns and center combination work to fun and upbeat, recognizable music. Our student will have great knowledge of their terminology, a visual change in strength and flexibility, and a great appreciation for the dance form. 

Hippity Hop: A fun, upbeat and funky class for 4 -6 year olds that introduces young dancers to the hip hop movement and genre. Only age-appropriate music and movements are allowed and this class works to develop rhythm, coordination and hip hop skilled choreography.

Lyrical Dance: A style that is created from combining ballet with jazz – and adding contemporary techniques, Lyrical is a popular style for all ages. Allowing dancers to express strong emotions such as love, joy and anger through movement – it is typically performed with music with lyrics. Powerful expressive songs are often used in lyrical dance to give dancers a chance to express a range of strong emotions through their dancing. Lyrical is generally smoother and a bit faster than ballet, but not quite as fast as jazz.

Contemporary Dance: Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid movements. Contemporary dance stresses versatility and improvisation, unlike the strict, structured nature of ballet. Contemporary Dancers focus on floor work, using gravity to pull them down to the floor. This dance genre is often done in bare feet.

Musical Theater Class: An acting, dancing and music styled class, Musical Theater is designed for the triple-threat performer. Our classes have been designed with the professional musical theater performer in mind, and each class seeks to bring together these three disciplines into a cohesive synthesis. *It is recommended that along with Musical Theater – a student also take a dance technique class, such as ballet or jazz.