Styles of Dance
Styles of Dance
At Underground Dance, we teach a number of different dance styles, including ballet, tap, hip hop and contemporary. Read more about each style below.
Ballet
Ballet is known as the building block of all dance and is characterized by fluid and precise movements done in “turned out” positions. This graceful, meticulous art form is spoken in French and is considered the foundational style of all dance technique. Here at Underground Dance Company we teach the Cecchetti method of Ballet.
Jazz
Jazz focuses on developing strength, flexibility, and body control by using center warm-ups and across the floor exercises. Skills such as isolations, extensions, leaps and turns are incorporated into upbeat fast and fun combinations to challenge our dancers.
Tap
Tap is characterized by sharp, musical sounds created by the feet of a dancer wearing shoes with metal plates attached to the heels and toes.
Contemporary
Contemporary dance incorporates techniques from ballet, jazz, and lyrical in new spectacular ways. Contemporary focuses on the choreographer’s interpretation of the music. Movements are limitless as they represent the dancer’s emotions and inner most expression. Let your creative juices flow and enhance your dancing skills with the freedom of contemporary dance.
Lyrical
Lyrical dance is expressing emotions through movement while fusing the highly technical elements of ballet and jazz. Lyrical enables the dancers to express themselves, interpret song lyrics, and tell stories through their dancing.
Hip Hop
This dance genre was cultivated outside of dance studios alongside Hip Hop music and culture. Hip Hop spread like wildfire as a result of it being the primary choreographed style for music videos and other commercial appearances. Students will learn skills from breakdancing, tutting, and much more.
Musical Theatre
This genre incorporates the style of dance one would typically see on a Broadway stage. This form of dancing emphasizes learning performance skills such as connecting with the audience and facial expressions.
Pointe
Pointe is the dream of every ballet dancer who trains for many years to achieve the grace, coordination, hard work and discipline it takes to be able to balance and dance on pointe. Pointe class is for experienced ballet dancers, teacher invitation only, and requires an additional Ballet class.
Technique
Technique class is designed to improve a dancer’s range of motion, enhance muscle flexibility and build core muscle strength. Through a variety of stretches and strengthening exercises, dancers will also increase their awareness of their own body’s potential as it connects to expression through movement. Turns, Leaps, and Kicks will be strengthened in technique class.
Tumble
Tumbling uses strength and flexibility to perform gymnastic-based tricks. In this class, students perform conditioning exercises to prepare them for increased difficulty. It teaches flexibility, balance, strength, and coordination.
