Dance Styles Guide
Here, we will help you navigate the nuances of each dance style offered at GCDA
Classical Ballet
Description:
Ballet, with its timeless elegance and structured movements, is an excellent starting point for young dancers. It builds a strong foundation in posture and fundamental dance technique. There is often a focus on storytelling through dance.
Origins:
Tracing its roots to the Italian Renaissance courts, ballet has evolved into a highly stylised and technically demanding dance form.
Benefits:
Ballet fosters determination, poise, flexibility and strength. It builds a strong foundation for other dance forms.
Jazz Dance
Description:
Jazz dance brings a burst of energy with its dynamic and expressive movements. It encompasses various styles, with classical jazz, lyrical, funk and musical theatre offering versatility and room for personal expression.
Jazz is a good option for those who enjoy upbeat music, high energy movement, and a dance form that blends different styles.
Benefits:
Jazz dance enhances flexibility, coordination, and musicality.
Contemporary Dance
Description:
Contemporary encourages dancers to explore unique movements, making it a great choice for those who seek a more expressive and experimental approach.
Key Features:
Contemporary dance defies traditional boundaries, incorporating elements of ballet, jazz, and modern dance. It is often characterised by its fluidity and freedom of expression.
Benefits:
This style promotes creativity, emotional expression, and individuality. It encourages dancers to explore unique ways of moving and connecting with their bodies.
Smart Moves - Creative Dance
Description:
Tailored for 3- and 4-year-olds, Smart Moves Creative Dance provides a playful and engaging introduction to movement, nurturing imagination, motor skills, listening and concentration skills and social interaction.
Key Features:
Each week, the class focuses on different concepts like speed, size, level, and direction of movement. Activities include skipping, galloping, jumping, spinning, as well as exercises promoting balance, strength, and rhythm. Emphasising conceptual learning over traditional rote memorization of steps makes the class highly engaging and enjoyable for our littlest dancers.
Benefits:
Creative dance establishes the foundation for a love of movement from a young age.