Jazz Dance Class Boosts Confidence and Skills

If you hear “Jazz dance” and immediately picture endless sparkles and sequins, “jazz hands,” or any scene from Flashdance, your mental image is not wrong. However, the discipline of Jazz dance is so much more vast and encompassing than these collective initial ideas. Our Jazz dance class may actually be the perfect discipline within the performing arts for your child to experience. 

Jazz Dance Class Roots Help Build a Strong Future for Your Child

The Jazz dance discipline came about as a combination of classical Ballet and Modern Dance and instantly became a smooth, upbeat, and energetic style with a unique curriculum of its own. If your child is eager for the chance to dance but may be intimidated by a classical style such as Ballet, the characteristics of jazz dance make it a perfect introductory class into the endlessly creative and fulfilling world of dance! Regardless of your child’s level of experience with this style, it is the perfect place for them to learn some fundamental dance techniques that are not only integral for other styles of dance, but also great for teaching life lessons.

What Happens in Class Doesn’t Stay in Class

You may be wondering how a very specific fusion of dance disciplines can provide life lessons for kids in today’s society. Well, Jazz dance encourages creative expression through movement that is unique to the art of dance. Not only does Jazz build skills such as rhythm, coordination, flexibility, and musicality, it also helps to foster a growing sense of self-confidence, individuality, and it provides a built-in community for friendship.

At Stagelight Performing Arts, Jazz dance class not only provides a safe space for dancers to explore their individual styles, but it also encourages them to take risks, contribute unique ideas, and try new things. It is the perfect place for your child if they are interested in the performing arts but are not quite sure where to start. Once they pass through the threshold of the classroom doors, watch their confidence blossom as they hone their abilities and become a more well-rounded dancer. What your child learns in Jazz dance carries over into so many other areas of their life, you’ll be amazed.

The Structure of a Jazz Dance Class 

Jazz dance class guides students through a full-body warmup, conditioning, across the floor technique, and choreographed combinations. Our Level I class covers beginning jazz dance curriculum where students learn the fundamental skills of counting music, stretching properly, foundational leg positions, and jazz dance moves like pirouettes, battements, and leaps. Once they master these techniques and move to higher Jazz levels, they build upon their knowledge in learning advanced skills like leg holds, illusions, and more difficult turns and jumps.

Our Jazz program is also a great option as a technique class for Level II and Level III Musical Theatre Song & Dance classes. Students who are enrolled in the advanced level of our Musical Theatre program are encouraged to enroll in Jazz at any level to further their artistic goals and progress toward becoming a more well-rounded dancer.

Advancing Through the Levels

If your dedicated dancer has completed one or more years of training in our Jazz Dance program, they may be ready for our Level II, Level III, or even Level IV Jazz dance classes! For dancers who can’t help but pirouette down grocery store aisles, grand jeté on the soccer field, or pas de bourrée in the schoolyard, they may be ready to take their training to a new level. Our advanced Jazz dance levels present dancers with a faster-paced learning environment that covers more complex techniques and choreography, and allows for a deeper understanding of the style.

As our Level II, III, and IV Jazz classes require an elevated skill level from our dancers, dancers are required to have instructor approval to enroll in the class. Instructor approval is given to currently enrolled students in their annual class recommendation forms at the end of the current season. For new incoming students, performers who have taken Jazz  dance classes at other studios or schools may be ready for a higher level. If your child has completed at least one year of outside training in this discipline, you can schedule an assessment with one of our teachers. If enrollment is currently open and you are interested in registering for an upper level class, please email the studio at stagelightarts@gmail.com to schedule this assessment with one of our qualified instructors.

Dress the Part for Jazz Dance Class

Girls should wear a leotard and leggings or dance shorts, or workout wear (no midriffs showing), with hair secured out of the face. Boys can come dressed in workout wear or essentially anything they can move in.

All jazz dance students should wear slip-on jazz shoes. Our favorite brands are Capezio or Bloch, and our preferred colors are black and tan. Traditionally, the color of the shoe should match the color worn on the ankle or lower leg. For instance, if the dancer is wearing black leggings, black jazz shoes are best. Alternatively, if the dancer is wearing skin tone tights or bare legs, a tan or skin tone jazz shoe is best. Having two pairs of jazz shoes is not required, however, especially as it becomes quite an expense with how fast your child’s feet grow! If you want only one pair, we recommend black jazz shoes.

Be sure to grab all of the Jazz gear you need for class HERE!

Now Sit Back, and Watch Your Child Thrive

Get ready to see the look of satisfaction on your child’s face as they perfect their turns, leaps, and kicks. And be prepared to watch your child drop into the splits or perform their favorite skill for you at home! That alone makes all of their hard work and dedication immeasurably worth it. Make sure to secure their spot in class today. We can’t wait to see your dancer in class soon!