7-9 Year Old Classes

Jazz Class
A jazz class at Rising Stars is an exciting and ever evolving dance class full of rhythm, syncopation, passion and life. Steeped in the rhythm of jazz music, a true American art form, our jazz classes bring energy and life to all those who take it. Classes explore body isolations of the head, shoulders, ribcage, feet and arms and encourage individual expression and the development of personal style. Understanding body placement and center are focal points of our jazz class.

Throughout the year an emphasis will be placed on the explanation of terminology, warm-up, isolations, barre, and center floor work with an emphasis on strengthening turns, jumps, flexibility, technical execution, and combinations. Jazz students will be taught basic jazz dance technique, terminology and movement with an emphasis on proper execution of jazz isolations, rhythms and style.

One jazz routine will be taught per year and will be powerful and percussive or expressive and lyrical. Ever evolving, our jazz classes are taught with the music of today as well as with the classical jazz of yesterday. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

Jazz classes at Rising Stars are available by age and levels of ability. We offer recreational, pre-competition and competition jazz classes. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.

Broadway Jazz:
Broadway jazz, or theater jazz originated in the 1920's. It was the first time dance was an important part of a play's plot, and viewers fell in love. It is a unique blend of ballet, modern, and jazz and is distinguished by its emphasis on exaggerated movements, high energy, and story-telling.

Throughout the year an emphasis will be placed on the explanation of terminology, warm-up, isolations, barre, and centre floor work with an emphasis on strengthening turns, jumps, flexibility, technical execution, and combinations. Jazz students will be taught basic jazz dance technique, terminology and movement with an emphasis on proper execution of jazz isolations, rhythms and style.

One Broadway Jazz routine will be taught per year and will be powerful and percussive or expressive and lyrical. Ever evolving, our jazz classes are taught with the music of today as well as with the classical jazz of yesterday. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

Jazz classes at Rising Stars are available by age and levels of ability. We offer recreational, pre-competition and competition jazz classes. Please see our current class

Tap Class
Tap dance is a timeless art where dancers wear special shoes equipped with metal taps. Using their feet like drums, tap dancers create rhythmic patterns and timely beats. Tap dancers are popular in musicals, television, movies, and commercials. At Rising Stars, we offer three different types of tap dance classes: rhythm tap (also known as hoofing), funky tap, and Broadway tap. Rhythm tap or hoofing is when tap dancers use a flat tap shoe and use every part of their shoes to make their feet sound like drums. Broadway tap is used with a heeled tap shoe and is where tap dancers use their arms and upper bodies to blend movements of ballet and/or jazz into their tap routines. Funky tap is a combination of hoofing, jazz and hip-hop.

Tap class work combines control, coordination, and rhythm. The curriculum encompasses across the floor and center floor exercises that teach dynamics, shading, phrasing, and musicality.

One tap routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

Tap classes at Rising Stars are available by age and levels of ability. We offer recreational, pre-competition and competition tap classes. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.

Broadway Tap
Broadway tap, or "Show Tap", is a combination of rhythm tap and ballet/jazz. It uses the whole body to tell a story, emphasizing on it's visual presentation instead of musicality. The sounds are created by taps on the bottom of the heal and toe, and by using techniques such as the "Soft Shoe".

Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on a theater style dance; it is widely performed in musical theater.

One broadway tap routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

Tap classes at Rising Stars are available by age and levels of ability. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.

Hip Hop (Pop Style)
A Hip-Hop class is a high-energy class that uses the latest sounds in rap and pop music together with movements influenced by some of today's hottest video choreographers. At Rising Stars, our Hip-Hop (Pop style) classes are a fusion of street-style and music video style hip-hop. Hip-Hop is urban, it's street, it's diverse and forever changing. Hip-hop (Pop style) may include some breakdancing and freezes, but not necessarily.

Please note: We also offer other hip-hop style classes that are more street-style and include breakdancing and freezes.

One hip-hop routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ! Hip-hop classes at Rising Stars are available by age and levels of ability. We offer recreational, pre-competition and competition hip-hop classes. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.

Acrobatics with Jazz Class
Acrobatics or as it is more commonly known, Acro, is a type of dance which combines tumbling with jazz technique. It requires balance, agility, and coordination. A defining characteristic of Acro is the smooth transitions between dance and acrobatic movements, combined with intricate body contortions and extreme flexibility.

The jazz portion of this class explores body isolations of the head, shoulders, ribcage, feet and arms. It also encourages individual expression and the development of personal style. Understanding body placement and center are focal points of the acro and jazz class.

One Acro routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick,

Acrobatics (Acro) classes at Rising Stars are available by age and levels of ability. We offer recreational, pre-competition and competition Acro classes. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.

Cheer Dance
A Cheer Dance class at Rising Stars combines all of the fundamentals of hip-hop, cheer and jazz. Pom-poms may or may not be used in conjunction with acrobatics (acro), tumbling, partner-work, lifts, basket tosses and more.

