Fall Programs
Tots Program
A unique class designed and modeled after Kindermusik. A 30-minute creative movement & tumbling class for two-year olds.
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Preschool & Kindergarten
Ballet & Tap combined into one class per week allowing children to explore both styles of dance.
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Recreational Dance
Students can take one or two classes per week with no prior technical experience in dance. A great way to prepare for dance teams, community theatre roles, and extracurricular involvements. Fun and age appropriate, with five different age levels offered four days a week, grades 1 through 12.
Apprenticeship / Pre-Professional Program:
This program is designed to allow children who are serious about their dance education to study at the highest level possible. Students are trained in all styles of dance and work with a multitude of professional dance educators including master teachers from around the country. Monthly class fees start at $135.00. This low monthly fee includes an unlimited number of classes per week enabling dancers to study as cost efficiently as possible.
In 2014 alone, participants in our AP program were awarded acceptance and scholarships to prestigious programs at Point Park University, University of the Arts Philadelphia, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and various scholarships around the state. The AP program trains dancers for ensemble work, auditioning, college programs, and careers in dance.
Level I - Ages 7-8
Level II - Ages 9-11
Level III - Ages 12-15
Level IV - Ages 16 to Adult
Summer Programs
During the summer, we offer several different types of programs - everything from week long arts camps and dance intensives to weekly walk-in classes. Something for everyone!
​For current dates, see Upcoming Events.
5-Week Summer Dance Session
In this multi-week session, offered to three-year-olds through adults, classes are offered three days a week for all styles and levels of dance. Class structure is designed so that students may choose classes at different times for one fee, enabling them to plan around summer vacations. The session is a perfect way to continue training during the summer or sample new styles you've always wanted to try.​​
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Princess Camp
Dance like a princess! A camp for kids aged six through eight, this week-long session will introduce a new ballet each day. Selections include Disney's Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, and Carnival of the Animals with Peter and the Wolf. The camp is complete with dress-up costumes and a final showcase.
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Jazz Intensive
A four-day intensive program concentrating on jazz and modern techniques. Faculty includes guest artists and master teachers from around the country.
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Ballet Intensive
A four-day intensive program concentrating on ballet technique and variations. Faculty includes guest artists and master teachers from around the country.
Why Choose Us?
Teaching Staff
Be sure the school you choose employs qualified teachers. Check their bios! Teachers who are not trained properly produce poor quality dancers who learn bad habits and are prone to injury. Be sure the person who works with your child has the proper skills, training, and expertise in the area of study you have chosen. This is very important. Bad habits don’t just happen - they are taught, and very hard to break. We only hire qualified teachers who are very good at what they do.
Facility
We have two locations to choose from - Charleston and Teays Valley. Our Charleston school is a 9,000 square-foot facility with four studios. A company studio for advanced dancers with their own lounge and kitchen. A separate studio designed specifically for children with its own waiting area equipped with legos and toys for siblings. All year long all of our studios have one way glass viewing windows so that classes can be audited without disturbing the dancers. Our floors are wood with special marley coverings, which are accepted worldwide as the best surface layer for professional and recreational dancers. A marley floor allows dancers to slide, with a degree of "controlled slip", but is not slippery so there is less risk of slips and falls. Marley floors also provide an extra layer of cushion to help with preventing shin splints. Very few studios use professional marley floors because of the expense involved. We feel it is an important investment.
A Well-Rounded Program
Dancers must be well rounded. If a school only offers children's classes, then there is nowhere to grow. If they only offer ballet, then the dancer is not able to work in any other style and once he/she dances outside of their school they feel frustrated and unprepared. Our school has a graded program, preschool through pre-professional. Children are placed according to age and then graduate through all levels of our program. We also offer a large recreation program for students who only wish to take one class a week for fun and fitness. These dancers don't go through our graded program. They dance for fun! For more serious dancers, we have a junior (7-11) and senior (12-20) dance company which allows dancers to perform at several venues both in state and out of state. The Academy offers ballet, pointe, variations, jazz, contemporary/modern dance and tap. We produce well rounded dancers who are confident in their training.
Performance Opportunities
​We feel it is important to produce a full professional show at the end of the year. Not all children get to attend professional theatre or dance performances, so they're not exposed to proper theatre etiquette. We want to show them how it's done. This is more expensive than a typical recital but is well worth it. We use full sets, backdrops and professional lighting designers. Our dancers understand stage directions and proper etiquette to be used backstage as dancers, and in the house as an audience member.
It's FUN!
What good is the best training in the world if your child doesn't have fun? Dance should build confidence and self-esteem. Be sure the program you choose addresses children as individuals first, taking into account their various needs and personalities.
