Dance

Middle School Course of Study

Ms Dance I

Class emphasizes building basic technical foundation, with an emphasis on body awareness and basic muscular anatomy/function, through basic flexibility, strength, and endurance training, specific to the unique needs of Dance, Foundational Ballet technique, supplemented with basic Contemporary techniques such as Dunham, Horton, Graham-based movement, Improvisation, as well as Contemporary combinations that utilize a mixture of movement aesthetics.

Ms Dance II

Understanding that the Dance Training journey will not end until the student decides to stop dancing/training, Class emphasizes continued and more advanced work on building basic technical foundation with an increased focus and emphasis on movement quality, with an emphasis on Ballet technique, and application of Contemporary aesthetics through combinations that challenge students’ use of their ballet-based technique and movement quality in contemporary contexts. Students start taking early steps toward the audition preparation process. Students are also challenged through Conditioning specific to the unique needs of Dance.

High School Course of Study

Ballet I

Understanding that the Dance Training journey will not end until the student decides to stop dancing/training, Class focuses on building strong technical foundation, with emphasis on proper body alignment and muscular use, anatomy, and function, through focus on basic Ballet technique, including flexibility, strength, and endurance training, to support the rigors of high caliber Dance Training. Students begin to focus more on expanding their dancing to be more confident, bigger, and bolder in the application of technique and applying movement quality to the technique, and dancing from the inside out. Students begin to take their first steps toward audition preparation.

Ballet I/II

Understanding that the Dance Training journey will not end until the student decides to stop dancing/training, Class focuses on continuing to build strong technical foundation, with emphasis on proper body alignment and muscular use, anatomy, and function, through focus on basic Ballet technique, including flexibility, strength, and endurance training, to support the rigors of high caliber Dance Training. Students begin to increase their focus on expanding their dancing to be more confident, bigger, and bolder in the application of technique and applying movement quality to the technique, and dancing from the inside out. Students increase their focus on audition preparation.

Ballet III/IV

A more aggressive, intense and advanced class, building on all prior Dance courses, that is meant to serve students as they prepare to depart OSA, understanding that the Dance Training journey will not end until the student decides to stop dancing/training. There is an increased and intensified emphasis on audition preparation for post-secondary and industry.

Contemporary I/II

Understanding that the Dance Training journey will not end until the student decides to stop dancing/training, Class focuses on building basic Contemporary foundation, with a focus on Contemporary techniques such as Dunham, Horton, Graham-based movement, Improvisation, as well as Contemporary combinations that utilize a mixture of movement aesthetics. Students begin to focus on expanding their dancing to be more confident, bigger, and bolder in the application of technique and applying movement quality to the technique, and dancing from the inside out. Students begin to take their first steps toward audition preparation.

Contemporary III/IV

Understanding that the Dance Training journey will not end until the student decides to stop dancing/training, Class focuses on application of Contemporary aesthetics through combinations that challenge students’ use of their ballet-based technique in more expansive contemporary contexts.

Students increase and intensify their focus on continuing to expand their dancing to be more confident, bigger, and bolder in the application of technique and applying movement quality to the technique, and dancing from the inside out.

A more aggressive, intense and advanced class, building on all prior classes, that is meant to serve students as they prepare to depart OSA, understanding that the Dance Training journey will not end until the student decides to stop dancing/training.

There is an increased and intensified emphasis on audition preparation for post-secondary and industry.