DANCE FOR CHILDREN   AGES 3 to 7+

Intro to Dance (Age 3+) is a great first class for children who must be potty trained and able to separate easily from parents. These classes focus on building body and spatial awareness, a basic movement vocabulary, and listening skills ranging from ability to follow directions to hearing beats and rhythms in music, and more, through creative experiences with movement, props, and music.

​

PRE-BALLET & PRE-CONTEMPORARY are classes for children ages 5 and older that focus on the acquisition of specific skills, including body awareness, building strength and symmetry. (Perhaps you’ve noticed that your young one has a favorite leg for hopping?) An emphasis on spatial thinking, musicality, impulse control, and language acquisition, make Pre- classes an excellent choice for young bodies and minds.

​

BALLET

Beginning I concentrates on body alignment and a careful introduction to the basics of ballet. Subsequent classes expand on this foundation. Our emphasis is on building solid technique, on combining the forms of the classical with contemporary themes, music,and influences, and on developing the musicality and expressiveness of each dancer. We also have Absolute Beginning Ballet, for those who want a more basic introduction, listed down below.

​

POINTE is integrated into the ballet syllabus once a student has reached our Level 4 standards. This includes a minimum of three technique classes per week, plus a pointe class. We not only require students to possess the correct technical level, alignment, and physical strength for this work, but also that the student’s physical development (bone and muscle) is sufficiently advanced. We want you to dance for a lifetime…not just until you’re 40!

​​​

CONTEMPORARY​

We focus on building a strong core, correct alignment, vocabulary that includes outward rotation and parallel work, contraction and release, fall and recovery, and leaps, turns, and jumps. Our emphasis is on expanding the strength, flexibility, and agility of the dancer’s body, while cultivating the personal vision that each
individual brings to movement.

​

DANCE IMPROVISATION

is the art of creating dance without prior rehearsal! Great for the brain, it is an exercise in creative thinking within a set of clearly defined parameters. An excellent class for both new and highly trained dancers, participants have found an increased comfort with moving their bodies in space, and a sense of creativity that extends beyond the class.

​

K-pop is described as a genre of pop music produced in the Korean language, typically performed by Korean artists and/or groups. Although K-pop has been around for many years in Korea, it has more recently caught the attention of tons of worldwide listeners. One thing that make K-pop so interesting and special is that the groups often dance to original choreography as they present their songs on stage. These dances are generally high-energy, hip-hop inspired, and extremely fun to dance to along with the music.

​

Hip Hop 

Blending traditional African, the “stepping” of black fraternities, and break dancing, students are taught the original street-funk moves as well as dances consisting of various street styles. Dancers are not only challenged to form their own style within the movement, but also to adhere to the discipline of choreography and the aerobics of street dance.

​

JAZZ​

is characterized by the use of isolations, syncopated rhythms, polyrhythmic patterns, and the use of movement that “ripples” out from the center of the dancer’s body. Our jazz classes also include a ballet component, allowing dancers to become fluent in technique that utilizes outward rotation as well as parallel work. Choreography in this style may range from Broadway, to street funk or hip hop influenced, to lyrical or old style / “retro” jazz. Our Jazz / Dance for Musical Theatre focuses primarily on learning jazz vocabulary and performance skills that will help in auditions and sometimes adds vocal components.

​

TAP dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: Rhythm (Jazz or Street) Tap and Broadway Tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the dance. It is widely performed as a part of musical theater. Rhythm tap focuses more on musicality, and practitioners consider themselves to be a part of the Jazz tradition. Our tap instructor has trained in both styles, and will integrate them both into the class syllabus depending on the age and level of the students.
​

​

BELLY DANCE

We offer classes in Tribal Fusion Belly Dance. Emphasis will be on isolations and drills to improve strength, stamina, flexibility and poise. This class will also introduce students to the concept of fusion belly dance – a relatively new but exciting dance form in which classical Oriental style belly dance is fused with elements of other dance genres such as jazz, hip hop, tango, ballet and more.  No previous dance experience necessary.

​

​​SECOND WIND The Second Wind classes are designed for 40 – 90+ year olds who have had little to no dance experience or have had a significant vacation from their previous training. The “survey class” format covers technical work in ballet, modern, jazz, and improvisation. Classes include a warm-up, center floor work, across the floor movement, and choreography. Funded by the PTDT and The Third Stage, Second Wind classes are free to seniors 65 and older, although younger adults are also welcome!

​

​

SECOND WIND CHAIR class is an excellent choice for movers who are experiencing knee issues or mild balance problems. Free for adults 65 and older (funded by the Pamela Trokanski Dance Theatre), this class explores using core strength and good sitting alignment for dancing while seated. Classes include a warm-up, leg and foot work (while seated), learning port de bras from jazz and ballet and learning choreography.

​

​

CHOREO CLASS is an exploration of how one creates dance choreography. By building an understanding of the lines, shapes, and forms the body can create in space, the use of stage spacing, movement levels, gesture, expression, musical choices, and more, this class is great for both new choreographers as well as those who wish to refine their art.

​

PILATES is a method of strength training that fully engages the mind. The emphasis placed by the founder Joseph Pilates on his work was movement control. This is achieved by concentration, breathing, precision, flow, awareness, and repetition. In this Pilates matwork class, the aims are to experience movement possibilities, gain awareness of our bodies, develop strength, feel good, be curious and have fun!

​

DANCE for PARKINSON'S

For a dancer it is a "given" that they will work on building and maintaining muscle strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. It is also a general rule that they (dancers) will work with a wide range of music that stimulates and energizes. Dance for Parkinson’s invites the Parkinson’s community to a stimulating, enjoyable, non-threatening, social environment in which to experience movement while working on, and with,  these same elements. The class can be done sitting, standing, or a combination of both.

To register for these classes, please contact Robin Carlson, PTDT Board Officer, at rcarlson404@yahoo.com

​​

We are also pleased to host classes in a diverse range of art forms, in addition to dance!

​​​​

​ZENTANGLE The Zentangle® method of drawing is a mindful art practice. The Zentangle method, created by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, uses simple, structured patterns that are easy to learn to create beautiful drawings. These patterns are called Tangles. This non-representational art form generates deep focus and relaxation. Ideal for “artists” and “non-artists”, Zentangle art is surprisingly satisfying given its simplicity.

​

Click on the link to find out more:

​

What is Zentangle and why is it being taught at PTDW?