Teen Dance Programs
The body says what words cannot
Our mission is to provide the time, space and guidance for you to articulate and express your fullest self. We offer dancers a complete curriculum of opportunities to develop individual artistry, technical skill, and personal expression while creating new connections and friendships.
Teen Course Offerings
Our classes run in a semester format, with a Winter Break between courses. Classes run 60-90 minutes, based on style selected. Families are welcomed to observation weeks to see student progress and to our Informal Showing and annual Spring Performance.
Ballet
Ballet technique provides a solid foundation for the study of many different styles of dance. The dancer learns to properly hold the spine, work the appropriate muscle groups and external rotation, and absorb the French terminology associated with dance. Basic fundamentals will be emphasized with focus on correct placement, clarity, detail of movement, and development of musicality and grace.
Jazz
Jazz is an upbeat and soulful art form that emphasizes sharpness, articulation, musicality, and dynamic expression. Dance to a variety of music including Broadway and Pop hits while studying leaps, turns, footwork, floor work, and extensions.
Tap
Tap is a percussive movement style that teaches a dancer musicality and rhythm. Students will gain foot articulation through drills and movement progressions. We encourage dancers to work together to develop rhythms and sound patterns, training their ear to hear not only their sounds but the music being created around them. In Tap class at AIWA, you can make some noise while discovering your inner musician.
Contemporary
Combining elements of both Modern and Jazz, our Contemporary class will focus on the use of the body’s weight and spatial relationship to the floor while emphasizing the communication of emotional content. Dancers will come to understand the forces that act on the body as well as how to work with those forces as they practice turns, leaps, extensions, and transitions.
Hip Hop
Born on the streets, Hip-Hop is grounded, unapologetic, precise, and dynamic. Dancers will learn about the energy and effort of specific vocabulary as well as how to concentrate on the isolation of body parts to create distinct imagery. Popping, locking, and other basic techniques will be introduced.
Rhythm Stomp
Rhythm Stomp is a new and rising art form where the dancer uses the entire body as an instrument to produce a musical soundscape. Inspired by the percussive performance group STOMP, students are introduced to sound making using step vocabulary, patterned progressions, and polyrhythmic study through a mixture of hand claps, snaps, pats, foot stomps, dancing, and drumsticks. Students work together to create a complex, carefully orchestrated, high energy choreographed piece that leaves a dynamic impression on all who practice or watch.
