Styles of Dance
The following dance styles are offered during the Recital Session:
- Ballet
- Tap
Each dance style meets for 30 minutes. Certain age and/or experience requirements must be met to participate in each style of dance (see the Policies page for more information).
Class Overview
Students who participate in White Marsh Rec. Dance Program's Summer Session receive instruction appropriate to their age and ability level. However, for most age groups, the structure of the class is relatively similar.
- Arrival: Upon entering the dance room, students are asked to place their belongings in the designated area and find a seat on the floor. When all students are seated and all parents have left the room, the instructor begins class by taking attendance.
- Warm-Ups: For each dance style, an age-appropriate warm-up is used to prepare the students for the rest of the class. For younger students, warm-ups may include basic following directions activities, familiar songs, creative movement, and stretches. For more experienced students, warm-ups may may focus on improving strength, flexibility, and technique.
- Individual Focus: This portion of the class allows teachers to focus on steps that are used frequently or that provide a greater challenge to students, and if needed, allows teachers to work with students on an individual basis. Students are given specific steps or sequences to practice as they move from one end of the room to the other. Students typically form two lines on one side of the room, and a teacher works with two students at a time as they practice a specific movement across the room.
- Choreography: For each dance style, students will learn a short choreographed routine to perform for family and friends during their last class. Therefore, for each style of dance, instructors focus on choreography for approximately 10 minutes.
- Dismissal: At the end of class, students are rewarded for their positive behavior with a stamp or sticker (see the Policies page for information on the program's behavior expectations). Parents must enter the room at dismissal - students will not be permitted to leave the dance room without a parent.
Observation Overview
The Summer Session ends with an observation night for each individual class, . During observation night, family and friends are invited to observe the last class of the session. Visitors see exactly what occurs during the class, as the instructors move through the class routines as usual, and students will perform a short dance for each style of dance studied.
Recital Session
The White Marsh Rec. Dance Program's Summer Session is a 7-8 week mini session that occurs during the summer. While the Summer Session does not include a recital, families are invited to observe during the last class of the session. Students who participate in the Summer Session are grouped by age, but some classes may include a greater span of ages than other. Additionally, all students attend one evening class per week (weekend classes are not offered), and the length of the class depends on the styles of dance being taken. For the Summer Session, all classes meet in the dance room at the Honeygo Run Regional Center (see the Locations page for more information).