Dance Styles

Ballet

Ballet is one of the oldest forms of dance, with its techniques forming the framework for many other styles of dance. For this reason, it is often the first style of dance that children learn when they begin dancing.

Jazz

Jazz is a form of dance commonly used in Broadway shows and movies. It is a more contemporary form of dance when compared to ballet and has become an essential part of musical theatre choreography due to its upbeat, high-energy style.

Tap

Tap dance is a lively style in which dancers wear tap shoes to create a rhythmical tapping sound as they dance. Well known tap performers and shows include Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Tap Dogs and Hot Shoe Shuffle.

Contemporary

Contemporary dance is the name given to a group of 20th century dance forms. Rather than a specific dance technique, contemporary is a collection of methods developed from modern and postmodern dance, including modern, jazz, lyrical and ballet. It is an expressive form of dance that connects the mind and body through dance movements.

Hip hop

As often seen in music video clips, hip hop is a dance form that involves modern and up to date techniques with energetic moves that are exciting to dance and to watch. Vibrant, fun and challenging, this style has grown increasingly popular in the past 20 years.

Musical theatre

Musical theatre is a combination of dancing, acting and singing performed to songs from popular musicals.

Acro

Acro dance is a mix of dance and acrobatics. It features smooth transitions between dance movements and acrobatic techniques, such as tricks, partner lifts and poses.

Pointe

This is an extension of classical ballet. Once students’ bones mature with age, the tendons in the ankles and feet are relatively strong and they have trained for long enough, they can progress to wearing Pointe shoes.

Classical Character/National

Character/national dance is a specialised form of classical dance seen in famous ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. It is a stylised representation of a traditional folk or national dance, usually from European countries, and uses movements and music adapted for the theatre. Character work teaches musicality, rhythm and mime.

CLICK HERE to view Yarra Height’s Dance Academy’s TIMETABLE.