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Ballet classes are offered for girls as well as boys from as early as
age 3. There are many forms of dance besides ballet. There is tap, jazz,
hip-hop and mime. Some studios even offer Hawaiian, pompon and a variety of
other dance forms.
The attire needed for ballet classes varies depending on the studio. A
lot of studios have girls wear black leotards with pink tights and pink
ballet slippers. The boys where black tights or black pants with white
socks, black ballet shoes and a white fitted T-shirt.
The attire for jazz, tap and hip-hop vary greatly with the studio. Most
often they wear black pants with a variety of different tops. You will need
to have special shoes with taps on them for tap and a jazz shoe for jazz
class, in mime you don’t usually wear shoes.
During the early years of dance (ages 3-7) one ballet class a week is
usually taken. Starting at around age 8 through 11 or 12 students take two
classes a week. Older serious students take three to four classes a week.
Older jazz and tap students take two classes a week.
When ballet students are more advanced, stronger and older, and their
feet are close to full grown, teachers will teach them strengthening
exercises and allow them to begin dancing on Pointe (toe) shoes. Girls are
not allowed to buy their Pointe shoes and begin dancing on them until their
ballet instructors have evaluated them and decided that they are ready.
Serious injuries may occur as a result of poor training, or dancing on
Pointe to early. Generally girls are around the ages of 12-14 before the
instructor allows them to begin dancing on Pointe.
There are many opportunities available to dancers. They have performance
opportunities as well as being able to go away to dance camps over the
summer. There are also a variety of workshops.
With Ypsilanti Area Dancers, dancers have been lucky enough to have had
professional dancers come and teach workshops and dance in some of their
performances. It is an excellent opportunity to take classes from a variety
of teachers. It enriches your dancing and makes you a better dancer because
you are exposed to different teaching styles and different techniques and
methods of dance.
There are many different dance studios, and each one is unique in what
they have to offer a dance student. Work with your parents, and ask others
that you know take dance classes to find a studio that is right for you.
Dancing is hard work, but with proper training and dedication it can be a
very rewarding experience.
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