PREP PROGRAM
3 yos
Twinkle Babies
Movement and Music
45 min., 6-week (stand-alone) classes in the fall, winter & spring.
Songs, movement, stories, and games for 3-year-olds. Includes both Irish dance and ballet. Twinkle Babies practice their class rules:
Look at the teacher. Listen to the teacher. And love each other.
4 yos
twinkle toes
Irish Dance & Ballet Combo
1 hour classes, weekly throughout the regular dance season
The Twinkle Toes program combines dance, singing, and games to help four-year-old dancers internalize a "steady beat," and respond appropriately to the music. As they get older, that music will burst out in beautiful dance! Basic ballet & Irish dance positions, steps, and vocabulary are introduced in fun ways.
5 yos
twinkle stars
Irish Dance & Ballet Combo
1 hour classes, weekly throughout the regular dance season
The Twinkle Stars program combines dance, singing, and games to help five-year-old dancers internalize a "steady beat," and respond appropriately to the music. As they get older, that music will burst out in beautiful dance! Basic ballet & Irish dance positions, steps, and vocabulary are introduced in fun ways.
Intro to Irish Dance
This class is for...
1) Twinkle Star graduates who want to try Irish dance.
2) Young ladies who are brand-new to Irish Dance, but can't wait to try!
Basic Irish dance positions, steps, and games will provide a solid foundation in Irish Dance. Classes are fun and lively sessions that meet once a week for one hour.
6 & 7 yos. "Wexford"
8 & 9 yos. - "Galway"
10+ yos. - "Killarney"
Intro to Ballet
This class bridges the gap between our Twinkle program and the official ballet grade levels. It's also the perfect starting point for those who are brand new to ballet.
Primary Ballet students will gain a basic understanding of ballet technique and ballet posture. Dancers will work to improve their coordination as they learn a variety of dance steps and challenging dance patterns.
6 yos. - Primary Ballet
PREMIER PROGRAM
Premier Program placement is determined by our faculty based upon a dancer's physical ability, level of commitment, attitude, and technical achievement.
The following "grades" mirror the official levels established by the
Irish Dance Teacher's Association of North America (IDTANA)
operating in tandem with
An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG) in Dublin, Ireland.
Beginner Irish (Younger & Older)
Continuing Soft Shoe
This class is for dancers who have graduated out of the Intro Irish class, either during the summer sessions or the regular school year. "Beginner" is the first "official" grade as established by An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG) in Dublin, Ireland. Beginners will learn beginner reels, light jigs, single jigs, and slip jigs, focusing on correct technique and timing in their steps and drills.
Beginner dancers meet once a week for one hour.
Required footwear for Beginners: ghillies
Intermediate Irish 1
Intermediate Soft Shoe & Early Hard Shoe
Intermediate 1 dancers have mastered all the Beginner-level skills. These second or third-year dancers will learn Advanced Beginner reels, light jigs, single jigs, and slip jigs in soft shoe. This is the level at which dancers get to begin to dance in HARD SHOES! Intermediate 1 will work on Advanced Beginner treble reels, hornpipes, and treble jigs in hard shoe. Intermediate dancers must demonstrate good technique and timing as they drill their hard shoe steps.
Intermediate 1 dancers meet twice a week, for one hour each time (1hr/2x).
Required footwear: Ghillies & Hard Shoes.
Intermediate Irish 2
Intermediate Soft Shoe & Intermediate Hard Shoe
Intermediate dancers are will continue to learn Advanced Beginner reels, light jigs, single jigs, and slip jigs in soft shoe and Beginner I/II treble reels, hornpipes, and treble jigs in hard shoe. Intermediate dancers must demonstrate good technique and timing as they drill their hard shoe steps. It's common to remain at this level for two or more years. For competitions, they are still considered Beg. II.
Intermediate 2 dancers meet twice a week, for one hour each time (1hr/2x).
Required footwear for Intermediate classes: ghillies and hard shoes.
