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Regular Session Programs
Introduction Sessions Levels 2007/08 Courses Solos, Duos, or Trios Stars of the Stage Youth Dance Company Da Dance Vibe Urban Dance Company Performance Opportunities Additional Notes about Studying Ballet, Modern, & Jazz We provide performing arts academic studies and presentation opportunties as means to enhance the lives of students, parents, teachers, and the community. We believe that by participating in the performing arts, we can improve our physical, mental, emotional, spirtual, social, and cultural well-being. We feel that comparing our Studio and Academy with the others is like comparing apples and oranges. Check out What Makes Our Studio and Academy Different? in Mission under About Us on this Website. At the Academy, we offer dance courses to people of all ages. The Regular Programs are designed for children and youths who are in preschool, elementary school, or secondary/high school. These programs run during the Regular Sessions, which comprise the following:
Note:
The Academy's course levels are based on industry standards, relative to age and experience. In the tables below, the Age Guide is generally based on the student's age on December 31, 2007. Tip Tap Tots™ (Primary)
Regular
2007/08 Courses include the following components: Standard Performance Courses
The Regular Session Courses for the 2007/08 Season are as follows:
Notes:
Please see the Timetables for these courses. Please download a registration form or call us at 604-948-2514 for more information. Planned to start in the 2008/09 Season, students aged 11 and up, depending on the style or discipline, may audition to study and perform a solo, duo, or trio. The audition will only take place at the beginning of the Season. Choreographers will be assigned at the discretion of the Academy based on the style or discipline. Performance opportunities include the Year-End Shows, festivals, and tours (subject to scheduling). See also Performance Opportunities. Students who wish to study and perform a solo, duo, or trio must apply as follows:
If your letter is accepted and you meet all of the necessary criteria, you will be invited to the audition. If you are then accepted, you will be required to sign an agreement, which will have certain terms and conditions. The minimum age requirements for each style and discipline are as follows:
*Notes:
For more information about this exciting program, please call 604-948-2514. Please note that solos, duos, and trios are subject to separate fees. Stars of the Stage Youth Dance Company At the Academy, we are determined to provide the best possible dance education in all of the disciplines, levels of intensity, and age groups for which we have programs to offer. Whatever the level of intensity, we encourage all students to take dance education seriously, from having serious fun to a planning a serious future. Planned to start in the 2008/09 Season, for dance students aged 11 and up wishing to develop artistic mastery and possibly a career in dance, we have the Stars of the Stage Program for Excellence in Dance, a youth company that focuses on classical and contemporary styles. For more information, please go to Youth Dance under Companies on this Website.
Da Dance Vibe Urban Dance Company Planned to start in the 2008/09 Season, da dance vibe is an urban dance company for dance students aged 12 and up that wish to master “street” and “urban” styles of dance, particularly hip-hop and tap. da dance vibe is sponsored by Sansha who specializes in dancewear, footwear, and accessories. (Sansha footwear is available at The Performing Artwear Store, which is located in the Pacific Rim Performing Arts Studios.) For more information, please go to Urban Dance under Companies on this Website. During the 2007/08 Season, the following performance opportunities have been planned:
After the start of the Season, other opportunities may also arise such as charity events. All performance opportunities are subject to scheduling, volunteer participation, and other conditions. Please download a registration form or call us at 604-948-2514 for more information . Studying Classical Ballet Studying Modern Dance Studying Jazz Dance Ballet is a dance form that was specifically designed to be watched by an audience. Ballet dancers perform for their own pleasure as well as for spectators to whom they aim to communicate feelings, ideas, stories, and shapes. Ballets are dance performances that bring movement, music, and design together in a theatrical setting to create a show whereby the dancers use the movement of their bodies instead of spoken words to communicate with their audience. Classical ballet technique evolved from a style that developed in France during the 17th century, which is why most ballet steps have French names. One of the most important basic principles of classical ballet is the turn-out of the leg from the hip. This enhances the line of the leg and increases the dancer's range of movement. Posture is also very important. Dancers should hold their bodies in such a way as to look graceful and elegant. To appear weightless, females dance on pointe, where steps are performed on the very tips of their toes. To appear to defy gravity, males lift their female partners high in the air, and both males and females perform leaps and jumps. Landings are quite soft, to make the jumps seem effortless. A ballet dancer must have a good sense of balance and be supple and loose. Many movements require amazing speed and skill. Classical ballet technique is a fundamental to many other styles of dance, including contemporary ballet, modern, jazz, and lyrical. Classical ballet is studied according to a system, which primarily involves dance classes. Depending on whether the purpose of study is for recreation or professional training, classes may be taken occasionally, such as once or twice a week, or daily up to six days a week, sometimes seven. Currently, there are six major systems or schools of classical ballet: French, Italian (Cecchetti), Danish (Bournonville), Russian (Vaganova), American (Balanchine), and English. There are two major international organizations that govern some of the major systems or schools: Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D.), which blends French, Italian, Danish, Russian, and English (based in England); and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (I.S.T.D.), which governs Cecchetti Classical Ballet (Italian School) and Imperial Classical Ballet (self-proclaimed English School). Since the 1930s, the Russian School has been defined by the Vaganova system, which succeeded the system of Nikolai Legat, which was much influenced by the teachings of Enrico Cecchetti (Italian), Christian Johannson (Danish), and Marius Petipa (French). One notable characteristic of the Russian School is the expressiveness of the arms and the upper body. The Vaganova system is governed by the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg. This training system has produced such greats as Galina Ulanova, Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. At