Dancing for a Difference fosters children’s social and physical skills through dance!
All dancers progress at their own rate so these ages are subjected to change.
Classes for ages 3-6
**2 year olds may trial this class to see if it may be a good fit!
Tiny Twirlers & Tappers
Tiny Tumblers
This 30-minute acro class introduces basic acro skills such as crab walks, forward rolls, donkey kicks, etc., while also helping children improve their flexibility, arm and core strength, balance, coordination, and listening skills. This is a great class option for those who love upbeat music, have high energy, and learn through movement. Some of our dancers take this class in addition to Tiny Twirlers & Tappers.
Twirlers & Tumbling
This class is for the more focused 4 to 6-year-old. It expands on the basics of ballet, teaching a bit more complex steps. Dancers will also learn beginner-level acro skills, ballet vocabulary, gain strength, flexibility, social skills, and more.
Bradway Babies
This class is for the more focused 4 to 6-year-old.
Classes for Ages 6+
Ballet
Ballet creates a great base technique that transfers to several other genres of dance. This class teaches basic ballet techniques, terms, and steps. Dancers will start to learn how to apply corrections, memorize choreography, and build techniques needed for future skills.
Level 1 -This class is specially designed for dancers ages 6+ and focuses on the fundamentals of ballet terminology, flexibility, turnout, body placement, proper muscle engagement, basic turns, and jumps. Dancers should be proficient in these basic fundamentals before placement in the next class level.
Level 2 – Advancing and Intermediate ballet dancers focus on more complex turns, jumps, and coordination of the upper and lower body with emphasis on body placement and proper muscle engagement. Dancers will begin strengthening for Pointé (Pre-Pointé). Students should be proficient in these basic fundamentals before placement in the next class level. Dancers are suggested to take pre-pointe in addition to Ballet 2.
Level 3 – Intermediate to Advanced ballet dancers master basic technique and skills, work on more complex turns and jumps adding “epaulement,” “batteries” (beating), increasing the speed of movement, and eventually progress to pointé work.
Other genres that pair well with/are suggested for Ballet: Stretch and conditioning, PBT, Lyrical, Pre Pointé/ Pointé.
Pre Pointé / Pointé
Safety and prevention of long-term injury are of utmost importance en Pointé and dancers who do not follow instructor recommendations and expectations for class attendance and participate in class, may be removed from the class.
Pre Pointé – Must be taken in addition to two ballet technique classes per week. Pre Pointé focuses on foot, ankle, and leg strength, body control and position, and proper Pointé technique. Pre-pointe will use therabands and pre-pointe shoes to strengthen ankles/feet and teach proper placement.
Pointé – Pointé students with proper requisite training. Must be taken in addition to a minimum of two ballet technique classes per week. This class is taught as part of the Advanced ballet class.
Jazzy Tappers
This class is a combination of jazz and tap. Dancers will learn basic jazz and tap steps: turns, leaps, shuffles, and paradiddles. Dancers will learn techniques, terminology, and skills.
Ballet 1 is a great class to pair with this!
This class is designed for ages 6+.
Skills: Beginning Jazz, focuses on the fundamentals of jazz, flexibility, body movement, muscle engagement, body isolation, basic leaps, walks and turns, single turns, chaines, various jazz walks, leaps, and kicks.
Beginning tap students. Focuses on the fundamentals of tap, sounds, rhythm, strength, and proper muscle engagement. Skills include flaps, shuffles, brushes, heels, and time steps. This class is designed with the young dancer in mind.
Jazz
Jazz is a fast-paced dance style performed to fun, upbeat, and popular music. In general, classes include a warm-up, across-the-floor progressions, and choreography combinations as well as emphasize musicality, body alignment, conditioning, stretch, and strengthening. In addition to focusing on proper technique for leaps and turns, dancers will learn to coordinate sharp and strong movements and use facial expressions. This is a great option for those who want to improve their overall performance quality, build their style and confidence, and work on their ability to pick up choreography and connect steps/skills.
Level 2 – Dancers must have prior Jazzy Tappers experience and are placed with instructor approval. Jazz 2 builds upon previous Jazzy Tappers skills. Skills include multiple turns, more complex footwork and leaps, dancers focus on isolations and speed.
Level 3 – Dancers must have prior Jazz 2 experience and placed with instructor approval. Jazz 3 builds upon previous Jazzy Tappers & Jazz 2 skills with emphasis on strength and range of movement, turns, leaps, and kicks. Skills include multiple turns, chaine and pique turns, jazz walks, use of levels, jete leaps, battement style kicks, and performance quality.
Tap
Tap focuses on varying degrees of speed and precision while pairing steps to different rhythms using the toes and heels of the shoes with metal taps. This class includes a center warm-up, across-the-floor combinations, center floor combinations, and some bar work to perfect certain steps.
Level 2 – Beginning to Intermediate tap dancers with prior Tap 1 or Tap 2 experience and instructor approval. Tap 2 focuses on building upon previously learned skills (paradiddles, maxi ford, buffalo, time steps, and more) speed, clarity of sound, emphasis on sounds, and rhythm tap.
Level 3 – Intermediate tap dancers with prior Tap 2 experience. Tap 3 focuses on building upon previously learned skills. Skills include increased rhythm tap speed, wings, separated wings, toe stand, pullbacks, and turns. Tap 4 has an emphasis on learning fast choreography with varying rhythms.
