Training Offered | Enrollment & More Info | Course Details

Training Offered at the Academy of Classical Ballet-CALIFORNIA

Training at the Academy of Classical Ballet offers an in-depth, carefully crafted evaulation program and course offering that goes above and beyond the norm to ensure you get started on the right foot for your age, skill level and your personal goals. All of the training undergone at the Academy is designed not for you to simply meet your goals, but to offer a strong foundation for advancement. Remember, what separates us from everyone else isn't just our ballet course offering and professional-level training, it's the fact that we specialize in ballet, with a firm belief that classical ballet is the foundation for all forms of dance. This training will give you the strong background needed in today's dance industry, regardless of what style of dance you intend to focus on the future.

Please click on your area of interest below to find out more details about the course offering.

Comprehensive Pre-Ballet Training
Graded Professional-Level Ballet Training - including pointe work
Adult Training - all levels
Private Lessons - all ages/levels
Specialized Training for Competitive Dancers and Athletes
Ballet As Part of a Health & Fitness Routine

Please keep in mind that drop-in classes are more than welcome (pending a placement class). Contact the Academy for more info. We invite you to come watch a class and see what the Academy has to offer for yourself.

Enrollment & More Info

Contact us if you are interested in enrolling or need more information. Read on for more details about the training offered at the Academy of Classical Ballet-CALIFORNIA.

And believe it or not, ballet has benefits for those who aren't just interested in dancing. It could be a great addition to your overall health and fitness routine. Read the "Benefits of Ballet" article for more information about how ballet training can benefit non-dancers and those who just want to get a great workout and dance their way into shape.

Details of the Training and Courses offered At The Academy:

The details below offer a general outline and overview of courses available at the Academy. Classes are designed to suit the needs of our students and the courses listed are not necessarily all of the classes available and are subject to change. If you are not sure what program will best suit you needs, please contact us and we can help match you with the proper program.

Pre-Ballet Program Training

The Pre-Ballet Program serves as an introduction to the classroom and general body movement for students ages 4-7. The program prepares young students for the general concept of ballet. Students will develop the strength required for the barre, basic ballet positioning, rudimentary vocabulary, and will aid the student in developing correct placement. This class also teaches beginning musicality and is designed to ignite a passion for dance. Students will discover movement and expression in a fun, encouraging atmosphere. They will also learn basic classroom structure, along with developing coordination, rhythm, and physical awareness. 45 min. or 1 hr. classes a week.

Graded Professional Ballet Training
(Beginning to Advanced Levels including: Pre-Pointe and Pointe work)

Beginning Levels: Children study basic ballet movements and vocabulary, and get an introduction to combinations and moving through space. Students build strength, endurance and a general feel for what ballet is like. Basic techniques are perfected in these levels. The beginning levels develop the body as a whole, working every muscle group equally so that one set of muscles does not overpower the others, which is crucial to avoid injury. 1-4 hrs. a week.

Pre-Intermediate Levels: Students will begin to put their newly learned vocabulary into practice, performing short sentences of choreography. Students at this point are still working hard at the barre and performing center work exercises and short dances using basic skills they have perfected at the barre. Pre-Pointe work begins, and pointe work at the barre. 4-7 hrs. a week.

Intermediate Levels: Students will perform entire sentences of varied choreography as dictated by their instructor. Students are also performing on pointe at this level, which should now be developed and strong. More difficult variations are introduced along with classical pas de deux. Students at this level and have a high technical skill level are beginning to truly come into form as a dancer. 7-10 hrs. a week

Advanced levels: Students at this level will have an extensive vocabulary and technical skill level. Students are able to execute difficult combinations and choreography requiring strength and versatility. Students at this level have an extensive vocabulary in ballet, are strong technicians with very strong pointe skills. Students are able to execute the most difficult choreography with grace. Students of this level are accomplished technicians and performers. All classes for this level are of professional quality allowing students to fine-tune their skills in preparation for acceptance into professional companies, colleges, or university's. 10+ hrs. a week.

***Please note that students are placed into graded levels, dependent upon the students technical abilities, not necessarily age. This will be determined by a placement class and evaluation. As students progress, they can expect to increase the amount of classes they attend.

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Adult Ballet Program (Beginning to Advanced Levels)

Beginning Adult/Teen classes serve as an introduction to ballet in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. It is a great supplement to other dance forms such as ballroom dance, tap, jazz, hip-hop and many others. This program is appropriate for those new to dance or interested in revisiting classical ballet, or those who danced as a youth and would like to get back into dancing. This is also perfect for people who want a great way to get in shape, as the benefits of ballet help build core muscle groups and is great for the body overall. Read more about the benefits of ballet below.

***Please note that intermediate and advanced level adult students must take a placement class prior to attending lessons.