Novice Irish 1 & 2
Novice-level softshoe
Intermediate or Novice-level hard shoe
Novice dancers learn Novice-level reels, light jigs, single jigs, and slip jigs; Beginner II & Novice treble reels, hornpipes, and treble jigs, and traditional set dances; and transition to slow speed hard shoe. Novice dancers work to maintain their correct technique and timing while learning more advanced steps.
Novice dancers meet twice a week.
Required footwear: ghillies and hard shoes.
Prizewinner Irish
Prizewinner dancers learn Prizewinner-level reels, light jigs, single jigs, slip jigs, and treble reels; slow speed hornpipes and treble jigs; and traditional set dances. Prizewinner dancers work to achieve the strength, stamina, and agility required to advance to the Championship level.
Prizewinners meet twice a week (1.5 hr classes)
Required footwear for Prizewinners: ghillies and hard shoes
Champs
Champs are actively competing at regional and national feisianna with the biggest stage being the World Championships. There are two levels of Champs.
PRELIMINARY
Preliminary champions dance three advanced 40-48 bar rounds: one soft shoe round (reel or slip jig), one hard shoe round (hornpipe or treble jig), and one contemporary set dance (either hornpipe or treble jig timing). Prelim dancers work to achieve outstanding technique, timing, stamina, strength, and stage presence.
OPEN
Open Championship dancers have placed first overall in three preliminary Championship competitions within one calendar year. They have therefore achieved outstanding technique, timing, stamina, strength, and stage presence.
Charity Ballet generally follows the Ballet Magnificat curriculum which is based on the Vaganova pedagogy. The result is an enjoyable,
comprehensive and systematic dance education.
Ballet: Grade 1
Students work through the Charity Ballet curriculum, which is based on the Royal Academy of Dance method of progression. This course of study enables students to understand basic Ballet technique, which includes being able to demonstrate secure classical posture and weight placement with appropriate use of ‘turn-out’.
Grade 1 dancers meet once a week for one hour.
Ballet: Grade 2
This course of study enables students to show an increasing understanding of basic Ballet technique, which includes being able to demonstrate secure classical posture and weight placement with a more developed use of ‘turn-out’. They should be able to move with ease across the floor while establishing harmonious lines through the body and demonstrate an ability to perform with increasing confidence, and responsiveness to musical rhythms, phrasing, and dynamics.
Ballet 2 meets once a week (1.5 hrs.)
Generally, this class is for 8+ yos.
Course Completion: 1 - 2 years
Ballet: Grade 3
This course of study consists of further developing the technical vocabulary of steps and expands this knowledge by incorporating additional movement and combinations considered necessary to give students an all-around classical education.
Students will be able to demonstrate various steps showing confident control of posture, ‘turn-out’, and line while turning and jumping. Students also further develop an awareness of their own safe dance practice and demonstrate an ability to perform with increasing confidence, awareness of the audience and responsiveness to musical rhythms, phrasing and dynamics.
Grade 3 meets two times a week (1 hr each).
Course Completion: 1-2 years
Ballet : Grade 4 & 5
This course of study incorporates both performance and technique at an increasingly more challenging level. Students will continue to build their knowledge and vocabulary, while demonstrating progress in the various steps showing confident control of posture, ‘turn-out’, and line while turning and jumping. Students also further develop an awareness of their own safe dance practice and demonstrate an ability to perform with increasing confidence, awareness of the audience and responsiveness to musical rhythms, phrasing and dynamics.
Ballet 4 & 5 students meet two times a week (1.5 hrs each time).
Course Completion: 1-2 years
Pointe - Beginning, Intermed. & Advanced
During this course, students study strengthening exercise, which establish sufficient control to support their bodies ‘en pointe’. Once this has been established, students will be invited to begin pointe work. Once on pointe, simple exercises will be undertaken to ensure safe dance practice. In this class, movements are simple in nature, focusing on weight placement through both feet at any one time in order to build strength and understanding of classical Pointe technique.