The Ballet Program at Dance Arts Los Alamos offers high quality classical training to students of all ages in a positive and nurturing environment. The classes are designed to develop the physical and technical strength and flexibility of the student in a safe and correct manner appropriate to each child’s individual development, while instilling and inspiring the joy of dance in all students and encouraging artistic expression.

Progress in dance is a very individual matter and cannot be rushed. It takes many years to fully master the ballet technique and requires discipline as well as patience and enthusiasm. Therefore, a student may be assigned to the same level for more than one year, as it is essential for a dancer to have a strong technical foundation in order to excel properly later on in their advanced training. 

Pointe classes will be offered to students who are technically ready for it as assessed by their teachers. It is not recommended by dance and health professionals that students start pointe before age 11 as it could cause potential injuries. DALA honors this recommendation and feels that the safety and wellbeing of DALA’s young dancers is of utmost importance. 

Performance opportunities are available to all students at DALA and will further enhance their training by building confidence and stage presence.

Note: DALA Instructors will place students in levels according to their age, technical ability, and demonstration of classroom etiquette. The suggested ages per level are guidelines only.

Pre-Ballet

Pre-Ballet is a class for kindergarten age dancers. Students will be introduced to basic ballet steps and terminology while developing coordination, balance, and strength. Class begins with center barre, followed by jumps and turns across the floor.

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Ballet I

Students will be introduced to the basic fundamentals of the ballet technique and vocabulary. Correct placement and posture of the body and the correct use of the legs and feet will be taught through simple exercises facing the barre, in the center, and across the floor. These exercises will help to develop the students’ strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, and musicality as well as allow the student to explore the joy of movement.

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Ballet II

Further expands on the ballet vocabulary. Students will begin to perform barre work using one hand on the barre with an emphasis on correct posture, turnout and articulation of legs and feet. Simple arm and head coordination will be introduced at the barre and in the center. Center and across the floor work will include tendus, simple adagio, preparation for turns, and jump combinations that link two or more steps together with an emphasis on starting and finishing each step in the correct position while maintaining correct placement. Boys will learn preparation exercises for tour en l’air .

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Ballet III

Students will perform barre work using one hand on the barre with an emphasis on correct posture, turnout and articulation of legs and feet. Simple arm and head coordination will be introduced at the barre and in the center. Center and across the floor work will include tendus, simple adagio, preparation for turns, and jump combinations that link two or more steps together with an emphasis on starting and finishing each step in the correct position while maintaining correct placement. Boys will learn preparation exercises for tour en l’air. Pre-pointe exercises will be introduced to the girls to strengthen their legs, feet, and back in preparation for pointe work.

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Ballet IV

The combinations become more complex and the students will be required to move a little faster alternating legs and transferring their weight while maintaining the central line of balance through exercises at the barre and in the center. A greater emphasis will be placed on port de bras and epaulement (the use of the arms and head) in coordination with their legs and feet and slower adagio work will be performed to strengthen balance and further improve quality of movement and musicality. Students in this level will have developed the strength and coordination that they need to perform single pirouettes and turns from the corner while maintaining correct placement. Boys will practice single tour en l’air as well as pirouettes. Pre-pointe and beginning pointe exercises will be performed to strengthen legs, feet, and back. If a student is 11 and older and is technically ready, beg pointe will be offered to these students. Note: students on pointe are required to take at least three dance classes per week, two of which must be ballet technique.

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Ballet V

The emphasis is on strengthening and expanding pirouettes and jumps. Faster footwork will be required and combinations will be longer and more complex to develop stamina and muscle memory. Quality of movement and musicality will continue to be accentuated as well as fuller use of the arms and head in epaulement. Students will perform intermediate level pointe exercises at the barre and in the center. Students will learn classical ballet variations to further enhance their understanding of the ballet technique and to help develop style and artistic expression. Boys will do conditioning exercises to strengthen their upper body in preparation for partnering work.

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Ballet VI

The students will be challenged by more intricate and complex steps and combinations that require faster footwork, more balance and strength in slow adagio movements, beating of the legs, multiple turns, higher extension and higher elevation in jumps. Quality of movement, precision, strength, flexibility and grace will be required while executing the steps and combinations. The goal will be for the students to learn to dance using the energy of the body as efficiently as possible, creating clear and precise lines while maintaining correct posture, turnout, placement and central line of balance. Students will learn classical ballet variations to further enhance their understanding of the ballet technique and to help develop style and artistic expression. Girls will perform more complex pointe work at the barre to develop strength and learn to move on the tips of their pointe shoes with grace and weightlessness through fast footwork and slow adagio movements in the center and across the floor. Boys will learn male variations and steps and combinations that require big jumps and multiple turns. If there are enough boys in the class, partnering exercises will be offered to the students in preparation for pas de deux work.

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Contemporary Ballet

Contemporary ballet class begins at the barre with classical ballet exercises accompanied by a mix of classical and current music. Barre and center exercises will develop into extended movement phrases that emphasize musicality, expressivity and fluidity. Dance combinations at the end of class will explore contemporary ballet vocabulary, drawing influences from choreographers such as Alonso King, William Forsythe and Jiri Kylian. Instructed by Shannon Elliott.

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