Ballet, Jazz, & Hip Hop

Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop offers a new twist on of one of our most popular dance classes at the Robert Crown Community Center. This class provides an introduction to dance technique covering the fundamentals of ballet, jazz, and hip hop for young dancers.

Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop focuses on developmentally appropriate topics for ages 4 to 7, including introducing students to the fundamentals of coordinated movement and how to take a dance class. Jazz and hip hop introduce the basics of rhythm and movement sequencing, while ballet provides a strong foundation in foot placement, balance, basic jumps, and body positioning.

This hour-long class is typically divided into four segments: warm-up followed by ballet, jazz, and hip hop (usually in that order). Short breaks between segments allow time to switch shoes as necessary and to grab a drink of water.

Who is Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop Intended for?

Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop is intended for students in early primary school, from roughly pre-K to second grade, who have an interest in dance or expressive movement more generally. This class is intended to help young students learn how to take a dance class and to build fundmental coordination and movement skills as well as rhythmic awareness.

Ages: 4–6.5 years.

Class Length & Attire

This class meets weekly for one hour. Clothing should be comfortable, non-obstructive, and support dynamic movement in all spatial planes.

Shoe requirement: ballet slippers are required for the ballet portion of class. Jazz can be done in ballet slippers, jazz shoes, or clean-soled sneakers. Clean sneakers are also used for hip hop. It is recommended that students practice taking their dance shoes on and off before attending their first class meeting to assist with smooth transitions during our time together. Students who are still learning to tie laces independently may want to consider slip-on options where available.

Please bring a bottle of water.

Accessibility & Inclusivity

Accessibility and inclusivity are a core part of dance class offerings at Robert Crown. This reflects both my personal commitment as a professional educator who cares deeply about equity and inclusion and the City of Evanston's accessibility commitment. As part of this commitment, I include sensory check-ins with students to make sure music volume levels are appropriate and support students' need for sensory breaks, among many other accessibility considerations.

For information on how to make an ADA service request, please see the City of Evanston's accessibility and inclusivity statement below:

The City of Evanston is committed to promoting a city-wide culture of accessibility and inclusivity. To request an accomodation for a program, service, or activity, please call 847-866-2919 to make an ADA service request or fill out a request form online at evanstonil.qscend.com/311.