Versatile Arts is thrilled to announce that we are offering dance classes geared specifically for aerialists! These classes would be fine for any dance student, but will be especially useful for aspiring aerialists who want to improve their form and quality of movement.
All of the classes and workshops below will be taught by Amy Clem, the newest addition to the Versatile Arts staff. VA is super-excited to add Amy to the VA family – she got Bev to enjoy ballet practice, which speaks volumes about her mad skills as an instructor.
These classes will be held in The Ballroom (we had to come up with a grandiose name, what with the upstairs space being called The Cathedral), located at the rear of the ground floor of our building.
Dance Classes
The following classes will be offered as an 8-week session beginning January 1st. The full-session cost for each class is $120. Register for the session in order to guarantee a space. Drop-ins will be allowed according to space availability.
Dance classes are not currently part of the student membership program at VA. A combined dance/aerial membership may be offered in the future.
If there are classes you’d like to see us offer (or other days/times for these classes), please let us know! Email dance@versatilearts.net to give us your feedback.
Beginning Ballet
Wednesdays from 6:15-7:30 pm
In this class we’ll utilize traditional ballet movement vocabulary to explore the aspects of line, body position, grace and fluidity. We’ll focus on dancing with the whole body and moving in an integrated fashion to build your muscle memory and thoroughly ingrain the fundamentals. Before you know it pointing your toes will be second nature and you’ll find strength and flexibility you never knew you had.
Drop-ins available with completion of a Ballet Fundamentals Workshop or prior ballet experience. It’s recommended to sign up for the session to guarantee your spot in the class as space is limited.
Prerequisites: none
Beginning/Intermediate Modern Dance
Tuesdays from 10:00-11:15 am and Wednesdays from 8:00-9:15 pm. Taught by Amy.
In this class we’ll concentrate on moving in an organic, integrated, and anatomically sound fashion to unlock your body’s potential for movement. We’ll explore floor work, play upside down, experiment with rhythm and musicality and discover ways to make your dancing dynamic and compelling.
Drop-ins available with completion of a Modern Fundamentals Workshop or prior dance experience. It’s recommended to sign up for the session to guarantee your spot in class as space is limited.
Prerequisites: none
***Knee pads are highly recommended and available through Contact Quarterly.
http://www.contactquarterly.com/kp/kp.html
The following classes are not being offered in Session 2 – let us know if you are interested in them for a future session!
Intermediate Ballet
This class is not being offered this session.
This class is designed to meet the needs of more experienced ballet students. We will continue to refine our ballet technique by working on optimal alignment for our individual anatomies, proper muscle engagement, musicality and artistic expression.
Drop-ins available with prior ballet experience. It’s recommended to sign up for the session to guarantee your spot in the class as space is limited.
Prerequisites: Prereqs- prior experience with ballet. Students should have solid working knowledge of what traditional ballet vocabulary is and how it is supposed to be performed (not that anything has to be performed perfectly. That’s what we’ll work toward in class!)
Modern Dance & Aerial Technique
This class is not being offered this session.
This class will begin with a condensed modern technique class so that we can spend the last half hour of class translating what we’ve experienced on the ground into the air. We’ll follow the traditional dance class structure of warm up and technical exercises that culminate in a movement phrase but we’ll also include a phrase on apparatus. This last portion of class will focus on the “dance” of aerial work including interacting with the apparatus from the ground, replacing transitions with intentional choreography and moving with the entire body at all times. While you may learn a new trick here or there, our focus will be on finding seamless, deliberate, and dynamic movement by playing with simple sequences in a variety of styles.
Prerequisites: Aerial 1 and Modern Fundamentals Workshop or instructor approval. Space limited to 12 students.
Fundamentals Workshops
These workshops are aimed at those with no prior dance experience and will provide the fundamentals needed to enroll in our ongoing dance classes. They are open to all who want to learn or refresh the basics. We will offer them periodically as demand warrants so please let us know if you’re interested! Current VA students can register using the online tool: http://my.versatilearts.net – select Workshop Registration. Non-VA students are also welcome – just email dance@versatilearts.net to save your spot.
Ballet Fundamentals: This class is not being offered this session.
If you’ve never taken a ballet class before or need a little refresher- this is the class for you. Here we will be able to take the time to thoroughly explain the fundamental concepts of traditional ballet technique so that you’re ready to jump into the series class. You’ll learn the basic foot, arm, and body positions, how to do fundamental movements like plié, tendu, ronde de jambe and développé, how to move from one position to the next, and what “turn out” means for your body.
Prerequisites: none.
Modern Fundamentals: This class is not being offered this session.
Think you might want to take a dance class but don’t know where to start? Then come to this workshop and experience a modern dance technique class at a slightly slower pace. I’ll teach you my favorite warm up and the anatomical principles behind it, then we’ll move on to some key technical exercises that will prepare you for the modern technique series class. The concepts we’ll explore include proper weight shifting and using the ground, moving in and out of the floor with ease and grace, experiencing upside down, the joy of momentum and how to be efficient in your movement.
Prerequisites: none.