ADDITIONAL Dance Styles - Jazz, Musical Theater, Tap and Hip Hop

Click HERE for the NEWLY REVISED CLASS SCHEDULE FOR DANCERS OF ALL AGES

jazz dance and Musical Theater

Jazz dance is a form of dance that combines both African and European dance styles. This high-energy dance has a liveliness that sets it apart from traditional dance forms, such as classical ballet. Like jazz music, Jazz dance features improvisation. Dancers respond to the music with their body movements, changing their motions with the musicians’ spontaneous instrumental creations.

Today, jazz has branched out to include various styles, including Broadway, Hip Hop, Funk, Afro-Caribbean, Latin, Pop, and Tap dance. Modern jazz emerged in the 1950s as Broadway show choreographers in New York City began incorporating jazz on the stage. Choreographers Jack Cole, Bob Fosse, and Gus Giordano have particularly influenced modern jazz. Today, commercial jazz is a popular form of jazz dance, combining elements of hip-hop and pop into stylized choreography.

Musical Theater dance is the type of dancing—usually ballet, jazz, hip-hop, or tap—used in choreographed sequences for musical theater. Once upon a time, in the Golden Age of Broadway, there were two ensembles: a singing ensemble and a dancing ensemble. But eventually producers got wise and realized it was pretty expensive to hire completely separate groups of people to cover the two jobs when they could just find half the number of (incredibly talented) people to do both at once. And it wasn’t without its benefits since it is pretty exciting to watch an army of ensemble members bust out singing and dancing in a high-energy opening number influenced by various styles. These days, dancers in Musical Theater have become very accomplished at dancing and require higher level training. SINGING IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS CLASS.

CLASS LENGTH & FREQUENCY

45 Minutes to 1 Hour (depending on level), Once a week

REQUIREMENTS

Many of our dancers are generally coming from another class such as ballet, so the dress code will be easy to manage if going directly into a Jazz or Musical Theater class. The dress code for girls is a solid colored leotard, tights, black jazz shoes, and hair pulled away from the face. Boys dress code is black tights or leggings, solid color trim fit shirt, black jazz shoes, and hair combed away from face. For recital, the instructor will make a decision on the color of the tights needed (generally usually skin-tone tights or black tights).

Tap Dance

Tap dance is a style of dance in which a dancer wearing shoes fitted with heel and toe taps sounds out audible beats by rhythmically striking the floor. Tap dance is a wonderful way to teach children and all dancers about rhythm.

At Dance Gallery, the Tap instructors follow a syllabus of skills in order to allow students to progress from class to class each year. Tap levels begin at Pre Tap for 5 and 6 year olds, and progress upward to Tap V which is the highest level offered at Dance Gallery. In addition, the Adult Program also offers Adult Tap classes each week.

CLASS LENGTH & FREQUENCY

30 Minutes to 1 Hour (depending on level), Once a week

REQUIREMENTS

Many of our dancers are generally coming from another class such as ballet, so the dress code will be easy to manage if going directly into a Tap class. The dress code for girls is a solid colored leotard, tights, black low heel tap shoes, and hair pulled away from the face. Boys dress code is black tights or leggings, solid color trim fit shirt, and black tap shoes. For recital, the instructor will make a decision on the color of the tights needed (generally usually skin-tone tights or black tights).

Hip Hop

Hip Hop dance is a style of street dance form that evolved from hip hop culture and hip hop music. It borrows elements from a number of different styles like African dance, tap, and ballet. Hip hop dance began as a freestyle dance performed in the streets by dance crews, mostly to hip hop music. Hip hop is a fun style for dancers to explore as it works with exciting music with strong beats. The movements in Hip Hop tend to be strong, and the dancers have a sense of feeling powerful with the choreography.

Dance Gallery’s Hip Hop program begins at age 7, and the levels begin at Level I up to Level V.

CLASS LENGTH & FREQUENCY

45 Minutes, Once a week

REQUIREMENTS

Many of our dancers are generally coming from another class such as ballet, so the dress code will be easy to manage if going directly into a Hip Hop class. The attire for Hip Hop is fairly flexible. Leggings or dance shorts over tights, and a t-shirt would be appropriate for this class. Mid drifts must be covered (you must have a shirt over a bra top, and legs need to be covered with tights or leggings). Dancers hair should be pulled away from the face. Boys dress code is comfortable pants to move in and a t-shirt. For girls and boys, supportive black tennis shoes are required for this class.