Dance Genres

Ballet is an elegant form of dance, which involves grace and precision. It is characterised by light, intricate movements, which are often performed to classical music. Elite Dance Company offers a range of Ballet classes for students from the age of 2. These classes are; pre-school, grade classes, open and adult. Grade classes start from the age of 5. We follow the NZAMD and RAD Syllabus (New Zealand Association Of Modern Dance and Royal Academy Of Dance), where students learn set grade work and enter annual examinations. Grade work allows dancers to broaden their ballet repertoire and technique. The movements become progressively more difficult each year. In the senior grades, students have two classes a week in preparation for the introduction of pointe work and the demands of the senior ballet grades. We also offer Adult Ballet classes, which focus on learning technique, routines and the enjoyment of ballet.

Jazz is a modern form of dance, which involves strong, sharp movements and lines. It adopts many ballet concepts but it is performed to modern music and is a lot more stylised. Elite Dance Company offers a range of Jazz classes for students from the age of 5. These classes are; Open and Grade Classes. Grade classes start from the age of 5. We follow the American NZAMD Syllabus (New Zealand Association of Modern Dance) where students learn set grade work and enter annual examinations. In this grade work, students learn new steps and combinations, which become progressively harder each year.  Open Jazz classes are now merged with the lyrical genre of dance and called Fusion.  These classes are for dancers who are working on style and presentation.   Junior Boppers is a fusion of Beginners Jazz and Beginners Hip Hop and gets our 4 – 6 year olds bopping about!  We have an Adult Jazz class as well.  Lots of fun and great for your fitness.

Tap is a rhythmical form of dance. The dancer uses the sounds produced by their metal tap shoes to strike the floor as a form of percussion. The movements are very sharp and often quite fast. Elite Dance Company offers a range of Tap classes for students from the age of 4. These classes are grade and adult classes. Grade classes start from the age of 5. We follow the NZAMD Syllabus (New Zealand Association Of Modern Dance), where students learn set grade work and enter annual examinations. In this grade work, students learn new tap steps and combinations, which become progressively harder each year.  We have Adult Tap as well.  So much fun making beautiful sounds while dancing.

Hip Hop is a free, stylised form of dance which is primarily performed to Hip Hop Music. The movements are drawn from breaking, locking, popping which all emerged in the 1970s. Elite Dance Company offers a range of age based Hip Hop classes.  All classes are open classes starting from the age of 4.    Junior Boppers is a fusion of Beginners Jazz and Beginners Hip Hop and gets our 4 – 6 year olds bopping about!

Contemporary dance is an expressive form of dance, which combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dance explores freedom of movement. It consists of fluid movements, which use momentum and gravity. Contemporary is performed in bare feet and uses many different styles of music. Contemporary is offered at Elite Dance Company to dancers from the age of 10. We follow the NZAMD Syllabus (New Zealand Association of Modern Dance) where students learn set grade work and enter annual examinations. In the introductory grades, the students begin by learning basic contemporary principles about momentum and gravity. As the grades progress, students learn stylised contemporary dances choreographed by a range of renowned choreographers. The students are also required to learn dance history and anatomy for their examinations, which further helps them to understand the concept of this dance genre.

Fusion is our open class for both Lyrical and Jazz.  Lyrical is an elegant form of dance, which draws on the technique of ballet. It consists of very soft and fluid movements and it is often performed to slow, lyrical ballads.  Elite Dance Company offers open fusion classes to students from the age of 8.  The 45 minute class consists of a warm up, stretch and progressions across the floor.  The dancers also work on a short routine each lesson which will either be jazz or lyrical based.  The dancers are extended as they work on technique and learn new leaps and turns, which are not covered in grade classes.