*By instructor approval only*

This yearlong class is designed for dedicated ballet students with prior experience who are ready to advance their technique, deepen their artistry, and grow as expressive performers. Dancers will engage in rigorous barre and center work to refine alignment, develop strength and control, and increase complexity in movement vocabulary and choreography.

Throughout the year, students will work on advanced skills including sustained balances, pirouettes, grande allegro, classical variation phrasework, and dynamic musical phrasing. Emphasis is placed on clarity of line, fluidity, expressive presence, and ensemble awareness. Dancers will also explore artistic elements such as épaulement, emotion in movement, and classical styling across traditions.

The course is structured in three progressive units:
Unit 1: Technical Precision & Core Strength
Unit 2: Artistic Refinement & Classical Variation Skills
Unit 3: Performance Readiness & Expressive Confidence

Students will have two special opportunities to share their progress with family during our informal “Family Night: Inside the Studio” events, held at the end of each semester (December and May). These evenings are designed to let families step into the studio and see firsthand what their student has been learning and experiencing each week, and to provide a celebratory atmosphere for students to showcase their growth and skills.

Class Objectives:

1. Execute advanced ballet technique with clean alignment, balance, and coordination
2. Perform barre and center combinations with musicality, control, and artistry
3. Apply dynamic phrasing, expressive arms (port de bras), and épaulement in choreography
4. Demonstrate proficiency in pirouettes, allegro, adagio, and traveling turns
5. Recognize and embody stylistic elements from different classical ballet traditions
6. Work collaboratively within an ensemble, demonstrating spatial awareness and shared focus
7. Rehearse and refine a choreographed piece with expression and attention to detail for informal studio sharing

Instructional Tone: Disciplined, empowering, and artistically rich—designed to challenge and inspire dancers in a supportive environment
Activities: Full barre and center combinations, across-the-floor technique, variation phrasework, ensemble collaboration, journaling and reflection
Skills Focus: Turnout and alignment, classical vocabulary, musicality, fluid transitions, stylistic nuance, stamina, stage presence
Performance Readiness: Prepared to perform a short classical ballet piece with confidence, technique, and expressive clarity in an informal setting

Aligned National Core Arts Standards (Dance):
Creating:
DA:Cr1.1 — Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work (dynamic phrasing, stylistic embodiment)
DA:Cr2.1 — Organize and develop artistic ideas and work (advanced technique combinations, rehearsal)
DA:Cr3.1 — Refine and complete artistic work (expression and detail in choreography)
Performing:
DA:Pr5.1 — Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation (balance, coordination, turns, allegro/adagio)
DA:Pr6.1 — Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work (expressive arms, musicality, artistry)
Responding:
DA:Re7.1 — Perceive and analyze artistic work (ensemble spatial awareness, timing)
DA:Re8.1 — Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work (stylistic nuances, expression)
Connecting:
DA:Cn10.1 — Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art (classical ballet traditions and style)
 

Prerequisite: By instructor approval only