Dance Classes
Dance is a wonderful form of exercise. It is fun and rewarding but at the same time structured and challenging. A dancer is always learning, perfecting, achieving, training, rehearsing and performing.
Danz Royal follows the Royal Academy of Dance syllabi in classical ballet education.
Tiny Tots Ballet (3 to 4 years old)
Ballet class is a magical introduction to dance for a young child. The basic elements of dance are introduced in a positive and loving way using props such as scarves, hula hoops and musical instruments. A fun-filled half-hour class that engages the child in age appropriate activities while teaching drama, music, and the excitement of the world of dance.
Our Tiny Tots Ballet classes are based upon the RAD's "Dance To Your Own Tune", which is a pre-school dance curriculum that is firmly grounded in educational and developmental theory.
Pre-Primary and Primary Ballet (4 to 6 years old)
These are brand new syllabi from the RAD, which have been devised to provide a strong foundation for future dance training that is appropriate and relevant to young children of today. Great fun to do, these syllabi develop students’ physical skills, stamina, creativity, expression and musicality using a range of sounds and musical styles. The syllabi prepare students for a successful transition to ballet and other dance genres at higher levels.
Graded Ballet Levels (7 years old and above)
The Graded syllabi provide a broad practical dance education, progressively developing the technical, musical and performance skills of the student. They incorporate Classical Ballet, Free Movement and Character:
- Classical Ballet - the foundation and the most important part of the syllabus.
- Free Movement - it has been influenced by and incorporates movements in common with other dance styles such as Natural Movement, Contemporary and Classical Greek Dance.
- Character - the theatrical presentation of national dance using original ethnic dance and music which has been freely adapted for the theatre. The three styles — Hungarian, Russian and Polish — were selected because of their historic importance in the development of the nineteenth century full-length classical ballets.
There are nine levels of examination, progressively structured in terms of difficulty. Students are assessed by an RAD examiner through observation of performance of a selection of the pre-set exercises, studies and dances. Successful candidates receive an Examination Result Form and a Certificate from the RAD.
Vocational Ballet Levels (11 years old and above)
The Vocational Graded Examinations in Dance syllabus provides an in-depth study of ballet developing the technique, music and performance skills of the student. It introduces pointe work for female candidates. This highly focused and practical training education prepares students for a dance, or dance related, career.
There is nothing but positive benefits from doing ballet classes. Ballet has many benefits in terms of exercise; it will improve co-ordination, posture, flexibility and general health and well-being.
Contemporary Dance (8 years old and above)
Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements.
Contemporary dance techniques typically reflect the body’s natural alignment, so the style is accessible for dancers of any level.
One of the most important aspects of contemporary dance is the element of improvisation.
Our Contemporary Dance classes at Danz Royal take a modern approach to the genre, also incorporating elements of hip-hop, as well as other modern street styles, to create a fun environment!
Come along and try a class or two on Thursday evenings at our Tervuren dance studios, to find out what it’s all about.