Class & Program Descriptions
RAD Ballet
Discipline: Dance (Some also Early Years or Specialty Class, where indicated)
Class Type: Recreational
Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Syllabus
With over 13,000 members spread across 79 countries, The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organizations in the world. Established in 1920, to improve standards and re-invigorate dance training initially within the UK, the Academy helps and encourages its teachers to perfect their teaching skills and pass on this knowledge to their students.
Ballet Classes at PURE
Pure uses the teachings of Royal Academy of Dancing syllabus for all of our ballet classes. All ballet teachers use this syllabus for each grade level in order to build onto current skill levels each year in a progressive and calculated way. Many grade levels cover so much material that it can often be recommended to repeat a grade. This is typical of Royal Academy studies around the world, and is recommended by the Royal Academy to its teachers. PURE does not currently offer ballet examinations, but is working toward offering exams in the near future. Royal Academy is highly effective in teaching age specific skills with focus on discipline, posture, grace, strength, and memorization.
Class Title: Ballet/Tap Pre-Primary Combo
Student Age: Ages 3 to 4
Discipline: Dance, Early Years
Ballet focus is on pointing and flexing feet, skips, walks and gallops, plies, point and close, bounces, knee lifts, posture and rhythm. Use of imagination is used to show importance of storytelling in dance. Tap focus in on making the proper tap sounds, and learning the terms of the different parts of the foot. The very earliest skills are taught, such as heel steps, toe steps, digs, jump out jump in, and learning the right from the left side of the body.
Class Title: Ballet Pre-Primary
Student Age: Ages 3 to 4
Discipline: Dance, Early Years
Ballet focus is on pointing and flexing feet, skips, walks and gallops, plies, point and close, bounces, knee lifts, posture and rhythm. Use of imagination is used to show importance of storytelling in dance.
Class Title: Ballet Primary
Student Age: Ages 4.5 to 5
Discipline: Dance, Early Years
Ballet focus now builds on pointing and flexing feet, skips, walks and gallops, plies, point and close, bounces, knee lifts, posture and rhythm. New concepts are introduced to help children become aware of their bodies right out to their fingertips and toes. Sautes, Spring points, classical walks, and combination steps such as step together step point are taught. Additionally, continual use of imagination is used to show importance of storytelling in dance.
Class Title: Ballet Grade 1
Student Age: Ages 6 to 7
Ballet focus continues with building strength now with pointing and flexing feet, skips, walks and gallops, plies, point and close, bounces, knee lifts, posture and rhythm. New concepts are introduced to help children become aware of their bodies right out to their fingertips and toes. Eschappe sautés, skip change of step, tendus, preparation for Grande battements, preparation for spotting and eye focus are all introduced in Grade one, as well as developing the skill of picking out 2/4 rhythms, and 3/4 rhythms.
Class Title: Ballet Grade 2
Student Age: Ages 8 to 9
Grade 2 sees the addition of many new steps, such as grand plies, tendus devant, and derrierre, as well as the introduction of working from third position. New arm placements are also developed, such as 3rd position and arabesque. Attitude position with the legs is developed, along with petite jetes, and various new foot placements on the leg. Of course, storytelling and use of imagination to develop expression and storytelling remain an integral part of this course.
Class Title: Ballet Grade 3
Student Age: Ages 10 to 11
Grade 3 sees the addition of many new steps, such as grand plies in third position, fondus, bettement Frappe, pas de chat, and balances. New arm placements are perfected, such as 3rd position and arabesque. Attitude postion with the legs is practiced, and new jumps and turns are introduced, including step hops, temps leve, and small foot work like pas de bouree. Ankle strengthening becomes a focus in preparation for pointe work only a few short years from now.
Class Title: Ballet Grade 4
Student Age: Ages 12 to 13
Grade 4 is an important year, developing turning and spotting skills. Retire placement and strong releves are encouraged for future pointe work, and development of strong turning and jumping. Students in grade 4 are working from 4th position and using all positions of the arms now. Sequences in the centre (away from the barre) develop skills of combining individual steps into combinations to travel and make use of large spaces. Ankle strength and lift are still a large focus in preparation for future years on pointe shoes. Head placement for expression and grace are also enforced in Grade 4.
Class Title: Ballet Grade 5 (Teen Beginner Ballet)
Student Age: Ages 14 to 18
Grade 5, focus shifts toward complicated exercises, even at the barre, to challenge the mind and body to combine several ballet steps into one piece. Focus also shifts to performance ability, bringing interesting endings to exercises to push performance and ability, as well as challenging arms and head placements throughout the syllabus. Students begin pirouettes with fouette, as well as fouette of the leg at the barre. Battement frappes, soutinous and ronde de jambs are all added to the syllabus in Grade 5, along with many more challenging exercises. Student’s whose ankles are determined strong enough by the instructor, may want to consider joining the beginner pointe class, to begin early pointe skills. Pointe shoes will be required.
Class Title: Ballet Elementary
Student Age: Ages 14 to 18
Elementary ballet is a very challenging advanced level of ballet. This class is not recommended for a teen just beginning ballet. Footwork such as beats and petite battement sur la coup de pied are introduced. Petite allegro, allegro and grand allegro are all practiced in Elementary, as well as pirouettes, fouette pirouettes and pose pirouettes. Flexibility in developpes, grand battement and grand battement en cloche are all enforced and pushed. Pointe work is definitely recommended for elementary dancers, but is not included in the class. Students are recommended to sign up for the 30-minute pointe class following elementary, or beginner pointe, if they are new to pointe.
Class Title: Ballet Beginner Pointe
Student Age: Ages 12 to 18
Discipline: Dance, Specialty Class
Beginner pointe class begins for several weeks by doing flat ballet work at the barre on rise, and using thera-bands for ankle and foot strengthening. Pointe shoes will be required eventually, but are not necessary until the teacher has given the go ahead to purchase the shoes. If a student is working on strengthening and is not improving, or gives the teacher reason to think they may not be ready for pointe work to be taught safely, she will recommend not participating in this class. (Safety and injury prevention comes first.) Students will learn shoe care, foot care, and proper early pointe skills. Strength will be built with simple skills throughout the year. Beginner pointe is a stepping-stone, and an important one, to becoming a strong pointe dancer.
Class Title: Ballet Advanced Pointe
Student Age: Ages 15 to 18
Discipline: Dance, Specialty Class
Advanced pointe class begins with barre exercises on rise, and using thera-bands for ankle and foot strengthening. Pointe shoes are required, and the student should have already attended beginner pointe prior to this class. If a student is not strong enough to do pointe in the centre, she may be recommended to spend a year in beginner pointe class. Safety and injury prevention comes first! Students will learn shoe care, foot care, and proper pointe skills. Strength will be built with simple skills throughout the year.
Class Title: Ballet Adult
Student Age: Ages 19+
Adult ballet requires no prior ballet experience. Only a love and desire to learn. Basic ballet skills will be taught at first, and then expanded on and developed at a pace that is desired by the class as a whole. Ballet strengthens the core, builds flexibility, and develops grace, poise and posture. It is an art built on discipline and requires a keen mind/body connection. It can take years and years to perfect even the most simple ballet step, which is wonderful for an adult looking for a new challenge in their life. Warm, accepting and attentive staff helps new comers feel comfortable in this safe learning environment.