Ballet

Ballet - just hearing that world summons the image of graceful dancers performing Classics like Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. As the leading provider of ballet dance classes for kids in Sacramento, Fancy Feet Dance Academy realizes that ballet forms an essential part of all types of dance. At our dance studio, your child will discover proper posture and discipline while being taught the basic and fundamentals of dance through classical ballet. Our professional ballet dance studio is fully equipped for students of all skill levels.

• Dancers learn the classical ballet technique. 
• Each class will consist of barre work, center work and across the floor.
• Dancers will learn grace and focus.
• They will build stamina and strength. 

Understanding the Progression Levels:

• Ballet LV1- No experience required 
  
• Ballet LV2- Taken ballet 1 or have prior experience 
• Ballet LV3- Taken ballet L2 or have prior ballet training. 
  
  

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Tap

If your child is three, four, five, or six years old, tap dancing is a great activity for them to start! Toddler tap dancing is a lot of fun and there are many benefits to the art. Kids can develop physical, social, and mental advantages from the dance that can help them start living healthy, successful, happy lives. Tap is a theatrical style of dance that requires precise rhythmic movements of the feet. Tap is extremely popular in Broadway and musical style performances throughout the world. Some famous tap dancers include: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Eleanor Powell and Gregory Hines. Fancy Feet Dance Academy believes that this genre of dance teaches our students the vast importance of focus, coordination and musicality in all styles of dance.

• Dancers learn how to use their tap shoes to make rhythmic sounds with their feet.  

Understanding the Progression Levels:

• Tap LV1- No experience required
  
• Tap LV2- Taken Tap 1 or prior tap training required
• Tap LV3- Taken Tap 2 or  prior tap training required 

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Jazz

Jazz dancing is a blend of many dance styles and cultures. Jazz has a strong ballet base combined with African, Caribbean, Latin and Hip Hop dance. To excel in jazz dance, the dancer must master ballet technique because it consists of slower movements that strengthen the body and improve balance. Jazz dancers’ strong and sharp movements are aided by the posture and body alignment known as ballet technique. A regular Jazz class at Fancy Feet Dance Academy in Sacramento begins with a warm-up designed to get the body moving and the brain focused. From there students will move to the barre to strengthen their technique, then a conditioning section to build muscle strength. Next is flexibility training with a series of deep stretches to be sure their muscles are completely warmed up, preventing injury. Then the fun really begins! The students are taught various steps. She/he learns how to use these steps while traveling across the studio floor or while working on choreography.

• High energy class that teaching the fundamentals of the jazz.
• Includes full body warm-up, across the floor & center movement.
• Develop musicality & enjoy the upbeat popular music used.

Understanding the Progression Levels:

• Jazz L1- No experience required 
  
• Jazz L2- Taken Jazz L1b or prior jazz training required 
• Jazz LV3- Must taken Jazz L2 or prior jazz training required
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

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Hip Hop

As one of the most popular forms of music out right now, hip hop is fun, exciting, and can lead to some dynamic dance routines. What’s also special about hip hop is that it often spawns its own dances that spread through the culture before hitting the mainstream at full force.

Your child can learn to “bust a move” by taking hip hop dance classes in Sacramento at Fancy Feet Dance Academy. Our skilled instructors will teach your children the same moves they see dancers perform in their favourite hip hop and R&B videos. Our hip hop dance classes in Sacramento and Land Park are perfect to keep your child active while allowing them to express their creativity.

Hip Hop Dance Overview

The dance evolution of hip hop can almost be paired with the musical evolution of the genre. Hip hop branched off from the funk and disco music which was most popular during the 70s. The dance culture of hip hop has no set rules and no set movements that need to be followed in order for it to qualify as hip hop; this makes the dance a fun, natural stress reliever. Ironically, it can help your child improve their concentration skills even further, a trait that could benefit their education. Hip hop dance lessons are not only fun and exciting to learn but will also help keep your child physically active.

• A style of dance that evolved from the Hip Hop culture.
• Classes can consist on a variety of styles such as locking, popping and breaking. 

Understanding the Progression Levels:

• Hip Hop LV1- No experience required.
  
