MBA students ages seven and a half and above can further their ballet training in our Pre-Professional Division.
This training division provides a well-rounded curriculum aimed at preparing students for the demands of a professional career or for entry into college at the end of their training. Through daily classes and optional competition preparation, students work on their overall technique using a progressive, codified curriculum.
Students are evaluated by our faculty at the end of each school year on their readiness to progress to the next level and receive personalized feedback on their strengths, artistic and technical development, and areas needing improvement.
Students in the Pre-Professional Division have the opportunity to perform in two full-length ballet performances throughout the year, including The Nutcracker. Students also have the opportunity to work with our professional company-in-residence, Deos Contemporary Ballet, in their professional productions throughout the season.
Enrollment is Now Open for the 2023-2024 School Year
Level 1
Level 1 is a student’s first introduction to our Pre-Professional Division. Students in this level continue developing their mastery of body, leg, arms, and head placement, while learning new movements and steps. The exercises are longer, and students repeat the previously learned steps in an increased number. The tempo of the exercises is slower to allow students to concentrate on correct placement and lengthening of the body. Increasingly more time is spent in center work where students have to learn to move without support from the barre.
Level 3
Students can expect the following elements to be stressed in Level 3:
Mastering the technique of beats (beating steps)
Turns executed in various ways
Flexibility, mobility, and strength in extensions
Developing the smoothness of graceful movements
Developing elevation in big jumps.
Students can also expect to progress to pointe classes their second year in Level 3.
Level 5
At this level, the execution of all fundamental movements is carried through with finishing touches to reach the perfection of classical dance. The accompanying tempo picks up speed, in comparison with the preceding lessons. Class load increases to prepare students for a professional or college setting, and students will be expected to wear pointe shoes 5 days a week. Conditioning is combined into every technique class, ranging from the first 15 minutes to a full half hour.
Students in this level may also have the opportunity to perform with our company in residence, Deos Contemporary Ballet, in occasional performances.
Pas de Deux
Literally the “step of two,” pas de deux classes are the culmination of a student’s training. Due to the potential of physical injury, only the strongest males and the most appropriately conditioned females can participate in these classes. “Pas De Deux” training begins with simple promenades, floor work and basic pirouettes. Eventually, and only when the partners have developed the necessary strength and timing, they can partake in the aerial work such as overhead lifts, throws and catches.
Pointe
One of the defining elements of classical ballet, female students attend multiple classes on pointe a week including classical repertory.
Level 2
In Pre-Professional Level 2, students continue to strengthen their stability in turns and other exercises executed on demi-pointe. Strong emphasis is placed on developing smooth coordination of the arms, head and body. Level 2 students can expect increasingly more complex combinations of steps, as well as an increase in tempo. Pre-pointe is also introduced in this level and students will begin to develop the necessary strength to hold themselves “en pointe” as they move to the next level.
Level 4
In Level 4, students will begin to work on stage presence and artistry. As technique improves these students will have the opportunity to perform more complicated steps with difficult tempo and accent changes. Students at this level will also start to work more intensely on pointe work, with classes in pointe shoes 3 times a week.
Quality of movement will be stressed as dancers
Men's/Boy's Class
Men’s class is designed to fine tune the technique of male dancing, focusing on physical strength, power, and brilliance with particular emphasis on elevation, pirouettes and beats.
Variations
In variations class, students are exposed to the classical ballet repertoire by learning historically accurate choreographies from the great ballets. Students will learn excerpts from Swan Lake, Giselle, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, The Sleeping Beauty and many others.
Contemporary Dance
The Contemporary Dance Technique is based upon the principles formulated by Jose Limon, Merce Cunningham, Lester Horton and Martha Graham, with emphasis upon the concepts of breath, weight, fall and recovery, and spinal articulation. Strength, flexibility and creativity are the major components.