RECREATIONAL CLASSES
PRESCHOOL TAP
AGES 3 – 4
45 Minutes
Our preschool dance program is designed to instill the love of dance in children by teaching them in a fun and positive environment by qualified and caring instructors. Classes are divided by age allowing a preschool student to grow and develop their skills. Students will perform in the year-end recital. The classes are an adventure in learning and fun with songs, games, and dance steps.
RECREATIONAL YOUTH TAP
AGES 5 – 12
45 – 60 Minutes
Easy as 1 -2 -3! Students will be placed according to age and ability to ensure that the basics are taught properly and effectively. Once students demonstrate the ability to execute skills with clarity and musicality they will be moved through the levels. Once they have completed the levels, students will have the option to be a part of our Youth Competition classes
LEVEL 1 – For beginners with little to no experience looking to learn the basic techniques, terminology and rhythms of the genre, along with basic choreography.
LEVEL 2 – Experienced dancers looking to challenge themselves with more technical moves, increased dance vocabulary and choreography.
LEVEL 3 – For dancers with a minimum of 2 years of experience and solid tap technique. Expect increased difficulty of steps and movement patterns, and more challenging choreography.
RECREATIONAL TEEN TAP
AGES 13 – 18
60 Minutes
We offer beginner and intermediate level teen tap. Dancers will work to develop performance skills and technique with a great choreographed routine for the year end show.
We also offer hip-hop for teens. More advanced dancers may be interested in our competitive program.
HIP HOP
AGES 7 – 10 | 9 – 13
60 Minutes
Hip-hop is a diverse dance form with a vivid history. It includes a wide range of styles including breaking, locking, and popping. Hip-hop involves precision, energy, and musicality. This class will provide a stimulating dance education as well as great party moves. Our new faculty member Bboy Gomo will be incorporating his Bboy knowledge into the classes!
JAZZ
AGES 5 – 6 | 6 – 9 | 9 – 12
60 Minutes
The students will acquire the foundation of proper alignment, strength, flexibility, co-ordination, and musicality. This class is geared towards working on moderate to complex step patterns, progressions, and creative style.
COMPETITIVE
MINI-COMPETITIVE PROGRAM 7 – 13 YRS
Mini Comp Classes will introduce students to performance, competitions, and a taste of the TapCo repertoire. This program advances into pre-TapCo or TapCo (by audition) or into the Junior Competitive stream.
Placement by audition or teacher recommendation.
COMPETITIVE PROGRAM 12 – 18 YRS
(Junior, Intermediate, and Senior)
This program has been designed to give you a well-rounded education and a foundation for success in future dance teaching or performance. The choreography classes include a performance opportunity at our spring showcase, year end recital, and at two regional competitions in the spring.
In addition to their Choreography class, all competitive students are required to take both tap Technique and Conditioning, or demonstrate equivalent enrolment at another dance school. Eligible equivalents include ballet, jazz, or modern, but not hip hop. Technique and Conditioning classes are open to non-competitive students. Technique classes do not perform in the year-end recital.
TAPCO & PRE-TAPCO
Youth Tap Ensembles
TapCo is a unique performance development program, consisting of weekly rehearsals (3 hours) and culminating in over 15 performances at schools and high-profile events each year, as well as competitions. Find out how it works here.
TapCo’s dancers develop fluency in a range of styles; the company’s diverse artistic portfolio includes pieces commissioned from international guest artists as well as our traditional repertoire. Alongside dance development, students hone skills and knowledge of story-telling, scene study, and tap history.
Pre-TapCo is an introductory performance program which feeds into TapCo.
Pre TapCo: Ages 10 years +
TapCo: Ages 13 years +
Admission to Pre-TapCo and TapCo is by audition only.
ADVANCED TAP ARTISTRY & TECHNIQUE
Tuesdays 7:00 – 9:00pm
This new offering expands on our Senior Competitive Technique program for advanced tap dancers ages 14 – 25. It is open to dancers in our Senior Competitive program as well as recent graduates from the program and young pre-professional dancers. This class is highly recommended as the technique option for students in our Senior Competitive stream. It may also be taken on its own by non-competition students.
In this class, students will develop not only as technicians, but as artists and professionals in the community. In addition to technique drills, warm-ups, and combinations, students will learn how to create their own work, how to present themselves at auditions, and other methodologies that will assist them personally and professionally. This is for students with a strong command of tap technique, looking to expand their skillset as both dancers and creators. This class will be of particular relevance to students with an interest in the dance industry; it may include some take-home assignments as well as workshops with guest artists.
Instructor Tosh Sutherland: “I think it’s really important to develop tools to be able to get out of the studio and actually do some work. As a tap dancer, you have to create your own work — if you don’t you’re sitting around waiting. These are tools I wish my teachers had taken the time to develop in me. Anyone can throw on a song and just jam to it, but to actually develop work out of that, that’s a different muscle. Plus [teaching this class] gives me an opportunity to explore to explore new choreographic techniques myself.”
