Class Information

ACROBATIC ARTS

• Otherwise known as Acro, is a beautiful fusion of classic dance technique and the precision and athleticism of acrobatic elements. Often defined by unique choreography, Acro dancers seamlessly blend musicality, emotional expression, line and extension with acrobatic movements in a dance context.
  • Acro 1 – Ages 7+
  • Acro 2 – 3 years’ experience or Ages 13+

CONDITIONING

• Conditioning presents all the principles for quicker improvement for the serious dancer: core and joint stability, muscular and joint flexibility, streamlined action, and a strong midline. Conditioning will help provide the stability or the flexibility or even the efficient strength and ease 21^st-century dancing requires. It is designed to tune anybody to be efficient, strong and fluid.

CONTEMPORARY

• Contemporary dance incorporates ballet, modern, jazz and lyrical genres. It combines the strong and controlled legwork of Ballet, with elements of Modern dance focusing on unpredictable changes of rhythm, speed and direction. Focusing heavily on choreography for self-expression in creating new techniques and styles. The movement emphasizes the use of gravity, momentum, moving on and off balance, and suspension.
  • Contemporary 1 – Ages 10+
  • Contemporary 2 – 3 years’ experience or Ages 13+

HIP HOP

• For intermediate dancers, this class builds strength, confidence, and versatility through groove-focused choreography.  Students explore styles like Old School, House, Popping, Locking, and Commercial, while learning the cultural roots behind each.  Class includes a groove-based warm-up, foundational drills, musicality exercises, and challenging choreography to develop control, flow, and expressive style.
  • Ages 13+

JAZZ

• Builds on technique while developing style, confidence, and musicality.  Inspired by Luigi and Giordano, dancers strengthen precision, control, and dynamic movement.  Includes warm-up, center work, and progressions (turns, jumps, kicks), exploring styles from lyrical to Broadway with a focus on expression and performance quality.
  • Ages 10+

MODERN

• Modern Dance focuses on the freedom of movement and expression. It consists of distinctively American movement styles and vocabularies with clearly defined and recognizable dance training systems including the Graham and Horton techniques. Students will focus on these techniques this year as well as supplemental contemporary dance practices to strengthen their technical dance skills and performance qualities.
  • Modern 1 – Ages 7-9
  • Modern 2 – Ages 10-12
  • Modern 3 – 3 years’ experience or Ages 13+

TAP

• Tap dancing consists of learning rhythm patterns. Learning and memorizing patterns are a great workout for your brain. And it’s all math. Repeating, reversing and counting the rhythm patterns reinforces math concepts. Knowing where the body’s weight should be and when to shift the weight from one foot to the other is essential for proper tap technique. Training the muscle memory in this way improves balance, coordination and control. And the benefits of a strong core are numerous, including less back pain and risk of falling. Tap increases picking up combinations quicker, musicality, and stage presence, all beneficial for any dance genre.
  • Tap 1 – Ages 7-12
  • Tap 2 – 3 years’ experience or Ages 13+

PARTNERING

• By invitation only

ADULT BEGINNER BALLET and TAP (All ages and abilities)

• Adult men and women are introduced to the fundamentals of ballet and tap movement. These classes are designed to strengthen muscles and introduce a basic vocabulary to the art of dance. Classes have more of a relaxed atmosphere, although a formal approach to traditional ballet and tap movements will be utilized.

BALLET

• Intro to Dance (Ages 4-6)
  • In this engaging one-hour class, children are introduced to movement through music and creative exploration while learning the fundamentals of both ballet and tap.  Students build strength, coordination, and a love for dance while developing basic vocabulary and an early sense of artistry and performance.  Using classical ballet and traditional tap terminology, this class lays a strong technical foundation and sparks a lifelong interest in dance.
    • Fall Term – 3 months – Sept through November
    • Spring Term – 4 months – February through June
• Level 1 & 2 (Ages 7+)
  • Students build a beginner-level ballet vocabulary while learning safe, effective stretching and strengthening techniques.  Classes begin at the barre and eventually move to center work, focusing on alignment, balance, musicality, and creating clean ballet lines.  Dancers also develop memory, self-awareness, and a sense of personal responsibility.
• Level 3 (Ages 10+)
  • Students advance their technique with more challenging barre and center combinations, focusing on increased strength, stamina, and control.  This level introduces beginning pointe work, emphasizing safe preparation and foundational strength.  Dancers continue refining alignment, balance, and musicality while deepening their performance quality.
• Level 4 (Ages 13+)
  • This advanced level focuses on refining technique and artistry, with continued pointe work to build strength and precision.  Students are encouraged to explore additional elective dance styles, supporting their growth as versatile, well-rounded performers.
• Level 5 (Ages 14+)
  • An intensive, advanced study emphasizing self-motivation, artistic expression, and musicality.  Incorporating elements from major ballet training styles, this level prepares talented dancers to potentially join Lake Erie Ballet Company, pursue college or university dance programs, or continue into professional companies.

Level Advancement and Promotion

Advancement through Sovereign Ballet is based on many factors including a student’s strength, commitment, attendance, maturity, mastery of material and artistic development as assessed by the teacher and Director. A student’s ability to execute the required material is considered above all else, including age. Advancement to the next level may occur at anytime during the year, but is generally determined at the end of each school year.

Repeating Levels of Study

Parents and students should not anticipate annual level advancements. Ballet classes do not progress at the same pace as traditional academic grades. It is common for students to repeat levels of study. Because the range of the criteria for promotion is so diverse, it may be two or more years before a student is ready for advancement to the next level of study.

Criteria for advancement:

• Technical Ability: defined as sufficient mastery of ballet technique and mastery at every level
• Physique: defined as strength, turnout, flexibility and bone structure which allow a student to safely perform the course requirements, physical characteristics become increasingly important as a student progresses through the levels
• Interest: defined as demonstrating a willingness and desire to pursue this course of study in ballet
• Attendance: defined as attending all classes and rehearsals required of the student’s level, consistent attendance allows the student to keep up with the material presented, to practice and develop the muscles and to prepare for performances.

New students ages 9 and up are required to attend an Audition Class for placement into the appropriate Class Level. Students are placed based on age, technique, physique, personal strength and intangibles such as talent, grace and maturity.