JCC Dance at South Hills
Dance with Us!
About Dance at South Hills
The JCC offers classes that explore a variety of dance styles. Classes for school-age children and teens are organized by all levels. Students advance based on their ability to perform given steps. Adult dance classes are appropriate for first-time as well as previous dancers unless a level is specified.
Facilities: Fully equipped dance studio
Dance Director: Kathy Wayne is a graduate of Point Park College with a B.A. in dance. Her professional credits include Tokyo Disneyland, Caesar’s Atlantic City and many productions with the Pittsburgh Playhouse.
Philosophy: Our goal is to help your child gain poise, flexibility, strength and an appreciation for the art of dance.
dance classes
Preschool Classes
Toddler’s Creative Movement: Ages 2½-3
A series of music and creative movement classes that celebrate your child’s natural ability to move in an expressive way. These weekly 30-minute classes are designed to engage children through group and individual participation, which is vital for early childhood development.
Creative Movement: Ages 3-4
Dancers will learn all about music, movement, coordination, spatial relations, and the basics of ballet. Classroom focus will be on appropriate etiquette, respect for others, and self-confidence. The class will follow basic principals of Creative movement: understanding space, time, body, and movement concepts. Dancers will utilize various props and pretend to be different kinds of animals, fairytale characters, and objects in nature.
Pre-Ballet: Ages 4-5
This class is for dancers who are ready for a more structured class than creative movement. Dancers will perform various stretches and strengthening exercises that will help to increase their flexibility and understanding of how their muscles coordinate to help them dance. They will learn the beginning basics of positions of the arms and feet, as well as learning basic ballet steps. Dancers will also be taught to travel from one corner of the room to the other by way of basic turns, leaps, and jumps.
Pre-Ballet/Tap: Ages 4-5
This class has the same pre ballet component with an additional 15 minutes of beginning tap. Tap skills are taught with an emphasis on coordination and musicality.
School Age Classes
Ballet (Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced)
Dancers will start the class at the ballet barre to work on classical technique, executing combinations at different musical tempos and counts. They will be taught about maintaining correct posture, and building strength, and how to put several steps together while holding correct body placement. Dancers will stretch then come to the center for floor work and across the floor combinations.
They will learn the names of the steps as well as what they mean in French. The difference between Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced classes is based on age and the level of detail offered by the instructor, The higher the level the more serious and structured the class is.
Tap
Tap is the ultimate in rhythm training. Rhythm, musicality, and sound clarity skills are introduced; each level builds on the previous one. Dancers learn a vocabulary of tap steps that will be used to develop fun and interesting choreography.
Jazz
Jazz dance incorporates modern dance, dance styles from Broadway musicals and Hollywood movies, and street, folk, and popular dance. Students must be at least 7 years old.
Hip Hop
Hip Hop dance is a fusion dance genre that incorporates elements of popping, locking, breaking, jazz, ballet, tap dancing and other styles and is performed to hip hop music.
dress code
General Dress Code
Hair: Hair must be pulled back in a bun; shorter hair pulled back with a headband.
Ages 3-4:
- Pink leotard (no attached skirt)
Pink tights - Pink ballet slippers (no foam slippers) required for ballet class
- Black tap shoes required for tap class
Ages 5 and up: Any style leotard in the following colors
- Ballet/Tap Level 1: Light Blue leotard
- Ballet/Tap Level 2: Lilac leotard
- Ballet/Tap/Jazz Beginner:
- Burgundy leotard
- Ballet/Tap/Jazz Intermediate:
- Navy or Black leotard
- Ballet/Tap/Jazz Advanced:
- Black leotard
- Black jazz pants are acceptable for jazz and hip hop
- Pink tights for ballet classes
- Ballet slippers (no foam slippers) required for ballet class
- Black tap shoes required for tap class
- Black jazz shoes required for jazz class
Boys:
- Black jazz pants
- White T-shirt
- Ballet shoes required for ballet class
- Tap shoes required for tap class
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