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.

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. 

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 thru 9 yos. - "Wexford"

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

Beginner Irish

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 once a week (1.5 hrs).

​

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 once a week (1.5 hrs)

​

Required footwear for Intermediate classes: ghillies and hard shoes.

Intermediate Technique (optional)

Intermediate 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 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.

​

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

Beginning Pointe & Pointe

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.