Below is a guide that will help you pick the right class and level for your child:
● First Year Dance 3 year-old: Creative Movement (less structured & non-recital) or Pre-Ballet (more structured & recital)
● First Year Dance 4 year-old: Pre-Ballet
● First Year Dance 5 year-old: Mini Classes
● First Year Dance 7 year-old: Primary Classes
● First Year Dance 9 & 10 year-olds: Level A
● First Year Dance 11 year-old: recommend Level A, can take Level B, but is faster paced and builds on the fundamentals from Level A.

During the first few months, our expert teachers and staff will monitor all students to ensure they are in the proper class/level. If we strongly feel they must move into a different class/level, we will contact parents and discuss options.

We evaluate our students throughout the season to make sure all of them are on the right track. Our students’ success and best interests are always at hand and we want to ensure they are challenged yet comfortable in their classes. Teachers will make class recommendations at the end of the school year to make the enrollment process smooth and easy for our families for the following year. It is an absolute joy when students learn and improve their dance skills day in and day out. Our students’ confidence level grows as their dance skills and knowledge develops. We hope that the guide below can help you pick the right class for your child:

• Second Year Dance 3 year-old: Pre-Ballet
• Second Year Dance 4 year-old: Mini Classes
• Second/Third Year Dance 5 year-old: Mini
• Second Year Dance 7 year-old: Primary Classes
• Third Year Dance 7 year-old almost 8 (who has 2 years of Primary Level experience): Level A
• Second & Third Year Dance 9 & 10 year-olds: Level A or Level B (depending on instructor approval)
• Second & Third Year Dance 11 year-old: Level B or B/C (depending on instructor approval)
• Ages 12 and older: Level B or Teen classes (depending on instructor approval)
• Levels C & D is Instructor Approval Only – Performers typically need at least 3 years in Levels A and B to be considered for Levels C and D classes.

● Our leveled dance programs do not have 12 levels like there are 12 grades in school, so it’s highly unlikely a student will move up a level every single year.
● In the first year a student participates in a level, new material is introduced. In the second and subsequent years, students use the same material to build physical strength and muscle memory, fine-tune technique and increase endurance. Being a dancer is about more than memorizing a laundry list of dance vocabulary. In addition to mental knowledge, it requires physical strength and the development of a sense of artistry. These elements become the focus for a student participating in a level for the second year or more.
● We look at each student as an individual while at the same time remaining aware of the importance of a peer group. We also look forward and try to envision where a student will be two or three years in the future. We do our best to balance these elements when deciding whether or not to move a dancer to the next level. We always do our best to reward hard work and dedication while challenging the unique talents of each student.

If you are still unsure, please feel free to contact us and we can discuss class options for your performer. It is highly important to us that your child is in the right class/level. Thank you!