Dance Legends: Exploring Ballet, Modern, Jazz, and Iconic Performers in History

𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭—𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲.

Every dancer wonders where these movements come from and who shaped the art we love today. Yet many learners who love dance often feel disconnected from its roots, leaving them curious about the 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬. This class bridges that gap, inviting learners to 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬 like Isadora Duncan, Fred Astaire, and Alvin Ailey.

Through weekly explorations, learners will step into the 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 that shaped 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐚𝐳𝐳. Each session transforms history into an inspiring journey, connecting the artistry of the past to their 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 today.

_______

WEEKLY BREAKDOWN

Week of January 6: Isadora Duncan: The Mother of Modern Dance
Week of January 13: Anna Pavlova: The Swan Queen of Ballet
Week of January 20: Martha Graham: Revolutionizing Modern Dance
Week of January 27: Fred Astaire: The Icon of Jazz and Tap Dance

Week of February 3: José Limón: Modern Dance Innovator
Week of February 10: Rudolf Nureyev: The Ballet Superstar
Week of February 17: Gene Kelly: Bringing Dance to Hollywood
Week of February 24: Alvin Ailey: Shaping Modern Dance with African-American Culture

Week of March 3: Amalia Hernandez: El Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
Week of March 10: Mikhail Baryshnikov: The Ballet Prodigy
Week of March 17: Twyla Tharp: Merging Ballet and Modern Dance
Week of March 24: Bob Fosse: American choreographer who revolutionized musicals

Week of April 7: Gelsey Kirkland: The Prima Ballerina's Struggles
Week of April 14: Michaela DePrince: Sierra Leonean-American Ballet Dancer; Dance Theater of Harlem, Dutch National Ballet, First Position
Week of April 21: Twyla Tharp: American dancer, director, and modern choreographer
Week of April 28: Rudolf von Laban: The Pioneer of Laban Movement Analysis

Week of May 5: Bill "Bojangles" Robinson: The Tap Dance Legend
Week of May 12: Maurice Béjart: The Ballet and Contemporary Dance Maestro
Week of May 19: Ailey II: A Legacy of Dancers Carrying Alvin Ailey’s Vision
Week of May 26: The Rise of Contemporary Dance Stars: From Baryshnikov to Today

_______

CLASS ENVIRONMENT

Our classrooms are guided by a Socratic teaching approach, fostering critical thinking and encouraging open dialogue among learners. By facilitating engaging discussions and posing thought-provoking questions, students are able to explore topics more deeply and gain a comprehensive understanding of the material. 

Our class size does not exceed 5 learners. This allows for more personalized attention from the educator, ensuring that each learner's individual needs and learning styles are met. With a smaller group size, there is also more opportunity for discussion and collaboration among classmates, creating a supportive and engaging learning environment. Additionally, students may feel more comfortable and confident participating in discussions and activities in a smaller group setting.

We incorporate a mix of traditional methods such as videos and limited PowerPoint presentations to accommodate various learning styles as well. 

In addition, we gamify our lessons, as much as possible, to make learning fun and interactive for students. By adding elements of games and competition, we are able to keep learners engaged and motivated to participate in their education.

We also incorporate hands-on projects, wherever possible, to provide students with real-world application of their learning. Through these projects, students are able to apply their knowledge in practical ways and further enhance their understanding of the subject matter.

By designing this type of diverse classroom environment, utilizing multiple teaching methods, we effectively address the diverse learning styles of our learners.

_______

IMPORTANT DATES

Please note we value mental health and want to prevent teacher burnout. With that said, we do take company wide breaks where there will not be any classes taught nor will we be answering emails. 

Please expect a delay in responses the following dates: 

2024:

August 19-August 25 (Summer Break)
November 27-29 (Thanksgiving Break)
December 23 - December 31 (Winter Break)

2025

January 1 - Jan 5 (Winter Break)
March 17 - March 23 (Spring Break)
April 19 - April 20 (Easter Break)
August 25-31st (Summer Break)

If you are enrolled, you will not be charged!

We will be returning all emails the day or two after we return. 

In addition, teachers may need time off outside of these breaks as emergencies do happen. We always try our best to give ample notice when we can. You will never be charged for a day that we cancel classes.

_______

CLASS POLICIES

Refund Policy:

We strictly adhere to Outschool's refund/reschedule policy for all of our classes. This means that once a class has been paid for, there will be no deviation from Outschool's guidelines. We do not offer refunds or rescheduling outside of what Outschool allows. 

Camera Policy:

All students are required to keep their camera turned on during the entire class. The only exception is those that have been verified by Outschool and have the verification badge.  

Contact info:

In compliance with Outschool's policies, we do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former families on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). We also do not provide or ask for any personal information such as email address or phone numbers.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these policies.