Our Classes
Class Placement Information
Level 1 classes are open to all beginner students in first grade or higher, unless otherwise noted. New students with prior dance experience must contact our office to get placement into the appropriate level before registering. Classes run from Sept to June, unless otherwise noted.
For our very young dancers, we offer combo classes from toddlers to Kindergarteners. See Young Children’s section below.
Adult classes are available in the dance styles of ballet, hip hop, and tap. Additionally, we offer adult health and wellness classes in dance fit, tai chi, and Dance for Parkinson’s.
Ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a classical dance form demanding grace, precision, and discipline. Our dancers, from beginner to pre-professional, combine these elements with fluid, technical movements to classical and contemporary music. First graders start in ballet 1 and are placed in higher levels by staff approval only, with advancement based on physical and intellectual grasp of the material. Formal evaluations are held at the end of each school year. Pointe work is available by instructor placement only.
Lyrical - Ballet 3 and above
Lyrical dance fuses ballet and jazz techniques and is performed to music with lyrics to inspire movements and express strong emotions.
Variations - Ballet 4 and above
Variations will learn and study from the classical ballets including Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia Swan Lake and more. Students will study the ballet’s history and learn select pieces or “variations” from the original works.
Hip Hop
Hip Hop
The newest style of dance, developed in the 1970s, Hip Hop refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip hop music. Hip Hop includes a wide range of styles, including but not limited to, breaking, locking, popping & tutting. Arresting isolations, percussive rhythm, and street style characterize this urban dance form. Explore this cutting-edge dance style and catch the excitement in class.
Jazz
Jazz
Originating from African dance culture, jazz dance has changed and continued to develop through the decades. While having its own base technique, jazz dance is a style that's physical movements embody the popular music and movement of any given time.
Modern
Creative Modern
Expand your creative mind, physical awareness and movement vocabulary through imaginative play and teamwork.
Modern - by placement only
A gentle movement class focused on improving range of motion, strength and full body expression through dance.
Contemporary - advanced level by placement only
Building on the technical fundamentals of ballet and modern, contemporary dance explores how movement choices can be the mode for storytelling and authentic human expression. Class will include lessons on body mechanics, strengthening the mind body connection, improvisation, partnering and dance composition.
Tap
Tap
Tap dance has its roots in the fusion of several ethnic percussive dances, primarily African tribal dances and Scottish, Irish and English clogging. Tap is an entertaining form of dance where rhythm and rhythmic variations are the highlight to any musical accompaniment.
Tumbling
Tumbling
Tumbling 1 is for new students grades 1-3. Who are interested in learning fundamentals of tumbling. They will learn basic non apparatus skills such as for cartwheel, forward and backward rolls, bridges and more.
Tumbling 2 is for returning tumbling students who can execute a cartwheel and hold an unassisted bridge and who want to explore more advanced tumbling skills. This class is for 2-4th graders.
Health & Wellness
Dance Conditioning
Conditioning class for all athletes in middle and high school. This class does not perform and is a supplemental class to gain strength, flexibility, and develop an understanding of your body.
Adult Beginning Ballet
Get the workout you want while enjoying an introduction to ballet barre, center work and ballet technique. The class is offered 3 times a year in Fall, Winter, and Spring. This class is for adults and teens ages 14 and up.
Tai Chi & Qi Gong
Breathe, Move, Learn and Relax
Tai Chi & Qi Gong are mindfulness in action. We do gentle exercises with a smile on our hearts as we learn movements that may help soften tensions, increase ease of movement and bring comfort to our bodies.
Tai Chi is popular around the world: done in parks, in classrooms, at home. Qi Gong is the mindfulness part of the practice.
The Forms can be done standing or seated with big movements and/or small ones.
Come to learn, to breathe, to move in easy and perhaps unfamiliar ways, to look for ease and comfort as we explore these ancient arts together.
Classes are session based, recuring in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. See session schedule for dates and times.
Movement for Life / Dance for Parkinson’s
This adult class use movement from a variety of dance forms to foster fun, inclusive, creative and social dance class experiences. Accommodating and educational for those with balance/coordination issues, discomforts and restrictions from arthritis, aging, Parkinson's, just being out of shape. Based on the acclaimed international Dance for PD(r) program. Approaching movement from a dance perspective often provides inspiration, hopefulness and simply a good time. Options for sitting or standing during class, too.
Your teacher is a retired professional dancer trained in the Dance for PD(r) method with 25+ years experience teaching dance to those with movement and neurological challenges/disorders. Wednesday classes feature live music and welcome caregivers to join in, too.
Classes are session based, recurring in Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. This program is funded by a grant from the Anacortes Rotary and free for all. Participants must register each session, for your convenience you can register here.
Children’s Classes
Children’s classes!
Children’s classes are designed with the progressive young dancer in mind. Classes include introductions to ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and tumbling. Through movement games and activities we teach technique, terminology, staging and all the basic skills needed to continue on to Kinder Dance.
Toddler & Me - Walking, ages 1-3
Music & Movement - Ages 3-4.5
Preschool Dance - Ages 4-5.5*
*Must turn 4 by Aug 31st