I
Ballet I · ages 5–7
Sixty minutes, once a week. Conditioning, barre, vocabulary, placement, small jumps, across-the-floor, and class etiquette. This is where the numbered path begins.
Ballet Academy · Ages 5–17
A numbered Vaganova path
Ballet I through Ballet VI is the core of the school. Hours increase with the level. Teachers place each dancer by what they see in class. A class needs at least four students enrolled to run, and the list is subject to change with the term.
Vaganova
Ballet I–VI
Each level builds on the one before it. Dancers stay in a level until their technique is ready for the next. Jazz and contemporary classes, taught by level, complement the ballet week.
II
Ballet II · ages 5–7
Sixty minutes. The same classical structure with more demand at the barre and in the center. Teachers consider age and readiness before moving a dancer to the next level.
III
Ballet III · ages 8–10
Sixty to ninety minutes, three or more days. Upper body, musicality, artistry. Pre-pointe may enter late in the year when the feet and ankles are ready.
IV
Ballet IV · ages 9–13
Sixty to ninety minutes, four or more days. Pre-pointe work to strengthen feet and ankles. The barre work becomes more complex. Supporting classes are added to the week.
V
Ballet V · ages 13+
Four or more days. Two years on pointe required. Pointe and variations join the week at this level.
VI
Ballet VI · ages 14+
Four or more days. Four years on pointe required. The last numbered level before pre-professional work, which is by audition.
Beside the numbered class
Supporting technique
Pre-Pointe, Pointe, Variations, Character, Floor Barre, Stretch & Strength, and Progressing Ballet Technique support the academy week. They prepare the body for what the numbered class asks, at a safe pace. Jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and modern classes complement the ballet week. See Register for what is open this term.
Pre-Pointe
Strengthens feet and ankles before pointe. Enters late in Ballet III when the body is ready.
Pointe
Ballet V requires two years on pointe. Ballet VI requires four. The teachers make the final placement.
Variations
Classical variation work is added once a dancer’s barre work is secure.
Character
Story-ballet vocabulary used in academy and company work.
Stretch & Strength
Conditioning that prepares the body for harder work in the numbered class.
PBT
Progressing Ballet Technique builds alignment and prepares the body for pointe gradually and safely.
The live grid is in Jackrabbit
Daily times vary. Register shows what is open this term. The PDA Portal holds a dancer’s actual week.