Tiny Tots
The goal of our Tiny Tots program is to instill a love of dance. Our youngest dancers (ages 2.5-5) learn basic ballet and tap movements in a positive and fun environment. Proper technique is taught through creative dances and imagination. Each class starts with ballet and transitions to tap and hip hop. We’re happy to answer any questions you have about this class or any others - simply contact us or stop by.
Our Classes
Tiny Tots
Tiny Tots offers dancers a space for exploration, improvisation, and expression through movement. Children continue to develop large and fine motor skills, as well as coordination, rhythm, teamwork, and listening skills. Songs and games are used to help the students understand their moving body, and to facilitate the learning of fundamental movement patterns. Children also develop large and fine motor skills in classes that emphasize observation, exploration, manipulation, imitation, and repetition.
At this age, classes are structured for students to learn experientially. Experiential learning, like a guided practice, is achieved through the teacher’s verbalization and the students’ execution. This practice allows for deeper learning, which connects mind and body, and enables the student to acquire dance skills without a “wrong or right” way of executing movement.
Junior Tots
Junior Tots is a continuation of our Tiny Tots class, but no previous dance experience is required! Continuing to explore dance language through improvisation and creative movement games, students are also exposed to class structure, more complex routines, and acquire a deeper understanding of the overarching concepts on which DTD approaches all classes. These concepts are Space, Time, Body, Effort, Movement, and Form. With experiential learning and guided practice remaining at the core, students are also introduced to more traditional movements and terminology.
Juniors
Junior students explore modern dance concepts of Space, Time, Body, Effort, Movement, and strong emphasis on Form. Developing teamwork and collaborative skills helps support students as they make transitions in the many facets of their lives. It transfers to academics, where their leadership and teamwork skills are also put to use and challenged more, while providing an open, trusting, and safe environment to connect with peers creatively. Confidence grows while intermediate technique is developed through guided practice. Leadership skills, teamwork, and critical thinking skills are challenged through student group choreography, and through exercises intended to expand the dancers’ abilities to perceive, evaluate, and interpret movement.
Seniors
Seniors, at the junior/high school level continue to explore elements of teamwork and leadership discussed in Juniors with the addition of greater emphasis on exploring the self and articulating self-expression. Students continue to study the concepts of Space, Time, Body, Effort, Movement, and Form with technical rigor and deep creativity. Confidence and self-awareness are key themes, along with empathy, embodiment, and energetic expression.
Interested in learning more about our classes? Get in touch today.