Dance Academy: An Introduction to Dance for Beginners (Flex)
A well-rounded dancer is one who is always open to learning new things and trying different dance techniques. Learn the basics of ballet, jazz, tap, modern and hip hop dance, all on your own schedule and in your own home! #oshastalent
What's included
Class Experience
Join Ms. Astrid and learn the basics of 5 different popular dance styles, all on your own schedule. In this flex class, I will be demonstrating each of these styles while teaching students about the history behind it. I will cover a different dance style by posting a video at the beginning of the week. The video will contain a workout routine that includes a full dance class of warm-up stretches, dance technique, combinations and conditioning (improving flexibility and technique). All of my dance classes are recorded in a professional studio with mirrors, barres and proper lighting. Week 1: Ballet. This video will include a classical barre routine based on the Ceccheti method and Royal Academy of Dance curriculum. Students will be given a combination to learn as their assignment for the week. They can then record themselves performing this combination and share it in the classroom, where we can discuss and review what we learned. Along with the video to watch for the week, I also provide optional coloring sheets and provide a bonus homework assignment mid-week: a scavenger hunt for a famous ballet video! Week 2: Jazz Dance. An American rhythmic form of dance heavily influenced by African dance and American jazz music, this dance form is a lot of fun! Our video assignment this week will be to learn a short jazz routine and add 8 more counts to it, then post the entire recording in our classroom. An additional activity to try during the week will be another video hunt with clues. Week 3: Modern Dance. This week will be focusing on the dance style that was formed as a rebellion of ballet! Modern dance is a dance form that focuses on self-expression, creativity and purpose. Much of this class will include floor exercises that isolate specific areas of the body. Their assignment will be to learn a combination that my live dance students love: improvisation! We will work on visualizing a challenge and developing our own interpretation of it and the music selected. Learners can then record and share their presentation for the classroom to enjoy. An optional assignment mid-week will be to use the combinations learned in class to choreograph a short modern piece to a spoken word poem (Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou). Week 4: Tap! Tap dancing is an American rhythmic dance form that involves a study of percussion. I will be demonstrating a typical beginner class with the basics of tap, but will also include some intermediate options for those who would like to level up. Rhythm will be heavily emphasized in this class and learners will spend some time listening to the music and learning how to count it correctly, how to dance with it, and how to listen for different time signatures in music, which is critical when tap dancing. The assignment for the week will include a tap routine to a song that they can practice and record. If you do not own tap shoes, it is possible to dance without them. Choose a hard floor and shoes with a hard sole. Optionally, you could also try a DIY project by gluing pennies to the bottom of a pair of shoes (dress shoes work best, and shoes with a slight heel and lifted arch). An optional assignment will be another video hunt for a famous female tap dancer and share their thoughts on the routine. Week 5: Hip Hop. This American dance style is growing in popularity every day, and is now taught and performed around the globe. Learn about how hip hop got its start in NY, USA, and try some basic moves! Together we will start with some easy hip hop steps that focus on rhythm and reaction, hand gestures and coordination. Next, we will move onto some "breaking", learning some breakdancing moves on the floor, with an emphasis on building muscle for the more difficult, famous moves performed by professionals. Finally, the assignment will be to perform a choreographed dance combination and record it to share in the classroom. Our mid-week optional assignment is to share your favorite music video that features hip hop! As a local dance instructor, I have my own dance studio that I will be using to record my videos. I spend many hours recording and editing this class to show my feet, full body and close-ups when needed. I respond regularly during the week to all posts, questions, video submissions and comments. I enjoy an open dialogue where we can share our favorite clips, articles, experiences, and opinions. I encourage all of my students to introduce themselves to the class and get to know one another by sharing their own dance experience, commenting on one another's videos, etc. This is a highly interactive class that requires space to move and someone to record videos while the learner is dancing. You can record them with a smartphone, video camcorder or even straight into the classroom page via your webcam! Please contact me if you have a dancer that is younger or older than the specified age range, as I can usually accommodate them in this class without a problem. Students with special needs are absolutely welcome and invited to join, and both boys and girls will find this class to be enjoyable! My son (10) takes all of these classes with me every week. Don't forget, boys dance too!
Learning Goals
My intention is for this program to give your learner an understanding of different dance styles that are available for them to learn, expanding their perception of the dance world. It's a great way to introduce them to the world of dance! It's also a way for current dancers to work on specific skills and practice other techniques if they already have dance experience.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
All music chosen by me for each class will be age-appropriate and clean. I also request that students choose music and video clips that are appropriate for all ages and audiences when posting in the classroom (no explicit lyrics).
Supply List
- Open area where you can comfortably dance, turn, jump and move freely. - Webcam, video recorder or smartphone to record your videos. - Shoes: for ballet and jazz, you can wear socks or dance barefoot if you do not own ballet dance slippers or soft-sole jazz shoes. For tap, see course description above for some alternatives to tap shoes. For our hip hop lesson, sneakers or tennis shoes. - Optional fun coloring pages are provided, as well as a chart to help with flexibility.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
I run a nonprofit dance program locally where I teach all of these dance styles to homeschoolers in a studio we built onsite. I have also been teaching dance on Outschool since early 2017, and am experienced in recording high quality classes for kids online.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$12
weekly5 weeks
Completed by 83 learners
No live video meetings
Ages: 9-14