Class Descriptions - Dance Reality Studios

Ballet dance is typically performed to classical music. It is taught in ballet dance schools and studios around the world, with students ranging in age from toddlers to adults. In order to become proficient at ballet dance, one must be extremely dedicated to the art and diligent in regard to practice and rehearsal time. Ballet dance has become a highly technical form of dance with its very own French vocabulary. Our students are offered training and examinations in the ISTD ballet syllabus.

Adult Ballet

This class is suitable for either the beginner or those with some experience wishing to refresh their skills. Classes focus on establishing the basic elements of classical technique including an understanding of turn-out, posture, alignment, flexibility and extension.  Classes focus on developing strength and increasing the vocabulary of steps. Alternative exercise variations are offered for more advanced dancers.

Tap dancing is performed wearing shoes fitted with metal taps, characterized rhythmical tapping of the toes and heels. It is a dance in which the rhythm or rhythmical variation is audibly tapped out with the toe or heel by a dancer wearing shoes with special hard sloes with taps. For those students wanting to take exams in tap we offer training and examinations in ISTD tap

Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements. Contemporary dance stresses versatility and improvisation, unlike the strict, structured nature of ballet. Contemporary dancers focus on floor work, using gravity to pull them down to the floor. This dance genre is often done in bare feet. Contemporary dance can be performed to many different styles of music.

Ballroom, & Latin Classes Come join us! Ballroom and Latin dancing has found a new generation of fans. Popularized by television shows like, "Dancing with the stars", many have found the inherent joy in Ballroom and Latin dancing. Dance favorites like Tango, Swing,, Cha Cha, Rumba, and Viennese Waltz are capturing people's attention and motivating them to take to the dance floor

People all over the world enjoy the social and competitive nature of ballroom dancing. Ballroom dances are partner dances enjoyed socially and competitively worldwide.

Jazz is a fun dance style that relies heavily on originality and improvisation. Many jazz dancers mix different styles into their dancing, incorporating their own expression. Jazz dancing often uses bold, dramatic body movements, including body isolations and contractions. A normal class would include full stretching warm up, corner work (kicks, turns, leaps etc) and a routine. Routines can be commercial style, technical or musical theatre style.

Street dance is used to describe dance styles that developed outside of dance studios on the streets, in schoolyards and at nightclubs. Street dance is also used to describe all the hip hop and funk dance styles that began appearing in the United States in the 1970s. Most of these styles such as breakdance, popping, locking, hip hop and house dance, are still alive and evolving within the hip hop culture of today, and are seen regularly in music videos.

Classes are creative and blend original hip hop styles fused with modern commercial moves to the latest hip hop controversial beats!

Acro-Dance is the beautiful fusion of the artistic motion of dance and the athleticism of acrobatics. Often defined by its unique choreography, Acro-Dance blends seamlessly classic dance styles with acrobatic movement. Acrodance has 12 levels with each level incorporating strength, limbering, flexibility, tumbling and balancing skills. The lower levels will start with skills such as bridges, cartwheels, developing into walkovers and aerial work.An example of progression in an Acro class would begin with ’Table Top’ at Primary level progressing later on to ‘Baby Bridge’, ‘Push up to Bridge’, ‘Bridge Waving’, ‘Inside Out Bridge’, ‘Bridge down the wall’, ‘Back into Bridge with Spot’, ‘Recover from Bridge with Spot’, ‘Back into Bridge/Recover from Bridge without Spot’, ‘Bridge with Kick and Jump’, ‘Handstand to Bridge’, ‘Bridge with kick over’, ‘Back Walkover’.The same types of progressions are used for many of the skills and build up to other movements such as ‘Aerials’, ‘Hand Springs’ and ‘Fish Flop'. The classes include a great deal of strength and conditioning exercises along with stretching to allow the children to perform the skills effectively and safely.

Dance Reality offers graded classes and exams using the ISTD syllabus and examining board. You will learn to develop many different movements reaching to a broad choice of varying rhythms and musical styles. Classes are structured to begin to prepare the physical strength and flexibility required to demonstrate emotion through interpretation of any musical genre, one minute you may be dancing to the rhythm of a drum, the next to a funky jazz style. You may explore contrast between expansion and relaxation or learn to isolate in a slick stylish mood, whatever the atmosphere of the class, it will be a wonderful opportunity to react and interact with other members of the class and really dance to express your feelings.

Musical theatre is a class which combines Singing, Dance and Drama. Students work on a number of musicals and technique training in all 3 genres and can take exams with the IDTA examining board if they wish. Lots of fun and learn numbers from Annie to Wicked and lots of Disney for the little ones.

Commercial is a strong style with elements of Street and Jazz. A lot of the dancers on music videos and MTV are classed as commercial dancers. Routines will be danced to the latest Pop, RnB and Chart Music. Thank Ciara, Rhianna, Britney, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and the Pussy Cat Dolls. Not only will you learn how to strut your stuff like a true diva the class is great for getting fit and boosting self confidence!