Classical Ballet 6 yrs+

Classical ballet taught with care, mindfulness and creativity

Course Overview
Our classical ballet dance training begins at the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) primary level, providing a broad practical dance education that develops technical, musical and performance skills.
The Classical Ballet program commences when dancers are in their second year at school – around 6 or 7 years of age. These classes prepare children for a formal examination with the
RAD. It generally takes 12 months to work towards an examination, before progressing to the next grade.
Each class has been designed with great care, allowing children to progress through their ballet training in orderly, challenging and inspirational stages.

Class Objectives

  • Promoting the learning of technical ballet skills through creative tuition rather than delivering set exercises for children to imitate 
  • To celebrate and honour every child’s natural abilities and reveal their unique talents  
  • To access higher brain functioning through application, analysis and evaluation
  • Developing technique through an understanding of dance concepts
  • A strong focus on posture, weight placement, turnout, co ordination, spatial awareness, classical lines, dynamics, stamina, music, performance and classical ballet vocabulary
  • Progression through the ballet grades commencing with RAD Primary through to Grade 8, should the dancer choose to do so
  • Developing strength, technical ability and growth in a stress free and creative space

Class Themes
To best develop technical, musical and performance skills we follow the guidelines from the RAD syllabus, creating open classes based on the burgeoning ballet vocabulary being discovered in the three key areas of ballet, free movement and character. We do this successfully by focusing on 'feeling before form'.
Creative dance concepts are incorporated into each class to assist the developing technique and to provide novelty and recuperation. The dance concepts are a study of Laban Movement Analysis and include exploration in:  effort, time, space, shape, body, direction, speed, relationship, focus, flow, balance, energy, size, rhythm, pathways

Class Outline
The classes are structured around a 5 part lesson plan and include a mix of teacher directed and child centred activities.

1. BRAIN DANCE to warm up the body and focus the brain 
2. EXPLORE A WEEKLY CONCEPT e.g. space, speed, level, relationship, rhythm, balance
3. SKILL DEVELOPMENT classical ballet; barre, port be bras, adage, allegro, grand allegro, dance studies, character and free movement
4. CHOREOGRAPHY children learn to use their own ideas to create choreography, structured improvisations or group dance
5. REFLECTION AND COOL DOWN

In the lead up to an exam the class outline adjusts to learning and recalling the set material in the RAD syllabus; steps, combinations and dances.

Age Groups
Classes are streamed by age and progress year by year. In Classical Ballet students begin at RAD primary level when they are 6yrs or over and progress on to RAD grade 1,  7yrs or over and contine through RAD grades 2, 3 and they can continue up to Grade 8 if they desire.  

What to wear and bring
PRIMARY  6yrs+: 

  • Pink leather ballet shoes – these can be purchased from a specialist dance wear supplier (no jiffies or ballet flats please)
  • Pale pink sleeveless leotard with matching skirt
  • Theatrical pink ballet tights pink leather ballet shoes
  • Remember to layer up during the colder months - crossovers or a soft knitted cardigan are good options

GRADE 1 & 2 - 7yrs+: 

  • Pink leather ballet shoes – these can be purchased from a specialist dance wear supplier (no jiffies or ballet flats please)
  • Theatrical pink tights
  • Jacaranda (soft purple) sleeveless leotard with matching waist elastic
  • Matching crossover or soft cardigan in winter

FOR CHARACTER DANCE: Black character shoes with a low heel and a black full circle skirt (mid calf length) with 4 rows of ribbon sewn around the bottom edge - please see your teacher for further details. 

GRADE 3 & 4:

  • Pink leather ballet shoes – these can be purchased from a specialist dance wear supplier (no jiffies or ballet flats please)
  • Theatrical pink tights
  • Mulberry (crimson) sleeveless leotard with matching waist elastic 
  • Matching crossover or soft cardigan in winter

FOR CHARACTER DANCE: Black character shoes with a low heel and a black full circle skirt (mid calf length) with 4 rows of ribbon sewn around the bottom edge - please see your teacher for further details. 

Local Dancewear Suppliers
BLOCH: Shop 2,25-33 Bronte Rd Bondi Junction or 117 York Street CBD
SALVIOS: 34 St Pauls Street Randwick
If shopping online, brands to look out for are Bloch, Capezio, Sansha or Energetiks

Remember to bring a water bottle to class. Snacks are permitted however please ensure they are nut free.