• Hip Hop LV2- Taken  Hip Hop LV1 or have prior hip hop training.
• Hip Hop LV3- Taken Hip Hop LV2 or have prior hip hop training. 
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

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Lyrical

This form of dance is the fusion of ballet and jazz technique. Lyrical students should have some knowledge of ballet training. Emphasis is placed on dance moves that relate directly to the song or music. These dance moves show expressive feeling and/or emotion through fluid and graceful movements. Dancers will develop flexibility, strength and balance through creative exercises and dance routines.

• Fusion of jazz & ballet. Includes warm-up, across the floor & choreography.
• Learn how to tell a story through using movement.
• Develop strength, flexibility & confidence.

Understanding the Progression Levels:

• Lyrical LV1- No experience required 
  
• Lyrical LV2- Taken LV1 or prior training required 
• Lyrical LV3- Taken LV2 or prior training required 
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

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Contemporary

Contemporary is designed to develop the mind, body, and spirit to be an expressive communicator through movement. It follows closely with modern style dancing and was originally developed from many different dance styles and cultures. Structured technical exercises that condition the body for strength, coordination and flexibility are developed. Dancers will be immersed in a creative environment that incorporates abstract movements such as those seen on the popular show “So You Think You Can Dance”.

• Fusion of jazz, lyrical & ballet.
• Includes warm-up, across the floor & choreography.
• Learn how to tell a story through using movement.
• Develop strength, flexibility & confidence.

Understanding the Progression Levels:

• Contemporary LV1- No experience required
• Contemporary LV2- Taken LV1 or prior contemporary training required
  
  
  

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Musical Theater

Musical Theatre is one of our signature program that offers students an exceptional overall experience. With three passionate and specialized instructor’s, students train in all three disciplines; singing, dancing and acting. This magical program awakens each student’s individual creativity, artistic abilities and strengths. Building confidence, passion, and a special ensemble spirit among their class. Each student develops through technical classes and exciting performance repertoire and is highlighted in our annual musical production as well as our year end recital. All students perform one routine per class in our annual spring recital.

• Perform in fully costumed performances.
• Develop language and articulation skills.
• Develop musicality and rhythm.
• Develop coordination and spatial awareness.
• Build confidence and social skills.
• A class that teaches the dancers how to be triple threats.
• They learn how to sing, dance and act all at the same time.

Understanding the Progression Levels:

• Musical Theater LV1- No experience required 
• Musical Theater LV2- Taken musical theater L1 or have prior training. 
  
  
  
  
  

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Acrobatic Arts

Acro dance incorporates acrobatic movements into dance routines and is one of the more challenging dance styles to teach and to learn. We are proud and excited to teach acro dance classes in Sacramento at Fancy Feet Dance Academy. Acro dance emboldens our dancers to be physically fit, flexible, strong, and to contort their bodies in ways that may not be immediately comfortable. This, on top of being completely disciplined in the technical aspects of the dance form, makes it a challenging, yet rewarding form of dance that can take dancers to a whole new level.

The program is based on safe and effective progressions with proven results in five divisions of AcroDance: Flexibility, Strength, Balancing, Limbering and Tumbling.  Developed with input from professionals and experts in ballet, modern dance, jazz, contortion, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, sport acrobatics, yoga, acro yoga, pilates, physiotherapy, hand balancing and more, you will not find a more comprehensive program.  Simple thoughtful progressions take the beginner preschool level dancer from log rolls and summersaults to the advanced dancer tumbling effortlessly across the stage!  

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Pointe

Pointe technique is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns pointe work, in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be en pointe when the dancer's body is supported in this manner, and a fully extended vertical foot is said to be en pointe when touching the floor, even when not bearing weight. Pointe work is performed while wearing pointe shoes, which employ structural reinforcing to distribute the dancer's weight load throughout the foot, thus reducing the load on the toes enough to enable the dancer to support all body weight on fully vertical feet.

Pointe technique resulted from a desire for female dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like. Although both men and women are capable of pointe work, it is most often performed by women. Extensive training and practice are required to develop the strength and technique needed for pointe work. Typically, dance teachers consider factors such as age, experience, strength and alignment when deciding whether to allow a dancer to begin pointe work.

• Dancer work on their pointe technique.
• Dancers enrolled in the pointe class must also be taking 2 hours of a regular ballet class. 

*This class is invite only.