the Academy, we teach classical ballet according to a combination of the Vaganova system or Russian School and I.S.T.D. Cecchetti. Because most systems of classical ballet including Vaganova, Cecchetti, Bournonville, and Balanchine were designed to train professional ballet dancers, the pure systems must be modified to accommodate the dance student that does not wish or plan to dance ballet professionally. Nonetheless, the enjoyment of studying classical ballet at any level can be achieved at the Academy. Studying ballet can be very gratifying, regardless of the ultimate purpose. It is a challenging form of performing art that has the potential for amazing feats of skill and style such as dancing on pointe or executing dizzying turns and breathtaking jumps, while being esthetically pleasing. It has a long history of appreciation. It can help develop strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, poise, and self-confidence. There is no age limit to when a person can begin studying or to when a person must stop. Many do not start until adulthood and many continue until they can no longer walk. Since ballet was designed to prepare dancers to perform for an audience, the training is invaluable for those who wish to perform in ballets as well as dances of modern, jazz, lyrical, and many folk styles. Ballet is also extremely beneficial for figure skaters, gymnasts, ballroom dancers, and certain athletes. Classical ballets are set to classical music (baroque, classical, and neoclassical) and must only consist of classical ballet poses and steps. Contemporary ballets are mostly classical with some non-traditional poses and steps, and may be set to a wider range of music. Modern is a dance form that has foundations in ballet technique, but uses a wider range of movements to express emotions and ideas. In the late 19th century, many ballet dancers shed their traditional costumes and shoes to practice a freer form of dance, which is why most modern dance is studied and performed in bare feet. Modern dance assumes a more philosophical approach to dance, associating movements with concepts. Examples of movement philosophies include Spatial Dynamics (Rudolf Laban), Contraction and Release (Martha Graham), and Fall and Recovery (Doris Humphrey). Characteristics of modern often include off-centre motion, contraction and release, fall and recovery, parallel legs, the flexed foot, and prone movements. Modern dance may be performed with music, sounds, or silence, depending on the intent. Ultimately, it encourages individualistic expression, even though there are many recognized modern techniques. Today, modern dance is performed and included as part of the repertoire of many major ballet companies, such as the Mariinsky Ballet Company (formerly the Kirov), Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the Joffrey Ballet. There are many training methods or techniques for modern. The class structure is often based on ballet. In Western Canada, the most popular methods of modern dance are (Martha) Graham, (Merce) Cunningham, and (José) Limón. These techniques are a major part of the Contemporary Dance program at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. Graham focuses on contraction and release; Cunningham, on ballet technique without the emphasis on the classical line; Limón, on circularity and connectedness of motion. At the Academy, we teach a blend of these three techniques, providing dance students with a broader foundation in preparation for a wider range of choreography and applications. Dancers who wish to study modern must also studying ballet as the primary basis of technical training. Modern dance allows more freedom of movement, expression, and experimentation than all other dance forms. Strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance are paramount. Turns and jumps are as much a part of modern as they are of ballet. Along with ballet, modern provides and excellent foundation for jazz dance. Jazz is a dance form that is based on the techniques of classical ballet and modern dance, incorporating an African-American style of expression that began in the 18th century. Prior to the 1830s, jazz dance was essentially the clapping, stamping, and shuffling movements danced by African slaves in America. From the 1830s to the 1950s, jazz dance was primarily tap dance, which combined the African movements with Irish clog dancing. These dance forms were mixed with ballet to develop into what was originally called jazz ballet, and eventually jazz dance. Since the 1950s, jazz dance has been mostly associated with the dancing performed in vaudeville, musical theatre, and musical films. More recently, jazz has also been associated with Las Vegas shows and music videos. Jazz movements tend to be big, exaggerated, percussive, and performed with an attitude, depending on the dance. Characteristics include the broadly opened hand, emphasis on isolation of movement, extreme extensions, and the interchange of the use of turned-out and parallel legs. The essence of jazz is entertainment to the people. Jazz is studied according to a system that is based on classical ballet and modern techniques, but with its own exercises for class. Because jazz movements can be quite powerful and emotionally expressive, it can be quite challenging when studied on its own. Ideally, the study of jazz should coincide with or follow a certain period of study of classical ballet and modern dance, both of which emphasize and foster a greater degree of technical stability than jazz. There are many styles of jazz, most of which are based on certain choreographers of the 20th century, such as Bob Fosse, Gus Giordano, Gwen Verdon, Jack Cole, Eugene Louis Faccuito (Luigi), and Frank Hatchett (VOP). There are many organizations that have established their own jazz syllabi and standards for examination. In British Columbia, the most prominent organization for jazz is the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (C.D.T.A.), which has a nationally recognized syllabus that is based on a generic style of jazz. At the Academy, we teach jazz according to the C.D.T.A. syllabus while exposing students to the many popular styles that have been seen on stage, in film, and on TV, including Fosse, Giordano, Luigi, and VOP. For jazz dancers aspiring to perform at any level, the complementary study of classical ballet and modern is highly recommended. For those aspiring to a career involving jazz dance, supplementary training in classical ballet and modern dance is essential. Jazz is a form of dance that is very enjoyable to perform and easy for spectators to understand. It is a favourite among children and teenagers. In jazz, there is always room to grow, considering the wide range of styles and applications. The style of music that can be used is virtually endless. It is very athletic and showy, and most often exciting and emotional. Classes can be very aerobic in nature, helping to develop strength and extreme flexibility. It may also be performed in combination with singing, such as in the case of musical theatre. |