Dance
Dance is amazing! Did you know...
- Dance provides a wonderful link between a child’s early play and the more structured requirements of school.
- Dance enhances a child’s physical, intellectual, aesthetic, and social development.
- Dance provides opportunities to develop the imagination, and encourages children to co-operate, develop friendships, and appreciate their own abilities as well as their classmates’ abilities;
- Dance fosters important relationships with sound, music, auditory and physical patterns.
General Introduction and Philosophies
The California Elite Dance School provides professional dance training to students ages 1 ½ - 18 years. We offer a structured curriculum designed to teach excellent dance technique and form, while promoting strength and flexibility; encouraging commitment; instilling grace; and fostering a life long love and appreciation of dance. It is our firm belief that every dancer must start with strong technical training in the classical dance disciplines. Our emphasis on technique and form begins in our preschool dance program. We take full advantage of all that is wonderful about a preschooler and make sure that our program is sweet, encouraging, and interactive.
Our curriculum is designed as a year-round program. It is our goal to keep your child interested in dance and to ensure that s/he is learning and progressing each week. To meet these goals, we introduce new lessons, music, and teaching concepts on a regular basis. We also incorporate relevant themes, costuming, and props to keep dancers interested and motivated. We proudly host 3 dance recitals/performances each year and encourage all dancers to participate in these extra special dance events!
Programs
Preschool Dance
Class Descriptions
Baby & Me Boogie: (1 ½ - 2 ½ yrs)
45 Minutes; $105 / 8 weeks
Sometimes it takes two to Boogie! Baby Boogie & me provides 45 minutes of baby dance with a parent by their side. Teachers incorporate music, singing, and props to help our youngest dance students gain early dance and baby "tumbling" experience. Students gain balance, strength and flexibility through this early dance curriculum and also enjoy cognitive benefits through the memorization of songs, and the auditory and physical patterns of dance. Dancers should be able to come out to the dance floor by themselves before moving up to Twirly Tots.
Twirly Tots: (2 ½ - 4 yrs)
45 Minutes; $105 / 8 weeks
Toddlers love to dance! Twirly Tots enjoy 45 minutes of dance with music and song as the backdrop. Tumbling gives them flexibility to their movement. Tap challenges our toddlers’ auditory and fine motor skills; and while they soften their steps in Ballet, they develop the early grace and balance essential to dancers. Jazz helps develop the coordination to hop, skip and hip shake which always adds plenty of fun to the class!
Kinderdance: (4-6 yrs)
1 hour; $130 / 8 weeks
For the older preschooler/kindergartner, this program provides the important foundation for developing your child into a well-rounded dancer. The curriculum focuses on Tumbling, Tap, Ballet and Jazz. Emphasis is placed on age appropriate proper technique. Students learn in a performance based environment, mastering technique while learning the music and choreography to dance routines. Young dancers love to perform and this class helps them develop performance skills and prepares them for more advanced academy dance classes and team programs.
Academy Dance: (6-8 yrs, 8-10 yrs, 10-12 yrs, 12 yrs & up)
1 hour; $130 / 8 weeks
Our goal is to provide excellent dance training through a concentration of the basic dance discipline of Tap, Ballet and Jazz, augmented by a variety of elective dance choices such as Jazz/Funk, Leaps & Turns, Jazz/Tumbling, and Musical Theater. We believe that an accomplished dancer is well rounded, with strengths in several dance disciplines. Academy dance classes are offered to new dance students 6 years and older.
Class Descriptions
Ballet: Class is an hour long and works on the classical technique. Dancers will work on poise, grace, stability at the barre and at center. The class will work on Ballet progressions from basic foot work to jumps and turns.
Tap/Jazz: Class is a combination of Jazz and Tap that gives dancers a strong foundation of dance. Dancers spend 30 minutes on each technique of Tap and Jazz. They learn how to combine basic steps into choreography.
Jazz: Class is an hour long working on the basic technique of Jazz dancing. Dancers will work on isolations, balance, flexibility, across the floor motion, as well as basic turns and leaping skills. The class will work on routines that help the dancer use all the skills they've learned and put it into choregraphy.
Jazz/Tumbling: Dancing is broken down into 30 minutes spent working on beginning Tumbling skills, handstands, cartwheels, backbends, front and back walkovers. And 30 minutes spent working on beginning Jazz technique. Dancers will learn how to combine both skills into dances showcasing both abilities.
Jazz/Funk: Class is a combination of Jazz and Hip Hop that creates an upbeat and challenging environment for the student. Class consists of warm-up, across the floor, and Jazz/Funk dance combinations that combine the technique of Jazz with more contemporary hip-hip moves. This class will really get your child moving!
