Now accepting registrations for dancers ages 9+!
CLASSES BEGIN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024
ALL classes take place at Duende Dance Studio
5808B West 36th Street, St. Louis Park, MN
** Voted "Best Dance School" in 2017, 2018 and 2019 by Sun Sailor Readers! **
DANCE CURRICULUM
Every class follows a syllabus. A progressive curriculum is in place to allow for continuity in training, as well as consistency among teachers. Our focus is to provide our students with a solid technical base that they can carry with them throughout their dance career.
BALLET
Cechetti technique and terminology is taught in ALL ballet classes.
Senior Division Ballet Requirement:
Ballet is the foundation for all other dance forms. Ballet teaches the strength, technique and body awareness needed to learn and excel in all other dance techniques. For this reason, we require that ballet be taken in addition to other Sr. Division technique classes.
MODERN/CONTEMPORARY
Our students are exposed to a variety of styles such as those of
Lester Horton, Doris Humphrey,
Isadora Duncan and improvisation.
JAZZ
Our jazz curriculum is based on the techniques of Luigi and Giordano. Class time is spent learning jazz basics such as body isolations, pirouettes, and various leaps and turns.
SMALL CLASS SIZES
We know that smaller class sizes mean more individualized attention and
greater success for our students. Therefore, we cap class sizes at 10 students.
Our primary focus from September - December is to build proper and solid technique. This includes barre work and exercises that build strength and flexibility. We teach students the proper way to execute movement to minimize the risk of injury. During this first half of the year, students also learn movement phrases and short dance combinations that put together the steps they have been learning in class. All of this adequately prepares them for the second half of our year when we begin learning and rehearsing pieces for our year-end performance.
Students are placed and advanced based on ability and experience. Technical proficiency, an understanding and achievement of steps laid out in the curriculum, rate of progression, and maturity all play a role in where a dancer is placed. Whereas we never want a dancer to be bored in class, we also do not want class to become overwhelming and stressful for the student. Each student's best interests are at the heart of every decision, and we strive to find the best fit for each dancer.