Our Classes
Ballet & Pointe
The ballet curriculum at East Coast Performing Arts utilizes both the American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Academy of Russian Ballet methodologies as the technical foundation of its most formal dance program. Our entire ballet team of teachers have each earned highly sought after certifications in these two renowned and prestigious teacher training programs.
The ECPA student truly benefits by training in both the American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Academy of Russian Ballet methodologies. Both training programs require the student to become fully engaged in a clearly defined syllabus: thus, learning appropriate age-related vocabulary and technical skills. The American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Academy of Russian Ballet training programs seek to bring forth emotional expressiveness, precision of classical form, and a vibrant, commanding, and confident manner of performance which becomes the foundation of all dance forms.
CONTEMPORARY
A style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements. Very much like Lyrical but uses more modern dance techniques and dance evolution of the present day.
TAP
Characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap.
JAZZ
An ever-changing hybrid, jazz dance was born out of the meeting of African American vernacular dance with ballet, musical theater, and social dance styles from the Charleston to the Frug. Like its namesake music, jazz has proven to be an enduring form of creative expression, at turns sensual, lyrical, and percussive.
LYRICAL
A fusion of Ballet and Jazz Techniques. Lyrical dancing challenges the dancers to use motion to interpret music and express emotion. A lyrical dancer's movements attempt to show the meaning of the music. Lyrical jazz is a very passionate and emotional dance style. Lyrical dancing is a combination of intricate, highly technical, and pedestrian/naturalistic moves. Lyrical dance is often choreographed to a song about freedom, of releasing a sad emotion, or of overcoming obstacles, but can be choreographed to any human emotion-related song.
HIP HOP
Decsribes street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles primarily breaking, locking, and popping which were created in the 1970s and made popular by dance crews in the United States.
MUSICAL THEATER
Theatrical performances that combine songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole.
TUMBLE & ACROBATICS
Tumbling and acrobatics involve movements that are a combination of difficult feats of balance, agility, strength and coordination. These tricks and skills are all done on the floor using gymnastic mats. This gives the child the opportunity and advantage to learn their actual strength rather than a sprung gymnasium floor. They will be able to develop and complete the skill for any purpose in dance, cheer, gymnastics or audition material for middle school, high school or college.
(All of our dance floors at ECPA are raised to reduce injury and protect prolonged movement of the body and tendons of our students).
SILK AERIAL & LYRA
The aerial hoop (also known as the lyra, aerial ring or cerceau/cerceaux) is a circular steel apparatus (resembling a hula hoop) suspended from the ceiling, on which circus artists may perform aerial acrobatics. It can be used static, spinning, or swinging. The silks are soft fabric used for strength, coordination and flexibility in the air with fabric. These classes use an intense amount of upper body and core strength. This class is very fun and exciting for ages 7 and older only.
(Often used for contortion movement and rhythmic acrobatics).
BROADWAY BABIES
This is one of our top programs at ECPA! For ages 3 to 5, we combine different subject of dance to help the child find their passion for the arts. The children love creative movement, funky moves, tumble & tricks, love and emotion. We take pride in developing a strong little performer with education in dance terminology, athleticism in their craft by learning to stretch, count and hear music, coordination with simple movements and moments of play. They learn about Respect, Discipline through structure of class and repetition, Honesty and Trust. They are the next generation of our hearts and we do the best we can to nurture their love for movement and creativity.