School Divisions and Class Levels
BTCA offers classes ranging from Preschool through Pre-Professional Level 6B. Click the + signs below to read more about each of our Divisions and the levels associated with each.
BTCA’s Preschool Division offers an engaging selection of movement and dance classes for children ages 3-6. For our youngest dancers, the goal is to have fun! Dancing and moving to music should be joyous and getting to be with beloved instructors and dance friends each week should be the highlight of a young dancer’s life! BTCA follows the ABT® National Training Curriculum philosophy and lesson plans that are designed for optimum physical and emotional fulfillment in this age group. Our instructors will focus on giving our youngest dancers an opportunity to stretch their imaginations and to delight in expressing their individuality through movement and musical awareness!
- Joy of Dance (ages 3-4): Yellow Tutu Ballerinas and Yellow Sash Cavaliers is the first stop in a young dancer’s experience at BTCA! He/she will experience the joy of moving to music and expanding the imagination. Our qualified instructors will take your young dancer to new heights of understanding about the art form of ballet in a joyful and imaginative setting. 45 minute class
- Creative Dance (ages 4-5): Blue Tutu Ballerinas and Blue Sash Cavaliers is for the dancer whose cognitive/physical skills have grown exponentially since their days as 3 year olds. The curriculum will reflect this new stage in a young dancer’s development with visual and physical props, and build the already active imaginative and problem solving skills that have been awakened in Joy of Dance. 45 minute class
- Pre-Primary Ballet (ages 5-6): Pink Tutu Ballerinas and Black Sash Cavaliers is for the young dancer who is ready to take on the more refined skills of movement as it relates to musicality, dynamics, patterns, pathways, and artistic expression. This is the last step before entering the American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum syllabus with proven results in developing the strong, nuanced wholesome pre-professional ballet dancer. 45 minute class
BTCA’s Lower Division offers classes for dancers (generally ages 6-12) in Primary A, Primary B, and Levels 1A, 1B and 2A. BTCA follows the ABT® National Training Curriculum philosophy and lesson plans that are designed for optimum physical and emotional fulfillment in this age group. Our instructors will continue to teach these young dancers about posture, musicality, rhythm, and spatial awareness, and move on to providing instruction in the basic feet and arm positions and their terminology. Dancers will also learn elements of the 7 basic classical ballet movements and the first 3 of the body directions, and how to travel around the space using dance steps. The most advanced dancers in this Division will also begin to learn additional arm positions, connecting steps, forms of arabesque and uses of the head in coordination with the body.
Dancers who take (and regularly attend) the suggested number/type of classes per week will receive the training and should gain the strength/ technique/knowledge necessary to be prepared to move up to the next level of training in a timely manner.
Primary A, Primary B: 1 Ballet class
Levels 1A, 1B: 1-2 Ballet classes, PLUS 1 or more Jazz/Contemporary classes
Level 2A: 2 or more Ballet classes, PLUS 1 or more Pre-Pointe classes, PLUS 1 or more Jazz/Contemporary classes
BTCA’s Middle Division offers classes for dancers (generally ages 12 and older) in Levels 2B, 3A, and 3B. BTCA follows the ABT® National Training Curriculum philosophy and lesson plans that are designed for optimum physical and emotional fulfillment in this age group. Our instructors will provide these maturing young dancers with more in-depth instruction in the classical ballet movements, connecting and traveling steps, and additional arm positions. They will also learn all variations of the darting steps (elancer), how to execute additional body directions in their steps, and additional forms of arabesque.
Dancers who take (and regularly attend) the suggested number/type of classes per week will receive the training and should gain the strength/ technique/knowledge necessary to be prepared to move up to the next level of training in a timely manner.
Level 2B: 2 or more Ballet classes, PLUS 1 or more Pre-Pointe classes, PLUS 1 or more Jazz/Contemporary classes
Levels 3A, 3B: 3 or more Ballet classes, PLUS 2 or more Pre-Pointe/Pointe classes, PLUS 1 or more Jazz/Contemporary classes
BTCA’s Upper/Pre-Professional Division offers classes for dancers (generally ages 13 and older) in Levels 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B. BTCA follows the ABT® National Training Curriculum philosophy and lesson plans that are designed for optimum physical and emotional fulfillment in this age group.
At Level 4A and 4B, all dancers have a working knowledge of all the basic vocabulary of dance and are able to correctly execute all elements with their bodies. Dancers will continue mastering elements learned in lower levels and our instructors will begin to introduce the 3 different forms of 4th position and add 2 new forms of the arabesque. Head and arm coordination with the legs, and the use of body angles and new pathways to their steps are introduced. Elongating movements from the Russian school also begin to be introduced. Some focus is also given to classical repertory and solos, and variations, partnering, and character are introduced.
At Levels 5A and 5B dancers should understand and be able to execute the main ballet positions of the feet, arms, hands and head, as well as the 5 arabesques. Correct posture, body placement when in motion, use of turn out, use of the foot, use of porte de bras and epaulement should be understood and put into practice consistently. Dancers should understand the basic rules of ballet coordination and the laws of balance and thus be able to execute the transfer of weight correctly. Instructors will continue to provide more in-depth instruction on classical repertory and solos.
At the Pre-Professional Levels 6A and 6B training continues with additional steps and strengthening exercises incorporated in an accelerated manner. Partnering work is continued and refined. If/when aptitude is evident and the prescribed course of training has been meticulously followed, most pre-professional dancers in this curriculum are ready to audition for professional jobs with ballet companies or for top collegiate-level ballet programs.
Dancers who take (and regularly attend) the suggested number/type of classes per week will receive the training and should gain the strength/ technique/knowledge necessary to be prepared to move up to the next level of training in a timely manner.
Levels 4A, 4B: 4 or more Ballet classes, PLUS 3 or more Pointe/Variations/Partnering classes, PLUS 1 or more Jazz/Contemporary classes
Levels 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B: 5 or more Ballet classes, PLUS 4 or more Pointe/Variations/Partnering classes, PLUS 1 or more Jazz/Contemporary classes