Private Ballet Lessons - For All Ages & Backgrounds

Private lessons are a great way for a student to supplement regular class training and help you accelerate your training. Private lessons at the Academy allow you to receive personal attention to improve specific goals including pointe work, flexibility, artistry, and technique. Privates lessons can help you:

Supplement your regular training to improve specific goals more quickly.
Receive personal, one-on-one attention, and focus on technique, strength, and precision of movement.
Refine and perfect routines. (Perfect for those trying out for Summer intensive programs and trying to get ahead for auditions.)
One-on-one coaching and choreography for solos, competitions, variations, and audition pieces for college, universities, and professional dance companies.

Specialized Training For Athletes - Including Synchronized Swimmers, Divers, Gymnasts, Figure Skaters & Competitive Dancers

We offer a demanding training program pefectly suited for athletes & competitive dancers of all backgrounds who wish to add grace, posture, poise, elegance, and strength to their current repertoire. This is something extremely hard to find at other dance studios, as we have trained dancers and athletes of all backgrounds and have a great understanding of kinesiology that tells of what areas of strength may need to added to one's skill set.

Here are some of the key points this program offers.

The Academy offers merging of the traditional ballet class format and a refined syllabus created for the specific demands of your sport or style of dance.
This specialized training can help supplement your regular training to improve specific goals including flexibility, artistry, and endurance.
With the training, you can focus on speed, strength, and precision of movement, refine and perfect routines.
We can help you achieve a disciplined approach to help you achieve that elegant, much sought after ballet look that is important accross all levels of dance.
The Academy can offer you private or semi-private lessons, group classes, team coaching, and choreography for all ages and levels. We can host the training at our facility in Campbell, CA, or we can even come to you.

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The Benefits Of Ballet - Not just for aspiring dancers

Ballet offers benefits far beyond learning how to dance gracefully and elegantly, its truly a great mind and body workout for people of all ages. It's no secret that dance is one of the keys to getting in shape, staying in shape, and keeping your brain at peak performance. The Academy of Classical Ballet-CALIFORNIA offers a focused program for those who simply wish to undergo ballet training as a means to meet their health & fitness goals.

In other words, ballet is simply a great workout, and not just for those who aspire to become to a dancer and we have a program tailored just for reaching this goal. Ballet as a workout? You betcha!

Some of those benefits include:

Flexibility

Ballet requires the use of all major muscle groups and activates muscles that you probably didn't even know you had, promoting strong core development and extending your flexibility range far beyond what it was before. Do you ever look at a ballet dancer and think, "How do they do that with their legs?". Well, there you go!

Sculpting and Toning

Ballet is an amazing workout puts your entire body to work. With a strong emphasis on your core, ballet tones your arms, legs, strengthens your back, develops muscles in your feet, and increases your range of motion, all helping you develop a toned and sculpted body that you will be more than happy with. One of the best parts is that you get to do it while you dance.

Development of Core Muscles

Core training provides remarkable unexpected benefits, including improved balance and coordination. Core training creates more and better links between your brain - specifically your cerebellum - and your body. The cerebellum is responsible for muscular coordination, balance, and positional awareness - proprioception - your body's awareness of its positioning in three-dimensional space. So core fitness means your brain is fit, too, and your body's own intelligence goes up very quickly.

Overall Health Benefits

If we review all the benefits of any exercise, ballet provides them all, with many bonuses. Since studies have shown that high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and many inflammatory conditions such as Ulcerative Colitis for one, are improved using exercise as a natural remedy. Gaining muscle and losing weight is another great side effect, so why not take ballet?

Dance, without a doubt increases your muscle exertion, including the heart muscle, increases your oxygen intake and subsequently, your metabolism and circulation. Increased circulation means more nutrients and natural occuring hormones and enzymes going to body cells, and also, increase of waste products from metabolism getting OUT of your cells.

Exerting your muscles on your bones stimulates bone growth and density. Healthy bones are part of our overall health. Many body processes occur in our bone tissue, including our immune system functions.

One of the best things a great workout can do, is lower your overall stress level. This occurs on all levels including: emotional, physical, and on a mental level. The physical level entails everything mentioned above and more. The emotional level is involved because we are doing something good for ourselves, maybe just for the enjoyment and benefits, and maybe because it is an ambition being fulfilled. Mentally, exercise is a challenge requiring concentration, and it in itself, increases our overall ability to do so.

Exercise of a certain type will increase muscle mass, though not necessarily bulk, which helps us to maintain or lose weight.

So why dance ballet? In a ballet class, almost every exercise is a full body workout. At the same time, each exercise exerts more on a specific muscle group than it does on the supporting muscle groups.

So ballet is a natural remedy for less than optimum health conditions that benefit from exercise. If you're ill, ask your doctor if there is any reason that you should not exercise. Unless you are an exceptional case, you will likely be encouraged to do so. Contact the Academy of you are interested in adding to your workout program - it's a great way to get in shape! We can put together a training program specialized to your individual health and fitness goals.

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