Curriculum

The Pre-Professional Program in Ballet and Contemporary Dance is organized in "packages" which provide the recommended minimum number of classes per week for each level: from the entry Level 1 (ages seven and up) to the most advanced Level 6. Contemporary Dance is introduced at Level 3, and from Levels 4X and upwards, students may build a focus in either discipline, according to teacher recommendation, aptitude and interest.

The levels fall into two divisions:

Division One includes the beginner and elementary levels 1, 1X and 2, in which students ages seven to thirteen acquire the initial layers of knowledge that form the foundation of ballet technique; beginner students above age thirteen may enroll in Open Program Ballet for Teens and Adults. These primary levels are considered the most important of all, because the student's development from this point on depends greatly on the strength of their early base.

Division Two includes the upper elementary to advanced levels: 3, 4, 4X, 5, 5X and 6, where students hone their skills by building on their basic foundation. Also at these levels, class schedules intensify with addition of pointe work for the female dancer (which eventually involves Variations and Partnering), class work addressing the special technical requirements of the male dancer, classes in Contemporary Dance, as well as increased participation in rehearsals, performances and special events.

Students may be allowed to start pointe work at Level 4, but the student's readiness is individually assessed by ballet faculty. Other factors may prohibit progress on pointe, and regular ballet training does not necessarily enable a student to perform on pointe. Pointe work is an integral part of the ballet class and is not scheduled separately. At the teacher's discretion, pointe may be included for the whole class, and for other instances, just a few minutes.

The Contemporary Dance focus, which can start at Level 4X,  provides carefully graded classes, compatible with the ballet program but at the same time adding principles of major modern techniques to develop strength, versatility, command of the floor, and spatial dynamics. Improvisation, composition and repertory classes are built into the upper level schedules, and continued training in ballet is required. Whether the focus is Ballet or Contemporary Dance, following the dedicated, often difficult path to the advanced levels of training is the way that those who choose it can become technically articulate, expressive, mature performers.

Class Levels

The following is a list of package requirements for each level in Ballet and Contemporary Dance. It is extremely important to note that a level is merely an indication of a student's current stage of accomplishing the required skills. Placement in levels is neither an arbitrary "reward-punishment" process nor is it based entirely on years of study or age (except for the 7-year old entry-level minimum in ballet and 9-year old entry level in contemporary dance). Since the teaching content of the class is guided more by the students' physical facility and quickness in digesting material than by the demands of a pre-ordered syllabus, they will be placed where the Artistic Director and faculty feel they will learn the most and where gaps in training can be addressed. At the same time, students will be allowed and encouraged to advance through the level system according to their own talents, hard work, and dedicated attendance. Furthermore, the technical attainment of the school's overall student body often fluctuates from year to year, and the numbers or letters attached to class levels may have little meaning compared to those same numbers or letters in previous years.

Ballet Levels

Division One

Level 1
Two 60-minute Ballet classes

Level 1X*
Two 60-minute Ballet classes

Level 2
Two 75-minute Ballet classes
One 60-minute Ballet class

Level 2X*
Three 75-minute Ballet classes

Division Two

Level 3
Three 90-minute Ballet classes
One 60-minute Contemporary Dance class

Level 3X*
Three 90-minute Ballet classes
One 75-minute Contemporary Dance class

Level 4**
Two 90-minute Ballet classes
One 90-minute Ballet/Pointe class
One 60-minute Ballet class
One 75-minute Contemporary Dance class

Level 4X*
One 120-minute Ballet/Pointe class
One 90-minute Ballet/Pointe class
One 90-minute Ballet class
One 60-minute Ballet class
Two 90-minute Contemporary Dance classes

Level 5
Two 120-minute Ballet/Pointe classes
Two 90-minute Ballet/Pointe classes
Two 90-minute Contemporary Dance classes

Level 5X*
Two 120-minute Ballet/Pointe classes
Three 90-minute Ballet/Pointe classes
Two 90-minute Contemporary Dance classes

Level 6
Two 120-minute Ballet/Pointe classes
Three 90-minute Ballet/Pointe classes
Two 90-minute Contemporary Dance classes

* "X" denotes the next higher class in the same level.
** Pointe work is introduced at Level 4. Students may begin pointe when the teacher has determined they are ready.

Contemporary Dance Levels

Level A
One 60-minute Contemporary Dance class
One 75-minute Contemporary Dance class
One 90-minute Ballet class

Level B
Two 75-minute Contemporary Dance classes
One 90-minute Ballet class

Level C
Three 90-minute Contemporary Dance classes
One 60-minute Repertory class
Two 90-minute Ballet classes

Level D
Three 90-minute Contemporary Dance classes
One 60-minute Improvisation/Composition class
One 60-minute Repertory class
Two 90-minute Ballet classes