School Age Jazz 3rd through 5th Graders
We are very excited that you have chosen Stacey’s Dance Studio for your dancer’s training. At our studio, we offer dance, plus a whole lot more! Not only will dancers receive correct technique based lessons, but they will also develop new friendships that hopefully will extend outside our studio walls. We have listed below some of the skills, progressions, and lesson formats that we will use throughout the dance year. By no means is this a complete listing of all the skills that will be taught and reinforced.
- Jazz Dance Skills: Skills that will be worked on and perfected include Jazz walks, jazz runs, chassés, step passé, battements, step ball change, alternating chassés, leaps, grapevine step, triplet, chainé turns, pirouettes, axel preps, axels, etc. Dance, like reading is based on understanding and performing correctly specific skills, which in turn build upon each other. The amazing aspect of dance is that you never stop learning new steps, combinations of steps, etc. Dancers progress at different rates, and younger dancers with less experience will not progress as quickly as dancers who are older with previous training. We do not expect each dancer to execute skills perfectly in the beginning, but it is amazing to see the progression as well as the confidence your dancer will have when they work and improve on skills.
- Strength and Flexibility: Usually the younger dancers are the more flexible they are. That is why as your dancer gets older it is important to continue stretching in dance class and also at home during the week. Dancers will see quicker results if they stretch daily as opposed to once a week in dance class. We will be working on skills to increase strength as well, especially upper body and shoulder strength.
- Counting: We will be teaching how to count music. Once a dancer understands how steps are put together (most often in 8 counts), they will find it easier to remember combinations and dances.
- Across the Floor Combinations: Some jazz skills will be performed while traveling “Across the Floor” in-groups of 3-4 dancers at a time.
- Dance Combinations: Dance combinations are taught and sometimes new 8 counts are added to the previous week’s lessons. Combinations offer the dancer to put steps and movements together in an organized routine. Dancers not only have to remember the steps, but the order of the steps and what each part of their body is doing. This will also increase self-esteem and confidence as they master and add on to dance combinations.
Class Attire: Tan split sole jazz shoes and any type of dancewear. The hair must be pulled back securely in a ponytail or fastened off the face. Please label all dance shoes with name.