
SCOPE & SEQUENCE
LOWER SCHOOL
3 yos
Twinkle Babies
Movement and Music
(45 min., 8-week sessions in the fall and spring)
Songs, movement, stories, and games for 3-year-olds.
4 yos
twinkle toes
Irish Dance & Ballet Combo
(1 hr; weekly throughout the regular dance season)
Basic ballet & Irish dance positions, steps, and games for 4-year-olds.
5 yos
twinkle stars
Irish Dance & Ballet Combo
(1 hr; weekly throughout the regular dance season)
Basic ballet & Irish dance positions, steps, and games for 5-year-olds.
Intro to Irish Dance
This class bridges the gap between our Twinkle program and the official Irish grade levels. It's also the perfect starting point for those who are brand new to Irish dance.
The class introduces basic Irish dance positions, steps, and games designed to prepare dancers to enter the grade levels. The classes are fun and lively sessions that meet once-a-week for one hour.
6 & 7 yos - Wexford Class
8+ yos - Killarney Class
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.
Pre/Primary Ballet introduces and follows the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum that has been specially designed for children who are beginning ballet. Dancers practice movement and space in ways that build strength, balance, flexibility and musicality.
6 yos - PrePrimary Ballet
7 yos - Primary Ballet
(these classes may be combined)
UPPER SCHOOL
Upper School 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
Continuing Softshoe:
Beginners have usually already had one year of Irish dance instruction. This 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.
Required footwear for Beginner classes: ghillies

Intermediate Irish
Intermediate I = Int. soft shoe & Early hard shoe
Intermediate II = Int. soft shoe & Int. hard shoe
Intermediate dancers will 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.
Intermediate dancers meet once a week
(1.5 hrs)
Required footwear for Intermediate classes: ghillies and hard shoes.
PLEASE NOTE: These "Intermediate" classes would be classified as "Beginner II" level for competition at feisianna.

Intermediate/Novice Technique (optional)
Intermediate & Novice dancers who want to advance faster may take this class concurrently with their regular class.

Novice Irish
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 once a week (1.5 hrs)
Required footwear for Novice: 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 are 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 follows the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) grade syllabus to provide students with 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’. 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, awareness of the audience and responsiveness to musical rhythms, phrasing and dynamics.
Course Completion: 1 - 2 years

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, awareness of the audience and responsiveness to musical rhythms, phrasing and dynamics. Students perform in the annual Spring Production.
Ballet 2 meets twice a week (1 hr. each time)
Course Completion: 1 - 2 years

Ballet 3
PERFORMANCE 3
This course of study consists of further developing the technical vocabulary of steps used in the RAD syllabi and expands this knowledge by incorporating additional movement and combinations considered necessary to give students an all-around classical education. During this class, students will prepare for performance in the annual Spring Production.
TECHNIQUE 3
This course of study enables students to demonstrate an increasing consolidation of knowledge and understanding of a systematically developed vocabulary of Balletic movements. These include the ability 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.
Performance and Technique are incorporated into the two weekly classes required of Level 3 dancers (1.5 hrs each)
Course Completion: 1-2 years

Ballet : Grade 4
PERFORMANCE 4
This course of study concentrates on further developing the technical vocabulary of steps used in the RAD syllabi and expands this knowledge by incorporating additional movement and combinations considered necessary to give students an all-around classical education. During this class, students will prepare for performance in the annual Spring Production.
TECHNIQUE 4
This course of study enables students to demonstrate an increasing consolidation of knowledge and understanding of a systematically developed vocabulary of Balletic movements. These include the ability 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.
Performance and Technique are incorporated into the two weekly classes required of Level 4 dancers (1.5 hrs each)
Course Completion: 1-2 years

Pointe 1
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.