Class Descriptions
Parent & Tot Classes
Creative Movements (Co-ed - ages 18 – 36 months) is a joyful way for your child to explore movement through music, dance and tumbling. Children participate with or without an adult family member in group activities designed to enhance rhythm & coordination. Approximately ½ the class is spent in the gym on basic tumbling and motor skills in a series of stations that children make their way through with or without a parent.
Dance Classes
Ballet:
Ballet training is the foundation for all forms of dance. Ballet training provides a solid technical preparation for all other styles of dance. This beautiful form of dance provides individuals with confidence, poise, strength, flexibility, and discipline. We recommend that students serious about their dance future enroll in Ballet class.
Contemporary:
Contemporary is a form of dance that combines jazz, ballet, and lyrical, but follows the rules of none. Contemporary will challenge dancers to combine both fluid and sharp movements to create something else entirely. Typically, contemporary dance also uses floor work and has dancers moving in ways they would not in any other style of dance. This class allows dancers to move freely and to really connect to their body and the way it moves.
Jazz:
Jazz, like all dance, stems from the basic techniques of ballet. The difference between Ballet and Jazz is that Jazz moves faster than Ballet and showcases quicker dance movements. Beginning students learn basic fun dance movements like the Grapevine, Chasses, and the Jazz Square. Advanced Jazz students work on leaps, turns and dance progressions. Learning the correct Jazz technique is important, and a focus during class, along with stretching and conditioning. Jazz is an important class if students desire to join our dance team or school dance and cheer programs.
Jazz/Hip Hop Combination:
The Jazz/Hip Hop Combination class is one of most popular dance classes for recreational students. It consists of 30 minutes of Jazz and 30 minutes of Hip Hop. This Combination class is for our beginner through intermediate recreational dances who want to learn basic dance steps and fun hip hop moves and choreography. Note: The Jazz/Hip Hop class is not recommended for students who have had more than 2-3 years Jazz classes experience.
Hip Hop:
Hip Hop is similar to street dancing or club style dancing. You often see Hip Hop in popular music videos. Hip Hop focuses on isolations, high energy rhythm and movement, musicality, and fun dance combinations. Hip Hop is perfect for the dancer that just wants to move. No technique is taught in Hip Hop.
Leaps and Turns:
Leaps and Turns is a perfect class anyone wanting to enhance their jazz & ballet skills. This class will focus on breaking down each skill and using repetition and strength training to master beginner to advanced leaps, jumps and turns. Class skills will include beginner through advanced leaps, pirouettes, chaine turns, pique turns, turning combinations, turning jumps, and other jump and turn progressions across the floor.
Lyrical:
Lyrical combines jazz and ballet technique to create a form of dance that focuses on self-expression. Lyrical dances interpret the meaning and musicality of a song. Students will work on connecting with a song both emotionally and physically, while really learning how their bodies move. Students will work on both learning choreography and improvising.
Stretch and Flex:
S & F class is a perfect complement to any dance class. It is recommended for any dancer serious about advancing their dance technique, especially for any dance team members. It is 30 minutes focused entirely on stretching and conditioning. Students will get a deeper stretch that helps to increase flexibility, to prepare their bodies for dancing, and to prevent injury. Conditioning will include things like ab workouts, arms, legs, and jumps, all focused on building strong dancers.
Dance Team Prep:
This class is perfect for the middle or high school dancers that are on a school dance team or planning to audition. This class will focus on stretching, conditioning, leaps and turns and progressions across the floor. This class will also include learning choreography in different styles of dance. Styles will include mostly jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary and pom.
Tap & Ballet Combo:
The Tap & Ballet Combination class is comprised of 30 minutes of Tap and 30 minutes of Ballet. The Tap/Ballet Combination Class is a Beginning or Level I class–an excellent choice for students ages 3-6 not interested in tumbling. For further description, please see separate categories of Tap and Ballet.
Tap:
Tap focuses on the movement of the feet. Dancers will work on rhythmically tapping, striking, and shuffling their feet to the sound of music. This form of dance connects what students are hearing to what they are doing. Tap classes are designed to develop rhythm, style, and sound. Beginners will focus on the foundational movements including shuffles, shuffle ball change, flaps, strikes, heel clicks, and more.
Gymnastics Classes: Includes Tumbling and Trampoline classes
Tiny Tots: Ages 3-4
Our tiny tot gymnastics class incorporates basic tumbling skills like forward rolls, box (hand) stands, cartwheels, and gross motor skills like animal walks. This fast-paced class moves into skill stations that enhance strength, coordination, and spatial awareness.
Mighty Tots Gymnastics: Ages 4-6
Our Mighty Tots Gymnastics class incorporates basic tumbling skills like forward and backward rolls, handstands, cartwheels, backbends. Gymnastics progress through skill stations that incorporate the balance beam and bars. This is the perfect class for those who have completed 1 or 2 years of our tiny tot classes or Tumbling and Dance pre school combo classes.
Gymnastics Ages 7+:
Our gymnastics classes are perfect for the individual just starting out in gymnastics or competed our tiny tot and mighty tot program. Or have some experience in gymnastics or tumbling. Our beginning and intermediate classes focuses on tumbling skills like cartwheels, handstands, round offs, back and front rolls along with basic skills on beam (walks, jumps, turns) and bars (pull overs, casts, hip circles, stride circles). Not recommended for tumblers level 3 or higher that have completed walkovers.
