Classes
Curriculum
First Position Dance Arts offers a wide array of classes ranging from Pilates to Poppin’.
Our Creative Dance program allows young children the freedom to explore movement through games,
stories and imaginative play while laying the foundation necessary for all movement forms.
Having now established the fundamentals, our dancers are then ready to take on dance styles in a
more focused manner. Ballet, Jazz Funk, Modern/Jazz, Tap, Hip-hop, Choreography, Dance History and
Culture are offered in a more specialized format.
Tweens and teens are taken to the next level where the skills previously laid down are drawn
into the performance arena. First Position Dance Arts offers many opportunities to
perform other than the annual spring dance concert. Performing encourages our students to
continue fine tuning their dance skills to their highest level. Our hope and plan for our
students is to help them build, through dance education and performance, the confidence,
creativity and self esteem necessary to thrive in our highly competitive climate.
Creative Dance
Ballet fundamentals are introduced in this fun filled setting rather than one that inhibits the
younger dancer’s boundless energy. Creative dance combines storytelling, games and props
(scarves, hula-hoops, balls, etc.) to allow the younger dancer the freedom to discover his/her
own unique movement.
Ballet
Training in ballet allows students to be more successful in their acquisition of technical
skills shared by all dance forms. The line, discipline and grace established in ballet also
helps with confidence in social settings, public speaking, sports, theatre, cultural history
and aesthetics.
Modern/Jazz
Modern/Jazz appeals to the dancer who has acquired basic ballet skills and is looking for an
artistic challenge. The students learn to physically express their emotions in order to convey
an idea. This highly personalized style includes: bold athletics, fun partnering, tricky
floor-work, pulsating rhythms and seamless fluidity.
Rhythm Funk Tap
Students will learn to listen to music in a whole new way and then transform what they hear;
into the music which dances out of their tap shoes. Tap dance is putting rhythms together using
toe beats and heel beats. Along with exploring and creating different rhythms, students will
learn the art of polyrhythms and improvisation. Once a student learns the 7 basic steps of Tap
Dance, he/she will be ready to transform those basic steps into rhythmic beats and/or create
music.
Boyz Breakin’/ Hip Hop
The popularity of break dancing is exploding! Many think that breakin’ went out with the
80’s, but if you participate in this class you will soon discover that’s far
from the truth.
In this class basic footwork, freezes and style will be taught. This is a comfortable class
for all levels to enter a dance studio and explore the world of breakin’.
Jazz Funk
If you are a serious dancer with hopes of doing music videos in the future or you just want
to have fun and get a great workout then this is the class for you. This class is a mixture
of classical Jazz technique with a flare of hip hop style. Many artists of today such as Justin
Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Dannity Kane use this style of dance on stage and in front of
the camera. (We will not be breakin’ in this class.)
Dance Team
This is a great opportunity for high school aged dancers! Our Dance Team, Surge, is entering its
fifth year of entertaining huge audiences with their amazing talent and style. The dancers have
performed with outstanding success at halftime for the Philadelphia 76’ers, halftime for the
Harlem Globe Trotters, Philadelphia AIDS Walk, Autism Walk at the Philadelphia Zoo, Mann Music
Center, Hershey Park and Haverford Township Day!! Conducted in a rehearsal atmosphere, this
class meets twice a week. This class is for the serious dancer. Come check it out!!!