Kids Dance

KIDS DANCE CLASSES in DITMAS PARK, BROOKLYN

GET MOVING! CREATIVE DANCE | Ages 3-6
Adventure into dance! Developed by Director Alden LaPaglia, ALDEN MOVES Dance Theater's signature approach to creative dance wraps method inside fun. Classes cultivate musicality while building strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, body awareness, and self-discipline. Children learn dance fundamentals like positions-of-the-feet, plié, élevé, sautés, and skips while exploring movement quality and even character.

Dress Code: Classwear comes with performance packages. Girls will receive a lavender leotard with pink or skin tone tights, and boys will receive black jazz pants and a t-shirt. It is not required that kids where their classwear so long as they have clothes they can move comfortably in -- pants that stretch or leotard/tights. No zippers or dresses.

Tuition & Schedule

RHYTHM & MOVES | Ages 5-7
Progressing dance fundamentals in a high-energy, rhythm-rich format that appeals to boys and girls alike. Class focuses on building strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, body awareness and expressive style through traditional dance steps like plie, eleve and saute as well as conditioning challenges involving jumping jacks, downward dog, and crab walks. Students are introduced to modern dance-style floorwork and work with principles of movement texture as well as rhythm. This class advances GET MOVING! creative dance fundamentals and serves as wonderful preparation for Jazz as well as Pre-Ballet classes.

Dress Code: Classwear comes with performance packages. Girls will receive a royal blue leotard and black, footless tights that should be worn over their leotard, and boys will receive black jazz pants and a t-shirt. It is not required that kids where their classwear so long as they have clothes they can move comfortably in -- pants that stretch or leotard/tights. No zippers or dresses.

tuition and schedule

PRE-BALLET | Ages 5.5-8
Ballet is graceful lines, thoughtful movement, and live piano accompaniment in classes. Our imaginative approach introduces ballet fundamentals in creative exercises that engage minds and bodies, laying a solid technical foundation while instilling a lifelong love of dance. At this age, students are better able to execute dance fundamentals cleanly, and basic steps like the plié, élevé, tendu, and sauté are used as a means of developing a child's body for further dance training.

Dress Code: White leotard (no attached skirt), pink or skin tone tights and ballet slippers, hair pulled back neatly in a ballet bun

Tuition & Schedule

BALLET | Ages 7.5 +
Ballet is graceful lines, thoughtful movement, and live piano accompaniment in classes. In classical ballet classes, students build on the foundation they've established in pre-ballet. They have better command of their turn-out, allowing their body to work comfortably and properly in 3rd, 4th, & 5th positions of the feet. This also enables them to develop greater flexibility and tackle more intricate steps like rond de jambe, country pas de basque, and pas de chat. They begin to incorporate epaulement, or the positioning of the upper body in addition to the positioning of the hips, legs, and feet, and gain a real understanding of the lines that define the art form.

Ballet I--One 1hr technique class/wk required, two recommended. Appropriate for experienced dancers ages 7.5+ and new dancers ages 8 or 9.
Ballet II--Two 1hr to 1hr and 15min technique classes/wk required, three encouraged. This program is designed for students with an interest in advancing their training and going en pointe in Ballet III. Students may choose between two Ballet classes or one Ballet and one Jazz.
Ballet III--Three 1hr and 15min to 2hr classes/wk. Our Ballet III program is for students who are ready to further advance their training in preparation to go en pointe. To prepare, students select their own course of study within our current class schedule, choosing between Ballet, Jazz, and Contemporary Modern Dance classes. They must be enrolled in the designated "Ballet III B" class in order to start pointe work mid-year. "Ballet III A" is reserved for dancers who have already completed a year of Ballet III and want to maintain and advance their pointework but are not intererested in dancing 4 days/wk.
Ballet IV--Four 1hr and 15min to 2.25hr classes/wk. Our Ballet IV program is for students eager to further advance their training, either for the fun of mastering pirouettes, adagio, and grand allegro or in preparation to audition for high schools and summer dance intensives. We've had students at The Joffrey Ballet School, Alvin Ailey, the DOE's Summer Arts Institute, Joffrey's Fort Hamilton Program, and Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. Students select their own course of study within our current class schedule, choosing between Ballet, Jazz, and Contemporary Modern Dance classes. They must be enrolled in the designated "Ballet IV" class in order to progress appropriately and participate in the 45min pointe class built in to this technique class.

Students beginning classical ballet classes should have 1-2 prior years of dance training, but placement and progression is at the discretion of the studio and will be based on age and ability. Please plan to participate in the free class sampler during our September Open House for placement.

Dress Code: Black leotard (no attached skirt), pink or skin tone tights and ballet slippers, hair pulled back neatly in a ballet bun

Tuition & Schedule

JAZZ | Ages 8.5+
Theater Dance is a study of music through movement. Dancers must have full command of jazz, ballet, and modern techniques in order to achieve the sophisticated styling required to portray any given character. Theater Dance at ALDEN MOVES gives students the opportunity to build on their fundamentals in an arena outside of a classical ballet class. Students get an introduction to Luigi technique and style while working musicality, weight shifts, and direction changes through weekly "combinations." Students in Theater Dance should be enrolled in 1-2 classes per week.

Dress Code: Jazz pants or sweatpants, solid colored shirt or leotard, and black jazz shoes

Tuition & Schedule

CONTEMPORARY MODERN DANCE | Ages 10+
Rooted in ballet and modern techniques, our contemporary dance class gives students the knowledge and physical awareness needed to accomplish the beauty of contemporary dance. Students perfect lines and curves as they learn how to free their movement in pursuit of stunning moving pictures.

Dress Code: Jazz pants or tights, leotard or tank top, bare feet or socks

Tuition & Schedule

INTRO TO TAP | Ages 6-8
In this class, students aged 6-8 years-old will learn foundational tap steps and terminology. This class is perfect for dancers who have never tapped before and want to learn, as well as those with beginner tap instruction. We will be starting with the basics and refining the technique each week to ensure steady progress. Students will be introduced into rhythmic patterns and musicality while learning how to accompany the music with their sounds. This class will explore different styles of music as we introduce musical theater styles and rhythm styles of tap. Intro to Tap is the perfect class for dancers who are looking to experiment with different styles and learn how music and dance intertwine.

Dress Code: Black dance or athletic leggings, dance shorts, or tights with solid colored shirt(boys), tank, or leotard, and black tap shoes.

Tuition & Schedule