Our Mission...
The mission of our program is for students to become confident, disciplined, respectful, self-loving young adults, and to empower them to recognize and reach their utmost potential through the art of dance. Our classroom environment is both nurturing and demading; a home where there is room for love and growth with the highest expectations for effort, discipline, and respect. Students will be assisted in recognizing their talents and guided through their obstacles so that they may reach their fullest potential.
Through the course of a year we base our primary focus on modern dance that is strongly influenced by ballet technique in order to build smart, strong, technical dancers. We also spend a lot of time with jazz technique, and placing focus on being physically fit with challenging cardio and abdominal exercises while increasing flexibility through our daily warm-ups or hour long stretch and strength building classes.
Our curriculum also includes education in choreography and performance. Students learn how to choreograph, direct, and produce repertoire for our concerts as well as work with outside professionals for master classes and setting repertoire. Throughout the years our dancers have worked with distinguished dance professionals such as Randy Duncan, Nan Giordano and members of Giordano Dance Chicago, Jon Lehrer and members of Lehrer Dance, Hubbard Street 2, Laurie Eisenhower and members of Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Robert McKee and members of Inaside Chicago Dance, Frank Chavez, Autumn Eckman, Stephanie Martinez, Ron de Jesus, Nick Pupillo, Ruth Sherman, Mari Jo Irbe, Sarita Smith Childs, Jennifer Archibald, Carolyn Pampalone Rabbers and members of CPR Dance Inhale Movement, and more!
Course Offerings
BEGINNING DANCE
*No dance experience required
*No audition required
2 sections of beginning dance are offered.
1st Hour: 7:35-8:30
3rd Hour: 10:10-11:05
Course Focus:
Beginning Dance is offered to 9th-12th graders to learn the basic technique of jazz and contemporary dance. It is structured to challenge those who have previous dance training as well as to introduce dance to students with no prior dance experience. Dancers in beginning dance perform the director's choreography in the Winter & Spring Concerts.
INTERMEDIATE DANCE
*Previous dance experience required for audition
*Enrollment by audition only (see Audition page for details)
1 section of Intermediate dance is offered
2nd Hour: 8:35-9:30
Course Focus:
Intermediate Dance is offered to 9th-12th graders to improve upon and advanced dance technique. It is structured to challenge and prepare students for Advanced Dance. A large part of the focus in Intermediate Dance is learning HOW to choreograph. Dancers in intermediate perform the director's choreography as well as their own choreography in the Winter & Spring Concerts.
ADVANCED DANCE
*Previous dance experience required for audition
*Only open to 10th-12th graders
*2-hour class
*Enrollment by audition only (see Audition page for details)
1 section of Advanced Dance is offered
5th/6th Hour: 12:50-2:38
Course Focus:
Advanced Dance is offered to 10th-12th graders to build higher level thinking on the already established dance technique and knowledge of movement. It is structured to challenge and prepare students for a future degree or career in Dance as well as to fulfill an appreciation and love for dance that students enjoy keeping throughout their life. Advanced dancers learn repertoire from the BCD Director and outside professional choreographers /dance companies. Students in advanced dance individually create, produce & direct their own choreography. Dancers in this class perform all of the choreography learned from peers and professionals in the Winter & Spring Concerts. There is a focus on teaching dance and a provided experience for every student to teach at our annual dance marathon in addition to the choreography opportunity.
Info for Parents and Students
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