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Our Classes

Evelyn Ott School of Dance offers something for everyone! For Ages 2+, we offer Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, Acro, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre, and so much more! It's always free to give a class a try, see what you like, then register once you know what you love. Completely new to dance education and not sure where to start? Give us a call at (757) 588-1162 and our staff can help walk you through your options. ​

Below are some descriptions of a wide variety of potential classes offered at Evelyn Ott School of Dance. Refer to the schedule posted in the registration section of our site for the accurate list of currently offered classes. Available subjects of study will vary from year to year. The list below is not a reflection of our currently offered classes.

Tiny Tots

Ages 2-4. Students will partake in a creative movement class, learn beginning steps towards Ballet curriculum, positions & vocabulary appealing to their age group. 

Basics are explored such as: Follow the leader, interaction with their age group, sharing & following directions. Class also offers fun & games with props each week. 

Tiny Dancer

Ages 4-5. A combination of ballet & tap is taught during this class using both classical dance techniques & creative movement. Students enter the basic/beginner world of tap vocabulary, basic steps, and tap rhythms. 

These classes will improve basic motor skills, agility, and rhythm. Both ballet and tap shoes will be needed for this class. 

Hip-Hop

Various Age Levels. Fun & energetic freestyle dance form that can be seen in music videos. Relaxed atmosphere & dress code. Rhythmic exercises, body isolations, choreography & combinations, and upbeat across-the-floor exercises will be worked on during this class. 

Hip Hop is a high-energy class that infuses the latest styles of street dancing, breaking, popping, and locking. Classes will encourage students to step outside the box by bringing their own individual styles and personality to the movements. We pride ourselves on being a family-oriented dance studio and go out of our way to find clean age-appropriate music. 

Primary
Combo

Level 1: Ages 6-7
Level 2: Ages 8-9

This popular combination class is designed for students to express their individuality through the art of dance. Each class includes barre exercises, center floor work, and across-the-floor combinations. The ballet curriculum is based on a combination of French and Cecchetti.

Ballet

Various age levels are available. A classical form of dance. A strong technical base for all other dance forms. Barre, center floor, and progressions (movements across the floor) are all used in developing ballet techniques. 

Students will focus on building the strength, flexibility, and control needed to execute ballet moves. Each class will emphasize barre exercises, combination of center-floor work, and across-the-floor combinations. The ballet curriculum is based on a combination of French and Cecchetti. 

Tap

Various age levels are available. This class is based on various technical and inspired Tap styles such as Classical, Rhythm, and Hoofing to name a few. The foundation will be a strong understanding of basic tap foundation, terminology, timing, and rhythm. Exercises will focus on building flexibility of the knee and ankles, coordination, and speed of movement. An emphasis will be placed on the explanation of terminology, execution of basic steps through more challenging rhythms, precise tap sounds, improvisational techniques, syncopation, and technical execution. 

Lyrical-
Contemporary

Various age levels are available. Lyrical/Contemporary dance class is designed for students with previous training in ballet. Students will explore basic techniques and skills from ballet, jazz, and modern. 

This class will place an emphasis on the interpretation of music lyrics while telling a story with movement that can be fluid or abstract. As students process through each level of curriculum the class will become increasingly more complex and intricate. Students are encouraged to take a ballet and/or jazz class in conjunction with this class. 

Jazz

Various age levels are available. The class curriculum is based on ballet technique layered with traditional jazz movement and includes a proper warm-up, stretches, isolations, across-the-floor progressions, and combinations. 

Jazz basics stem from ballet combined with current stylistic moves. Energetic popular music, flexibility, basic jazz vocabulary, still & movement progressions, and quick choreographed combinations will be used in each class. Students will be exposed to various styles of jazz such as Broadway, Street, and contemporary to help develop a well-rounded dancer. 

Acro I

Ages 6+ ** Acro level established by teacher placement for student safety. This class is great for students looking to enhance their agility, flexibility, and strength. We will focus on learning not just the technique, but also what muscles and flexibility are needed to execute that technique. 

Acro/gymnastics teaches flexibility, balance, strength, muscle control, discipline & concentration. In this level there is a strong focus on proper hand placement and body alignment.

Acro II

Ages 6+ ** Acro level established by teacher placement for student safety. 

Acrobatics teaches flexibility, balance, strength, muscle control, discipline & concentration. This class will focus on the intermediate level of acrobatic technique.

In this class we will focus on somersaults, cartwheels, head stands, standing backbends, front and back overs and round offs (more tricks are available for those students that can master these skills quickly as everyone learns at their own pace)

Acro III

Ages 6+ ** Acro level established by teacher placement for student safety. 

Acrobatics teaches flexibility, balance, strength, muscle control, discipline & concentration. This class is designed for the advanced floor-level acrobatic gymnast.

In this class, a student should be able to do a standing backbend and be able to stand up from the backbend, front overs, and round-offs. It is helpful to have these skills already so we can move on to focus on more difficult tricks. In this class, we will focus on elbow stands, one-handed front walkovers, valdez, back handsprings, aerials, and many more advanced tricks. 

Stretch & Strength

For intermediate & advanced dancers. This class is designed to improve a dancers rand of motion, enhance flexibility and increase their level of core muscle strength. Through a variety of stretches and strengthening exercises, dancers will also increase their awareness of their own body's potential as it connects to expression through movement. This class is meant to provide the dance with skill development in tricks & style for other classes such as Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, and more. 

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