Photo Credit Amanda Tipton Photography

Advanced Dance Classes – Approximate ages 11-20

Class Recommendations

Taking classes in disciplines such as Jazz, Modern and Tap is strongly encouraged to help dancers improve their technique and expand their artistry, ability, and understanding of dance history as a whole.

Taking Men’s and Power, Flight & Turn class is recommended for all male-identifying students.

Advanced 1 Division

3-4 ballet classes per week are recommended. In order to take  pre-pointe, dancers must take 3 ballet classes and 2 corresponding pre-pointe classes. 

Advanced 2 Division

3-5 ballet classes per week are recommended. In order to take Beginning Pointe, dancers are required to take 3 ballet classes and 3 beginning pointe classes.

Advanced 3 & 4 Divisions

3-6 ballet classes per week. In order to take pointe, dancers are required to take 3 ballet classes and 3 corresponding pointe classes each week. Variations class will be performed en pointe.

Advanced 5 Division

Dancers at this level are encouraged to train 5-6 days per week, including 4-6 ballet classes (3 ballet classes and 3 corresponding pointe classes are required to train en pointe), Variations (performed en pointe), Power Flight and Turn, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, and Tap. 

Advanced Dance Class Levels

Advanced 1 Division

In Advanced 1 Division Pre-Pointe, students heighten their strength, control speed and mental acuity through the introduction of more complex combinations, turns, jumps and balances. Students in this level also begin preparing for future pointe work by taking a specialized Pre-Pointe class, which includes focus on strength and kinesthetic awareness.

Advanced 2 Division

In Advanced 2 Division Beginning Pointe, students begin to transition to our more advanced syllabus, including taking on more complex combinations, multiple turns, and big jumps, while also refining their movements and building stamina. Female students at this level may study Beginning Pointe, if also approved by Lead Faculty.

Advanced 3 Division

For students in Advanced 3, their attention turns to “the whole picture” as they gain a comprehensive understanding of how their upper body and lower bodies work together. They also learn complex combinations quickly and focus their energies on strength, refinement, confidence and risk taking.

Advanced 4 Division

In Advanced 4, this challenging level offers students the opportunity to push themselves with advanced technique.

Advanced 5 Division

Students in this program often plan to go on to college programs or professional careers in dance. Classes are challenging and also highly motivating, and students have high expectations for themselves and the quality of their work. We push Advanced 5 division dancers to move beyond their comfort zone and make personal discoveries in their artistry, including their technique.

A lead faculty member will assess and place new students in the appropriate level of our Advanced Division dance classes. Class placements are based on skill level and attainment of curriculum goals, rather than age. If you are a new student, please submit our Class Assessment Form for a trial class. You may also call 303.466.5685. If you are a returning student, please log on to your Student/Parent Portal to register for classes. Upon registration, each student will pay a $35 Registration Fee, siblings will pay $10. Ask about a sibling discount upon registration! 

Advanced Dance Class Descriptions

Power, Flight & Turn (PFT)

PFT is a class for advanced dancers to gain full-body strength (to keep them safe when lifting other dancers) while perfecting the technical requirements necessary when performing jumps and turns. Dancers will learn variations and other excerpts from classical repertoire typically attributed to male danseurs.

Tap

This class will take dancers from the fundamentals of tap technique and rhythm to as solid, intermediate/advanced tap vocabulary. Additionally, dancers will learn the basics of tap improvisation.

Ballet

CCD’s ballet training is based on a mixture of the English RAD system, the Italian Cecchetti method, and also the French System. Our ‘neutral’, kinesthetically healthy classical technique builds great strength and versatility, while also allowing every kind of physical form to reach its potential in a healthy, accepting environment.

Conditioning

Advanced Conditioning focuses on developing the stamina, strength, and also the coordination required for this new level of dance training. Dancers should take conditioning classes to supplement their other dance classes.

Contemporary

CCD’s contemporary syllabus explores dance techniques studied in recent and emerging professional dance companies with an emphasis on contemporary forms of concert dance. Alongside their training, dancers will explore contemporary partnering, performance practices and also cross-disciplinary approaches to movement exploration. This study in contemporary dance will also make space for examining their own understanding of movement and forming their artistic values as thinkers, movers, and makers.

Composition*

Intended as a class for prospective choreographers, this class introduces and reinforces the cornerstones of choreographic practice. Students will learn the basics, and the class will also culminate in a Young Choreographers Showcase.

*Composition is an extra fee of $120 per student per year.

Jazz Technique

CCD’s jazz technique syllabus aims to guide our dancers from the historic vernacular roots through the performative styles of Fosse and Luigi to current forms underpinning much of popular dance. We also encourage our dancers to become generalists in jazz technique with a historic understanding of the past and future of the art form.

Men’s & Power, Flight & Turn

Men’s & Power, Flight & Turn is a class for advanced dancers to gain full-body strength (to keep them safe when lifting other dancers) while perfecting the technical requirements necessary when performing jumps and turns. Dancers will learn variations and other excerpts from classical repertoire typically attributed to male danseurs.

Modern Technique

CCD’s modern dance syllabus focuses our dancers on the general concepts and techniques of modern dance while imparting specific somatic and improvisational skills. This conceptual understanding allows dancers to be successful in a range of modern styles while creating a full and developed physical understanding of their body and its abilities. Including a historical overview of modern dance allows students to better interpret the development and future of this technique.

Pedagogy

Intended as a class for prospective teachers, this class immerses students in the world of teaching dance, from age-appropriate expectations, approaches to instruction and correction, and also methods of communication.

Pas de Deux

This class is based on the basic understanding of how two individual dancers can bear each other’s weight, manipulate the physics of one’s movements, and work jointly to create beautiful shapes. We use both classical and contemporary modalities to teach this class, and all dancers will learn to safely bear and give weight.

Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT)

Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) is an innovative body-conditioning and strengthening program developed by Marie Walton-Mahon. This class teaches students to understand the depth of training muscle memory in achieving their personal best. The program uses various sizes of Fit Balls and flex bands to simulate ballet and dance technique, thus the muscle memory applied to class work. Highly appreciated by physical therapists around the world, the system is well organized by age, level and challenges. All PBT balls will be provided for all students who take classes in person. CCD students studying online will need to have their own equipment:

• Fusion Ball 7-9″ (sometimes called a Pilates ball) 
• Fit Ball – 55cm – 65cm
• Flex band (9 feet long) will be available to buy at the front desk

Variations

Students in Advanced Variations learn small sections of classical ballets. Studying the authentic choreography deepens their understanding of ballet’s history and traditions.

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