Hip Hop: This class provides a fast paced dance atmosphere that includes a fun warm-up, isolations, across the floor, and contemporary Hip-Hop style combinations. Class is filled with Hip-Hop music and choreography that will challenge the students to focus on connecting with the rhythm as well as learning how to control their body in new ways.
Adult Conditioning Class: A non impact adult only class designed to decrease stress and promote healthy muscles through the use of stretching\toning exercises. Portions of the class will include the following: Upper body stretching with the use of therabands, Abdominal mat work with the use of therabands, Upper and lower back isolated exercises, Leg stretching, and Tennis ball acupressure therapy for the entire body for complete massage after affect and relaxed state of mind.
What to Wear
(Female dancers should have hair up in ponytail.)
Tap: Leotard, tights, tap shoes (Boys: jazz pants)
Ballet: Leotard, tights, ballet shoes
Jazz: Jazz pants and top, jazz shoes
Hip-Hop: Jazz pants/street dance wear, tennis shoes
Dance Team
Performance Team: Cal Elite’s Performance Dance Team performs throughout our local community, as well as large venues such as Sea World, Disneyland, The Staples Center, and for the Globetrotters. Our Performance Dance Team is the stepping stone between our Academy Program and our Competitive Team program.
Your child will be increasing their dance hours and performing approximately once a month. Invitations to join our Performance Team are sent out in April or by personal assessment. For more information- nharber@calelitekids.com
Competitive Team: Cal Elite Kids is the proud home of the nationally recognized Cal Elite Dance Team. We have over 100 competitive dancers ages 5 – 18 years. The Cal Elite Dance Team has competed and performed all over the country including Hawaii, New York, and Florida. Our goal is to develop technically strong, well rounded, confident dancers and performers. Team dancers are trained in the disciplines of Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Tumbling, Leaps and Turns, Pointe, and Therabarre. We have an amazing staff of professional teachers who are phenomenal at motivating, training, and encouraging dancers of any age.
Cal Elite Dance Team members compete in 4-5 regional competitions a year and also have the opportunity to attend conventions to train with some of the best dancers in the industry, including The Pulse in San Francisco (featuring Mia Michaels and Brian Friedman) and the JUMP! Convention in Los Angeles (featuring Mandy Moore and many of the dancers from So You Think You Can Dance.)
Cal Elite offers the following 7 Competitive Team Options:
- Jazz
- Tap
- Lyrical
- Hip Hop
- Acro
- Musical Theater
- Solos, Duets, and Trios
Our season begins in July with Team auditions and evaluations and ends in June with our Team Recital and Dance Team Banquet.
AUDITIONS FOR THE 2010-2010 DANCE TEAM
Junior and Senior Teams (age 10 and older)
Auditions are for experienced dancers of any age and will be held on July 14, 2010. Audition Choreography in Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, and Musical Theater will be taught on July 7th.
Sweet Elite and Petite Elite Teams (age 10 and younger)
For our younger dancers, instead of a formal audition, we spend the first 2 weeks of our summer session evaluating in a classroom setting where they will fit in best based on their technique and ability. This year the evaluations will take place the week of July 5th and July 12th.
If you are interested in auditioning for our team or would like more information, please contact Laura MacCartie, at lmaccartie@calelitekids.com.
Theater
Click Here to Sign Up for Theater
Theater class is designed for students who want to explore the world of Broadway and Musical Theater. Classes include creative movement, song, acting, and dance. Students will work to build confidence and skills including group play, projection and coordination.
Instrumental Music
Click Here to Sign Up for Instrumental Music
Group Violin: This class is designed to create an encouraging learning environment for students by providing performance experience and peer interaction. The materials used for violin classes are Suzuki Violin Books and Cd’s. Classes are geared towards establishing ensemble as well as solo performing skills.
Group Violin Ages 4-5: The focus of this class is the interactive understanding of general music concepts in relationship to the violin. Correct posture and basic violin techniques are introduced, as well as learning to read music and playing by rote. Parental involvement and attendance is highly recommended at this level.
Group Violin Ages 6 and older: The focus of this class is the interactive understanding of general music concepts in relationship to the violin. Correct posture and basic violin techniques are introduced, as well as learning to read music and playing by rote. Parental involvement and attendance is highly recommended at this level.
Voice
Click Here to Sign Up for Voice
Academy Show Choir: The Academy Show Choir is designed to meet the needs of students who are interested in an intense study of vocal performance. Students will learn the art of movement and dance as well as the enhancement of the vocal renditions of various works. A portion of each class will be devoted to strengthening sight reading and improving vocal technique.
Pre-School Choir: is offered to students who want to sing for enjoyment while continuing to develop their musical knowledge and vocal skills. Emphasis is placed on independent part singing. In this class students will explore many styles of music. They will also strengthen their sense of rhythm and conceptual language while practicing and learning good vocal and performance skills.
Ages: 4 – 6
Number of participants: max. 10 children
Duration: 45 Minutes