Twinkle Babies

Movement and Music

(45 min., 8-week sessions in the fall and spring)

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Songs, movement, stories, and games for 3-year-olds. 

twinkle toes

Irish Dance & Ballet Combo

(1 hr; weekly throughout the regular dance season)

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Basic ballet & Irish dance positions, steps, and games for 4-year-olds. 

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

The class introduces basic Irish dance positions, steps, and games designed to provide a solid foundation in Irish Dance. Classes are fun and lively sessions that meet once a week for one hour.​

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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.

6 thru 8 yos. - Beginner 1

9+ yos. - Beginner 1

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 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. - Primary Ballet

Advanced Beginner Irish

Continuing Softshoe & Early Hard shoe

Advanced Beginners have completed one year of Irish dance instruction. These second-year 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. Advanced Beginner dancers must demonstrate good technique and timing as they drill their hard shoe steps.

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Advanced Beginner dancers meet once a week

(1.5 hrs).

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Required footwear for Advanced Beginners: ghillies AND hard shoes.

Intermediate Irish

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.

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Intermediate dancers meet once a week (1.5 hrs)

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Required footwear for Intermediate classes: ghillies and hard shoes.

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.

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Novice dancers meet once a week (1.5 hrs)

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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.

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Prizewinners are meet twice a week (1.5 hr classes)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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Generally, this grade is for 7yos.

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. 

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Ballet 2 meets twice a week (1 hr. each time)

Generally, this class is for 8+ yos.

Course Completion: 1 - 2 years 

Ballet 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. 

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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. 

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Grade 3 meets two times a week (1.5 hrs each).

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Course Completion: 1-2 years

Ballet : Grade 4 

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. 

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Ballet 4 students meet two times a week  (1.5 hrs each time).

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Course Completion: 1-2 years

Beginning 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.