Preschool and kindergarten classes are available in tap, ballet,
and tumbling.
These classes help your young child learn how to concentrate and
feel the pride of success at an early age. These lessons will stay
with your child throughout their life.
We limit these classes to twelve children taught by the teacher and
one helper. If children are making up from another class, the number
may go over twelve for that particular lesson.
The students will perform in the spring dance recital.
The tumbling classes are taught by Dan. The tumbling students
do not perform in the recital. To acknowledge
the skills that these children have learned, certificates are issued
to those who begin class no later than the second period and
continue through period nine. Their names are listed in the recital
program and in the local newspaper.
Classes in tap and jazz are offered from beginner through advanced
level. The beginner levels are thirty minutes each week. The
intermediate and advanced levels are forty-five minutes each week.
All ballet classes taught at Merrilee Studios are in the Russian, or
Vaganova technique. This is the same technique that trained
such great ballet dancers as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolph Nureyev,
and Galina Ulanova.
This will be our twelfth year to teach exclusively this technique.
It has a goal of teaching your child complete body control in the same
way the schools teach your child to read - one step at a time.
This technique is producing some wonderful ballet dancers in our
studio. Once again we had so many comments about the
quality of the ballet in the dance recital. Many people say we
have the strongest ballet program of any dance studio in the area.
Ballet is the hardest dance form to learn but it is the
one that gives your child the most. If your child
doesn't take ballet, please consider it. Ballet instills discipline
and concentration that will last their lifetime, and has been proven
to help children do better in school.
Ballet 1 has a thirty minute class. Ballet 2 has a forty-five minute
class. The intermediate level
(Ballet 3) also has forty-five minute classes. The early advanced
level (Ballet 4) and the advanced level (Ballet 5) classes last one
hour. A ninety minute ballet class is also offered; an audition is
required for admission.
You should definitely consider your child taking a second ballet
class each week. Much like sports, it is much easier to become
proficient if you practice and take class more than once a week.
If your child is serious about ballet, carefully consider this
second class.
Pointe is begun when your child is twelve years old or older and has
developed good strong muscles and good ballet technique. Students
continue to take ballet while taking pointe.
All of the tumbling classes are taught by Dan in accordance with the
guidelines set up by the American Athletic Union and the United States
Tumbling Association. He has thirty years of teaching experience.
Preschool and kindergarten classes are thirty minutes long. Classes
for school-age children are forty-five minute long. As in ballet, a
second class each week will help your child progress at a much more
rapid pace.
Hip hop, the street form of jazz, will be taught once again by Dan.
It has become so popular that this year, we will be offering three
levels of this class. This is a half hour class for
students eight years of age or older.
Modern dance is a combination of jazz
and ballet with an emphasis on creativity and body control.
This is a forty-five minute class for children ten years of age
and older who have had at least two years of ballet.
This is dance done to Broadway show music. It uses technique
learned in ballet and jazz class. It is open to children
ten and older who are currently enrolled in a jazz and/or ballet class.
Courtney, a member of the M.T.H.S. dance team, will be teaching
the Merrilee Studios dance team. This is wonderful training
and experience for your child for school teams.
If interested in a private lesson, please talk to Mary.
Copyright © 2001 through 2007 Merrilee Studios.
Generated March 17, 2008
