BARKER DANCE SCHOOL OFFERS A BROAD RANGE OF CLASSES IN BALLET, JAZZ, LYRICAL AND CONTEMPORARY, MUSICAL THEATRE AND HIP HOP, AS WELL AS OUR POPULAR PRESCHOOL DANCE CLASSES. PLEASE FIND CLASS DESCRIPTIONS BELOW.
DANCE ESSENTIALS: This class covers the essential elements needed for a dancer. Limbering, technique, strength, performance. You will learn combinations of jazz, lyrical and contemporary styles. Each class will also rehearse 1 or 2 full routines for end of year performance. Dancers will move through a natural progression from Level 1 (Beginner/junior) to Level 5 or 6 (Advanced) Contact BDS to discuss most appropriate Level for you. Note: Level 4 upwards is generally for high school aged students. Infants /Primary aged students classes are on Mondays, High school classes on Wednesdays.
CLASSICAL BALLET: Classical ballet provides a sound grounding for all dance styles and will greatly enhance a dancers posture, body control, muscle tone, core strength, musicality and artistic expression. Students may attend 1 class per week with the opportunity for 2 classes per week for those who endeavour to work towards a ballet examination. A new beginner ballet class will be scheduled into our Monday timetable so our younger students can do jazz and/or ballet on the same afternoon. Other ballet classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
CONTEMPORARY (SENIOR)
Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements. Contemporary dancers focus on floorwork, using gravity to pull them down to the floor. This dance genre is often done in bare feet. Contemporary dance can be performed to many different styles of music. We are excited to be adding contemporary classes to our Wednesday timetable in 2023.
DANCETIME WITH MISS KATRINA
Our imaginative and delightful preschool dance classes are held weekly. Our classes are a mix of jazz, ballet and lots of fun little dance themes, dress ups and dance based games. There are no uniform requirements, and students are encouraged to wear their own choice of dance wear or dress up clothes. Our preschool class is always a highlight of our younger students week. Contact Barker Dance to enquire about classes running this year.
HIP HOP (JFH) Hip Hop incorporates a variety of old and new urban dance styles. The dancing represents body movements that go with the beat and rhythm of hip hop music. Hip hop dancing is very dynamic and helps the dancers improve flexibility develop body balance, and coordination. Our Junior Hip Hop classes are held on Fridays and our Senior Hip Hop classes are held on Wednesdays. Students do need to take either a DANCE ESSENTIALS class or CLASSICAL BALLET class to be able to add on hip hop.
SENIOR MUSICAL THEATRE:
With Miss Katrina's extensive experience in musical theatre, as a proffesional performer and choreographer for musicals and shows, our musical theatre classes remain a strength in our dance school, and our audience is always highly entertained by our musical theatre routines. Our senior students come together in senior musical theatre to create some very exciting and challenging production numbers.
FRIDAY GLEE CLUB: Our highly popular Junior Musical theatre class with imaginative theatre games, interesting and fun theatre dances, a little singing and acting and lots of fun. Junior musical theatre students work hard all year to present some highly entertaining production numbers which we perform in our end of year concerts. Students also gain valuable knowledge in costuming and staging along the way and we are ably assisted by some of our senior musical theatre students who provide great role models for our younger students. Junior hip hop (30 mins) can be added to Friday Glee Club and will be straight afterwards. Glee Club is suitable for students Year 2 upwards. Students do need to take a Dance Essentials or Classical Ballet class with Barker Dance School to be able to participate in Friday Glee Club classes.
ACRO/DANCE: (Tumble Club) We were excited to add this genre to our timetable in 2019 and classes are open to new students as well as BDS students. Get in touch to learn more.
PILATES: Pilates is a form of exercise which concentrates on strengthening the body with an emphasis on core strength. This helps to improve general fitness and overall well-being. Similar to Yoga, Pilates concentrates on posture, balance and flexibility. Class day and time TBA.
xTend Performance Group: Audition only. Details on the xTend page.
