Ballet, Modern, & Choreography

Ballet, Modern, Choreography provides a deeper dive into the techniques and practices of ballet and modern dance while also helping students learn how to create their own short dances and movement phrases. This class trains students both in dance technique as well as in dance-making in order to foster creative thinking skills, spatial reasoning, coordination, and balance.

Who Is Ballet, Modern, & Choreography Intended for?

This is a "combined level" class, which means it is built to challenge students who have prior dance experience as well as familiarize beginners with dance technique fundamentals and ways to make their own dances. Though helpful, prior dance experience is not required — in fact, training from outside the dance world, whether in ice skating, gymnastics, swimming, sports, martial arts, etc., often enriches the learning experience for all students.

This class is structured as a follow-up class to Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop and builds on the fundamentals taught there, though prior enrollment in that class is by no means required given that Ballet, Modern, & Choreography is designed to make ample use of students' diverse backgrounds and experience levels.

Students with an aptitude for movement-based performance and creating their own dances will find enriching opportunities to develop their creative thinking in addition to their dance technique.

Ages: 6–12 years.

What Makes Ballet, Modern, & Choreography Unique?

Three things make this class one-of-a-kind. First, this class offers a rare opporunity for students of this age range to enage their "thinking body" — in other words, their movement thinking — in learning how to create their own dances. Second, this class provides a strong beginning foundation in modern dance technique, which is an uncommon offering for this age range. Third, Mr. Brendan's "come as you are' approach to dance is patient, understanding, highly inviting, and based in fostering students' critical thinking skills. Mr. Brendan's approach involves using reflection techniques which affirm students' own interests and innate curiosity while providing the structure and emotional safety necessary to foster their creativity.

Class Structure

This hour-long class begins with a warm-up followed by technique training in ballet and modern dance. Students end class by practicing and performing a short dance sequence of their own making. We take two brief water breaks.

Each class meeting concludes with an informal showing of student-created dances.

Clothing & Attire

Clothing should be comfortable, non-obstructive, and support dynamic movement in all spatial planes. I highly encourage students to wear whatever makes them feel comfortable and at home in their bodies, and as such, I do not require leotards, unitards, or tights. Because modern dance can include floor work where the legs come into contact with the surface of the floor, tights are not recommended.

Shoe requirement: ballet slippers are required. Modern can be done in ballet slippers, socks, or barefoot.

Accessibility & Inclusivity

We work hard to make all our dance classes at Robert Crown Community Center accessible and inclusive. This is both my personal commitment as a professional educator who cares deeply about equity and inclusion and is also a part of the City of Evanston's accessibility and inclusivity statement, which reads:

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.