Dance Styles
Our Dance School offers a large variety of dance classes for all skill levels.
Ballet
The ballet syllabus taught at Dance Desires is the internationally recognised R.A.D Syllabus, both Graded and Vocational levels, which offers students sound training and preparation for examinations and assessments from Pre-Primary to Advanced levels. The recently updated R.A.D syllabus takes a modern approach to classical music and fosters a love of ballet through self-expression and storytelling skills. It moves students away from the stuffy old traditions of ballet and into the wonderful world of dance. The skills learnt in this refreshing syllabus are the basis to all other styles of dance. Students will gain self-confidence, self-motivation, body and spatial awareness, coordination, control, strength, posture, grace, placement, rhythm, timing, presentation and will develop a strong imagination and sound classical technique.
Character
Character dance also known as Folk or National dance is taught as part of the R.A.D Ballet syllabus. The steps and routines are based on traditional dances from Russia, Hungry, Ukraine and Poland to mention a few. Character dance encourages a deeper understanding of music and rhythm, as well as a strong sense of style and posture. Character dance is formally introduced from Grade 1 Ballet onwards.
Jazz
The Jazz levels are energy packed classes set to a variety of the latest hot tunes and dance styles to match. These classes introduce basic jazz moves and techniques, general knowledge of jazz steps, body isolations, style, poise and dynamics. Jazz is a wonderful style to get those bodies moving to music! Students experiment with many fantastic combinations and work to increase their flexibility through controlled limbering exercises. As students progress through the levels of the S.F.D. Jazz Syllabus they explore and refine the varied styles that all fall under the jazz heading such as Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Hip-Hop and Cabaret.
Lyrical
A lyrical dancer uses movement to express strong emotions, such as love, joy, romantic yearning or anger.
Lyrical dancers often perform to music with lyrics. The lyrics of the chosen song serve as inspiration for the dancers' movements and expressions.
Music used for lyrical dance is typically emotionally charged and expressive. Movements in lyrical dance are characterised by fluidity and grace, with the dancer flowing seamlessly from one move to another, holding finishing steps as long as possible. Leaps are exceptionally high and soaring, and turns are fluid and continuous.
Tap
Our Tap classes are lively and rhythmic, transforming our dancers into musicians by using the small metal plates on the bottom of their tap shoes to create different sounding rhythms and tones. In the lower levels of the Tap syllabus, students focus on Tap fundamentals including basic tap steps, wings, cramp rolls and pick-ups. As students progress they learn to create an infinite number of rhythms using the heel and toe of their tap shoes and improve their endurance, phrasing, speed, and light and shade in their tap tone. Students are exposed to the many styles of Tap including a capella, street, speed and theatrical Tap.
Contemporary
Contemporary dance is very interpretive in its choreography and often focuses on emotions and storytelling. It can be performed barefoot, with pointe shoes, and with or without music.
Contemporary dance almost defies description because it can be balletic or wholly abstract, jazz-influenced or lyrical, structured or unconventional.
Contemporary dance continues to grow in popularity due, in part, to its accessibility to dancers. The freedom of movement that contemporary allows, affords dancers the ability enjoy dance without the need for perfect turnout or nice feet. Contemporary dance can be challenging both physically and emotionally and it pushes the boundaries of dance and forces audiences to think and take chances.
Acro
In each acro class at Dance Desires we focus on developing students tumbling skills, core stability, strength, technique and flexibility. The class works on developing tricks and skills associated with acrobatic aerials (no handed cartwheels), backflips, somersaults, back bends, cartwheels and balancing skills.
Hip Hop
Hip-Hop is a street-based style of dance developed in America. It is a free, funky and soulful expression of movement. Hip-Hop dance has heavily influenced the genre of commercial dance seen in most music videos. Students need to bring their energy and ‘swagger’ to these fun-filled classes.
Pointe Information
Dancing "en pointe," or on pointe, is a major goal in a ballerina's dance life. Dancing on pointe, or on your toes, requires tremendous strength of the legs and feet and a good understanding of ballet technique. Pointe shoes, sometimes called toe shoes, are a special kind of ballet shoe used by advanced dancers for pointework. Pointe shoes were developed from the desire of ballerinas to appear weightless. The shoes allow a dancer to literally dance on the tips of the toes
(en pointe.)
If you have any additional questions about our classes, get in touch and one of our staff members will gladly assist you.