Tumbling Classes:
Our tumbling class are perfect for those gymnasts wanting to solely focus on tumbling skills like rolls, cartwheels, roundoffs, walkovers and handsprings. Classes are divided into levels beginner through level 5. Miss Maria’s has a strong tumbling program that is a perfect compliment to and dancer, gymnast, or cheerleader. Tumblers interested in competition should learn about our tumbling and trampoline teams. They are a great alternative to traditional artistic gymnastics.
Tumbling & Trampoline Combo Classes:
This fun recreational combo class is perfect for individuals just starting out in tumbling and trampoline. Beginners work on somersaults, backbends, cartwheels, and handstands, while also focusing on the correct technique. The trampoline portion focuses on trampoline safety, learning basic jumping skills, dropping skills, (seat drop, puppy, tummy, dead bug, etc.), along with skill combinations that enhance memory. Intermediate and advanced classes will begin and work on flipping skills. Trampoline is an all-encompassing sport that builds strength, coordination, agility and spatial awareness. And it is fun! This class is not recommended for students’ level 3 or higher in tumbling. They should take separate tumbling and trampoline classes.
Trampoline Classes:
Trampoline is a perfect class for individuals that love to jump and keep moving. Trampoline is now an Olympic sport because of the amazing skills and benefit it brings to any athlete. Trampoline is an all-encompassing sport that builds strength, coordination, agility, and spatial awareness. And it is fun! This class focuses on trampoline safety, learning basic jumping skills, dropping skills, (seat drop, puppy, tummy, dead bug, etc.), along with skill combinations that enhance memory. Intermediate and advanced classes will begin and work on flipping skills.
Tumbling & Trampoline Teams:
N.A.C (National Acrobat Competition):
N.A.C. is a competitive tumbling team that competes in five (5) local meets in the Fall and Winter. N.A.C. is open to students ages 5 – Up. NAC is comprised of 12 different tumbling routine levels. Students may also compete in trampoline and power tumbling. Team tryouts happen in July (see the calendar for specific date and time). For more information on N.A.C. click here.
USAG Pre Team:
This class focuses on Tumbling, Trampoline and Double Mini Trampoline. The purpose of the class is to prepare students for the USAG Team and is open to students’ level 3 and higher. This class focuses mainly on back handsprings, and jumping, dropping, and flipping skills on trampoline. The students do not attend competitions or perform in the recital. This class is perfect complement for our N.A.C. team Members level 3 or higher or any individual wanting to join our USAG team.
USAG Tumbling & Trampoline Team:
USAG is a competitive Tumbling and Trampoline Team that competes in Tumbling, Trampoline, and Double Mini Trampoline. Many gymnasts feel that USAG Tumbling & Trampoline is a great alternative to traditional artistic gymnastics. Our athletes typically attend 5 to 7 local & regional competitions in the Winter and Spring. Our athletes also have the option to compete Nationally. Click here for more info.
Dance & Tumbling Combination Classes:
Tumbling & Ballet Combo: Ages 3-6
The Tumbling/Ballet combination class consists of 30 minutes of Tumbling and 30 minutes of Ballet. The Tumbling/Ballet Combination is a perfect beginning class to explore both dance and tumbling. Young students will usually attend this combination class up until the age of 5 or 6, then they usually progress to classes devoted to a specific style or dance or tumbling class or our Tumbling/Jazz Combination class.
Tumbling & Jazz Combo: Ages 5-10
The Tumbling/Jazz Combination class is the perfect recreational class those individuals wishing to explore tumbling and dance. It consists of 30-45 minutes of Jazz and 30-45 minutes of Tumbling. This Combination class is for beginning dancers & tumblers ages 5-10 and is a good transition from the younger 3-6 Combination classes. Special Note: The Tumbling/Jazz class – 5 & Up is not recommended for students who have had more than three years of tumbling or Jazz experience.
Tumbling/Tap/Ballet Combo: Ages 3-6
The Tumbling/Tap/Ballet Combination class consists of 30 minutes of Tap/Ballet and 30 minutes of Tumbling. Students will participate in 30 minutes of Tumbling each week and will rotate between Tap and Ballet every other week for 30 minutes. Young students will usually attend this combination class up until the age of 5 or 6, then they usually progress to classes devoted to a specific style or dance or tumbling class or our Tumbling/Jazz Combination class.
Cheer Classes
Cheerleading:
This class works on basic cheer jumps, chants, stunts, and basic cheer movement and technique. It is a perfect class for those just starting out in cheer or cheerleaders wanting to enhance their cheer technique. This class may do a small amount of tumbling in class as well.
Tumbling for Cheer:
This class focuses on tumbling skills for cheer, instead of cheer technique. It helps our cheerleaders improve in the tumbling skills that are important and often used in cheerleading. This class is not recommended for those who have accomplished walkovers and handsprings. These individuals should take a level 4 or 5 tumbling class. This is not a recital class but is a great additional class for anyone in cheer classes to take.