Dance Fundamentals
Our Fundamentals program begins at age seven and continues through adulthood with specialized classes in the dance disciplines of ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop and musical theater. Programming is progressive through the school year, and seeks to instill in each student a love and appreciation for the art of dance and performance. We provide a structured class environment with an emphasis on positive reinforcement, respect, commitment and special attention to individual student abilities.
Ballet
Many paths began here; a strong foundation in ballet allows students to understand and explore the many dance forms which it inspired, as well as giving them an appreciation of beauty born of tradition and form. Students will learn the basics of classical ballet with a focus on proper technique, alignment and terminology in a fun and relaxed environment. Classical barre and center floor steps and variations will increase students strength, flexibility and coordination.
Ballet I
Monday, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Wednesday, 4:15pm – 5:15pm
Thursday, 4:15pm – 5:15pm
Thursday, 5:15pm – 6:15pm
Saturday, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Ballet II
Wednesday, 5:00pm – 6:15pm
Thursday, 6:15pm – 7:30pm
Teen/Adult Ballet
Wednesday, 6:15pm – 7:30pm
Ballet III
Monday, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Tuesday, 4:30pm – 6:00pm
Ballet IV
Tuesday, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Ballet V
Tuesday, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Upper Level Ballet
Saturday, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Pointe
Pointe and Pre-Pointe classes are offered as a component to advanced ballet training. This beautiful art form requires discipline and commitment to proper training. Only students aged 13 and over are considered for pointe training and placement is at the discretion of the ballet faculty and studio director. For more information about pointe training at WSD please contact us.
Pre-Pointe
Thursday, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Beginning Pointe
Thursday, 6:15pm – 7:30pm
Int/Adv Pointe
Thursday, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Jazz
Groove to the music of the world in jazz. A mixture of African, European and American dance styles, jazz dance stretches, elaborates and even breaks the rules of classical dance. Often set to popular music, it is the dance form of MTV and the musical theater. Students will explore the different kinds of jazz dance and performance using high energy music and choreography. Concurrent enrollment in a ballet class is recommended for lower levels, and required for advanced dancers in levels 3 and up.
Jazz I
Tuesday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Wednesday, 5:15pm – 6:15pm
Saturday, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Jazz II
Wednesday, 6:15pm – 7:30pm
Saturday, 2:00pm – 3:15pm
Jazz III/IV
Wednesday, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Jazz V
Wednesday, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Contemporary
An introduction to the foundations of modern dance, this class explores the contemporary style while building strength, increasing flexibility and providing a vocabulary of movement that can be applied to all dance styles. Contemporary dance emphasizes the use of the floor for centering and grounding oneself in movement, improvisation and personal expression, and is an ideal complement to jazz and musical theater studies. Concurrent enrollment in a ballet class is required for upper level classes.
Contemporary II
Monday, 6:15pm – 7:30pm
Contemporary III/IV
Monday, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Contemporary V
Monday, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Tap
Make music with your feet in this popular American dance form! Students receive a solid grounding in classical tap technique while exploring rhythm and music. Tap dancing expands the mind’s ability to remember and repeat patterns, developing mental concentration and physical coordination.
Tap I
Friday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Tap II
Friday, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Tap III/IV
Friday, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Teen/Adult Tap
Friday, 8:30pm – 9:30pm
Hip Hop
A popular form of jazz dance, hip hop is a high energy street dance style closely allied with trends in popular music. An ever evolving art form, hip hop incorporates elements of improvisation and personal expression in performance. Cutting-edge moves are taught in an age-appropriate manner to family-friendly music
Hip Hop II
Tuesday, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Hip Hop III
Tuesday, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Hip Hop IV
Tuesday, 8:30pm – 9:30pm
Musical Theater
If you like to sing, act and dance than this is the class for you! Musical Theater at WSD is an introduction to acting, dance, vocal skills, musical theater, characterization, theater vocabulary and performing skills. A love for the stage and a passion for performance is all that’s required.
Musical Theater I
Friday, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Musical Theater II
Friday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Musical Theater III
Friday, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Class Placement for Fundamentals
Our fundamentals classes are divided into five progressive levels with placement by age and ability. Upper level classes are subject to teacher recommendation.
| Level I | Ages 7-9 | Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theater |
| Level II | Ages 10-12 | Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Contemporary |
| Level III-V | Ages 13+ | Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Pointe (Class placement is subject to teacher recommendation) |
| Teen/Adult | Ages 13+ | Ballet, Tap, Contemporary (All experience levels are welcome) |