Level 4 -Advanced tap dancers with prior Tap 2 or Tap 3/4 experience.
Acro
Acro Dance teaches dancers skills they can incorporate into choreography. Acro Dance includes Gymnast-like tumbling and flexibility skills with the beauty and execution of dance. These skills include rolls, backbends, walkovers, and in higher-level acro classes, back handsprings and aerials. Beginner-level acro classes focus a lot on strength and flexibility in order to be able to build up to harder skills. Safety and proper form are of utmost importance in our Acro Dance training classes.
Level 1 – Focuses on safety, flexibility, strength, beginning and finishing positions, and proper body, foot, and leg positions. Skills include forward rolls, cartwheels, backward rolls, headstands, handstands, backbends, and splits.
Level 2 – Advancing Beginning Acro dancers build upon skills learned in Acro 1 and focus on increased flexibility, strength, and consistency of proper skill execution. Skills include independent splits (no arms), independent front and back walkovers, round-offs, independent handstands, and handsprings.
Level 3 – Intermediate Acro dancers build upon skills learned in Acro 2 and focus on increased strength, power, control, and proper skill execution. Skills include front and side aerials, handsprings, leg movements while in the handstand position, acrobatic partnering, and the combination of moves in tumbling passes. A requirement to take this class is that the child needs to be enrolled in a ballet or jazz class.
Level 4 – Advancing Intermediate Acro dancers build upon skills learned in Acro 3 and focus on increased strength, power, control, and proper skill execution. Skills include front and side aerials, back layouts, hand walking, handstand presses, back handsprings, front and back tucks, controlled leg movement while in elbow and handstand, partnering, and the combination of moves in tumbling passes.
Hip Hop
Hip-hop is a fun upbeat energetic class that combines street moves with technical jazz elements adding a unique mixture of creativity, style, precision, with a combination of smooth and hard-hitting moves.
Level 1 – Beginner level hip hop class for ages 5-12. For dancers with little to no hip hop experience.
Level 2 – Beginner/intermediate level hip hop class for ages 9-18. For dancers with at least 1 year of hip hop experience.
Pom Jazz
Pom Jazz is a combination of jazz, cheerleading, and hip hop. Dancers will learn the basics of jazz and hip hop skills as well as the fundamentals of cheerleading. Steps will be paired with poms to create upbeat “side line” dance sequences.
Level 1 – Skills: Jazz walks, Jazz square, pivot turns, triplets, Grande Battement, chasse, pirouette prep & single turn, chaine (3 step turn), Pas de bourrae, kick ball change, windmill on the floor (straddle), Chasse step leap, fan kicks, tuck jumps, leaps with arms in high “V,” basic conditioning and cardio, pivot turn, transition walks, and arm positions.
Level 2 – Skills include pirouettes (double & triples), chaine and pique turns, jazz walks, leg holds and tilts, jete leaps, grande battement, fan kicks, illusions, basic conditioning, and cardio, performance quality.
Other genres that pair well with/are suggested for Pom Jazz: Acro, Jazzy Tappers, Ballet, and Hip Hop.
Lyrical
lyrical is a bridge from ballet to contemporary for young dancers. It’s a great introduction to how to use the technique but deviates from the rules a little bit to be more flowy. Proper body alignment, beginning turns, jumps, and floor work are some of the things dancers will learn. There is also more of a focus on performing to the lyrics of the music, giving them a chance to explore the emotional aspects of the music and express themselves through dance.
Level 1 – Some ballet experience is needed for beginner classes.
Level 2 – Dancers will need to be in ballet, as well as continue to learn lyrical techniques connecting their steps together in fluid combinations and traveling exercises.
Variations & Stretch
Variations & Stretch teaches stamina, spacing, stage presence, and many other things essential to ballet dancing. In our variations classes, extra time and attention is devoted to short dances from full-length ballets that include solos, duets, trios, or small groups. This allows us to further develop the talent of our dancers.
D4D Ambassadors
D4D Ambassadors are dedicated students who want to give back to the studio and community. Students (ages 6+) are provided with opportunities to volunteer their time in exchange for receiving $25 off their monthly tuition. D4D Ambassadors meet at their class time to help maintain the cleanliness of the studio, make items for fundraising events, participate in fundraisers, organize costumes and dancewear, and more. There is no charge to sign up. Parents are also encouraged to assist their students with responsibilities.
Obstacle Ninja Course
Obstacle Ninja Course will help set your kiddos up for a healthier life through movement. Endurance training, stamina, and fun while building up their Cardio is our goal.
Kids Yoga & Stretch
Kids Yoga & Stretch expands children’s physical, mental, and social well-being. Yoga & Stretch helps manage their anxiety, boost self-esteem, enhance concentration and memory, and develop strength with increasing flexibility.
Team
D4D Dance team provides an outlet for more serious dancers ages 6 through 18 to perform, travel, compete, and improve their performance and technical skills.
Unlike many competitive dance programs, our focus is not on winning trophies. Our team is designed to bolster comradery, respect, passion, and foster a love for dance, while also preparing dancers to go out in the professional dance world to become teachers and choreographers themselves, participate in college programs, or dance professionally.
D4D Voice Team provides an opportunity for singers to participate in vocal performances out in the community and improve their technical skills.