Level Descriptions
- Pre-Ballet
- Elementary 1 Level
- Junior Division
- Intermediate Division Levels 3 and 4
- Intermediate Division Level 5
- Advanced Intermediate and Advanced 1 Levels
- Advanced 2 and Senior Levels
Pre-Ballet
In Pre-Ballet, our major goal is for children to experience the joy of dance, enrich their skills, and build a technical foundation while learning to appreciate this art. Pre-Ballet students are familiarized with the necessary disciplines and class etiquette. Pre-Ballet students also have the opportunity to participate in our professional performances at least once per year.
We have three different levels of Pre-Ballet for ages 3-6 and children are evaluated for their level based on their progress report at the end of the year or their previous movement experience. These classes follow Master Teacher Lilla Séber’s syllabus as we introduce movement and musical foundations for ballet and dance. We improve posture, strength, alignment, flexibility, and spatial awareness while using creativity and entertaining concepts. Emphasis is placed on developing coordination and moving gracefully. Our exploration into basic movement qualities and improvisation leads to a sense of imagine-based artistry, performing skills and confidence.
Elementary 1 Level
Our Elementary Level 1 bridges our Pre-Ballet and ballet technique levels for older 5 year-olds to 6 and 7-year-olds. We approach the fundamentals with increasingly strenuous conditioning for ballet: developing posture, turnout, balance, jumps, turns, flexibility, and coordination. Gradually we start including the essential elements and coordination of ballet steps. While dancers are getting accustomed to the more intense focus of ballet technique, we immerse the class with the creative elements of imagination, musicality, improvisation, and self-expression. This way, students learn the joy and the discipline of this beautiful art form all at once. This level participates in our professional performances throughout the year.
Junior 1, 2, 3
The Junior Division focuses on building the foundations of Classical Ballet technique, developing important movement skills of advanced steps early on, and introducing students to the magical world of creative expression. The Junior Division concentrates on the Séber Method Academy syllabus for levels 1, 2 and 3.
The Junior Division prepares for the performance within their selected classes during the Performance Intensive. There may be a half an hour added to one of their group classes to provide the necessary rehearsal time. If a student is interested and ready to pursue a solo work, either in classical ballet or in other genres, it is the best if they schedule an Individual Placement/Performance Private at the beginning of the corresponding 10-week session. This will allow sufficient time to prepare. If a student would like to have their own solo choreographed for them in any genre, scheduling additional time with the choreographer is required. This opportunity must be approved and arranged by Ms. Séber.
Intermediate Division Levels 3 and 4
The Intermediate Levels 3 and 4 focus on accomplishing the Séber Method Academy syllabus for levels 3 and 4. While challenging, the students in these levels will begin to delight in their newfound capacity for movement.
Students are provided with the time to reinforce and clarify the foundations and placement aspects of Classical Ballet while simultaneously starting to expand the vocabulary of advanced steps. If a student attends a more intensive schedule, Intermediate 3 and 4 students can have the opportunity to perform their first solo or demi-solo depending on their current level of accomplishments and their training history.
Intermediate Division Level 5
The Intermediate Level 5 focuses on accomplishing the Séber Method Academy syllabus for level 5.
In this level, students greatly expand their vocabulary of advanced steps but are still provided with the time to reinforce and clarify the foundations and placement aspects of Classical Ballet. If a student attends a more intensive schedule, Intermediate 5 students typically perform their first solo or demi-solo in the second half of the year.
Advanced-Intermediate and Advanced 1 Levels
The Advanced-Intermediate and Advanced 1 levels focus on accomplishing the Séber Method Academy syllabus of levels 6 and 7. At this level, it is very important to develop fully a harmonious classical musculature and aesthetic. Students should begin harnessing their strengths to define their talents while also becoming well-versed in the advanced steps vocabulary of Classical Ballet. By this time, students are typically ready to perform solo work; it is important that they begin developing their repertoire and collecting their material for either professional auditions or college auditions.
Advanced 2 and Senior Levels
The Advanced 2 and Senior levels concentrate on the levels 8 and 9 of the Séber Method Academy syllabus. In these levels, we cover and practice all the advanced material and steps of Classical Ballet. Students must become able to exhibit their technical virtuosity in dance, finish developing their personal style and artistic strengths, finalize their harmonious and Classical Ballet body lines, and become well-versed in different styles of Classical Ballet. Advanced 2 and Senior students have access to increased individualized coaching, mentoring, and pas de deux work for performances. We help prepare students for auditions, whether those be for professional companies or at the collegiate level. Students have the opportunity to showcase themselves in prestigious competitions and in additional performances.
Performance Intensives
Our Performance Intensives and performances serve as an effective educational tool; not only do they teach the essential skills for performing, but also the inspiration and excitement of these experiences connect the intricacies of the technicality of classical ballet with the joy and confidence of performing. Through individually selecting material for students, our performances are directly designed to aid our dancers in accomplishing technical goals.
Participation is recommended but not mandatory. Group pieces of Classical Ballet are rehearsed during the Advanced-Step Semi-Private classes. Group pieces for the Jazz/Contemporary and Ballroom classes are rehearsed during the scheduled class time. In order to perform a solo or demi-solo in the performance, either in Classical Ballet or in other genres, students must have enough semi-private or private classes in their schedule or must add additional time to rehearse.