Modern Jazz is an umbrella term for many different styles of jazz based dance forms. In our contemporary modern jazz classes we explore those different styles, giving our dancers a well rounded knowledge skill set of the following jazz/modern based dance forms:

• Jazz Dance: a rhythmical dance style seen mostly in West End shows, films of Musicals, dance revues and music videos. Evolving from a blend of European and African traditional social dances, it has evolved through the decades, with ballet and modern dance technique contributing to its elegance and African Dance providing its rhythmic propulsion and percussive style.
• Contemporary modern and lyrical jazz; this style maintains some of the rhythmic characteristics that define jazz, but it incorporates elements of ballet to give its flowing, lengthened look and lyrical quality.
• Street style jazz: uses fun, high energy choreography is taught using the latest pop tunes and highly rhythmical, energetic music.

For all other secondary ages, please contact us for availability.

Tap dancing is such a lively and enjoyable form of dance – and so much fun! Especially if you love rhythm and making noise – it’s almost a form of drumming with the feet! It helps every dancer develop a strong sense of rhythm, and because of its fast nature of intricate small movements of the feet, can be quite a challenge. But for those who take to it, they often develop a complete love of it.

In our tap classes at the Art House, we work freely and very much tailor make these classes to the ability of the pupils. This is one of our team dance styles where instead of taking grades as individuals, we enter the pupils for IDTA team awards, meaning that we can choreograph immensely fun creative dances that the class members will thoroughly enjoy.

For all other secondary ages, please contact us for availability.

In our musical theatre classes we learn all that is involved with the three musical theatre disciplines: acting, dancing, and voice.

• Acting: for developing their acting skills we work with the pupils on creating stories, improvisations both individually or as a group (spontaneous and prepared), interaction with others, the importance of team cooperation (through drama games and more), character building, accents, dialects, movement and physicality, how to learn lines at home (which helps a child to understand learning responsibility), and many more.
• Voice: they will learn many skills such as how to warm up the voice, vocal dynamics, keeping on pitch, diction, projection, memorise song lyrics, and as they develop their abilities they will go onto harmonies.
• Dance: through dance many skills are developed such as coordination, balance, how to use the body as a form of expression, movement to music whilst staying in character, correct placement of the whole body, timing, and of course many, many dance steps.

Opportunities

In our musical theatre classes we provide equal opportunities for the children. We’ll encourage those who are confident and wish to get up and perform solo work (singing, dancing, or acting) have a chance to do so, whilst equally, we very much take the lead from a child who may be shy to begin with, gently encouraging them to help develop their confidence without forcing them to take on roles that they are not ready for.

We do musical theatre shows in house, at a local theatre, or other performance venue, where the pupils get to show you all their skills and abilities that they have been learning throughout the year (and of course have fun).

We also have examination opportunities available in musical theatre and drama with the IDTA.