Cheer Dance classes at Rising Stars are available by age and levels of ability. We offer recreational, pre-competition and competition cheer funk classes. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.

One routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

Contemporary Dance Class
Contemporary dance is a fusion of ballet, jazz, lyrical and modern dance styles. It is a dance style that explores movement, space, rhythm, and the dancer's own creativity with emphasis on momentum, shapes and patterns. This form of dance is inspired by nature, music, art and human emotions.

Each class consists of a warm up with stretching, center work, and combinations using contemporary music.

One routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ! Contemporary dance classes at Rising Stars are available by age. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.

Musical Theater Class
This is a one hour jazz based dance class that focuses on scenes, songs, and choreography from musicals, Disney, and Broadway shows. Musical theater students will be exposed to lip-syncing, bringing characterization to the choreography, defining a character, stage presentation and learning to master the various musical theater techniques and styles. The musical theater's yearly routine may include props and costumes that reflect the characters portrayed in the routine.

Each week students will work on jazz technique and style using bevels, camel walks, pirouettes, extensions, jumps, etc.

One routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

Musical Theater dance classes at Rising Stars are available for various ages. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.

10+ Latin Ballroom with Heals
Latin American Ballroom Dance styles include the cha-cha-cha, rumba, salsa, samba, meringue, bachata, paso doble, argentine tango and many more. The music for these dances originated in Cuba, Brazil and Mexico. The styles are earthy and sensuous, as well as energetic.

One routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

7-9 Year Old "Starlites", a Pre-Competition Class in Ballet & Jazz
This is a 1 hour, pre-competition class that includes the fundamentals of ballet, tap and jazz. Because this is a "stepping-stone" class it does not require a teacher's recommendation.

This class will learn one dance routine that will perform at one competition. The style of dance chosen for this routine will be at the teacher's discretion and will be tap, jazz or ballet. This class is for the student who wants to move to the next level and experience what competitions are all about. As a competition student, "Starlites" students learn about stage present, prop cues, teamwork and more!

The dance year culminates with a memorable recital at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

7-9 Year Old "Starlites”, a Pre-Competition Class in Hip Hop Class
This is a one-hour pre-competition class that is a high energy Hip-Hop class for our younger dancer that is both fun and exciting! This class is a “stepping stone” class that uses the latest steps, age appropriate moves and fundamentals of hip-hop. It does not require a teacher’s recommendation. This class will learn one dance routine that will perform at one competition.

This class is for the student who wants to move to the next level and experience what competitions are all about. As a competition student “Starlites” students learn about stage presence, prop cues, teamwork and more! The dance year culminates with a memorable recital at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

7-9 Year Old "Starlites", Pre-Competition Class in Tap Class
This is a one-hour pre-competition class that is a high energy Tap class that is both fun and exciting! This class is a “stepping stone” class that uses the latest steps, age appropriate moves and fundamentals of Tap. It does not require a teacher’s recommendation. This class will learn one dance routine that will perform at one competition.

10-12 Year Old "Shooting Stars", a Pre-Competition Class in Ballet & Jazz
This is a 1 hour, pre-competition class that includes the fundamentals of ballet, tap and jazz. Because this is a "stepping-stone" class it does not require a teacher's recommendation.

This class will learn one dance routine that will perform at one competition. The style of dance chosen for this routine will be at the teacher's discretion and will be tap, jazz or ballet. This class is for the student who wants to move to the next level and experience what competitions are all about. As a competition student, "Shooting Stars" students learn about stage present, prop cues, teamwork and more!

The dance year culminates with a memorable recital at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

10-12 Year Old "Shooting Stars”, a Pre-Competition Class in Hip Hop Class
This is a one-hour pre-competition class that is a high energy Hip-Hop class for our younger dancer that is both fun and exciting! This class is a “stepping stone” class that uses the latest steps, age appropriate moves and fundamentals of hip-hop. It does not require a teacher’s recommendation. This class will learn one dance routine that will perform at one competition.

This class is for the student who wants to move to the next level and experience what competitions are all about. As a competition student “Shooting Stars” students learn about stage presence, prop cues, teamwork and more! The dance year culminates with a memorable recital at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ!

10-12 Year Old "Shooting Stars", Pre-Competition Class in Tap Class
This is a one-hour pre-competition class that is a high energy Tap class that is both fun and exciting! This class is a “stepping stone” class that uses the latest steps, age appropriate moves and fundamentals of Tap. It does not require a teacher’s recommendation. This class will learn one dance routine that will perform at one competition.

10-12 Year Old Pre Pointe Class
Pre-Pointe is a pointe preparation class for serious ballet students interested in dancing en pointe. Pre-Pointe is a 1 hour class that meets weekly. A portion of the class is spent doing foot/ankle exercises and stretches on the floor.

Students 10 years old and older who have 2 years of prior Ballet, can take this class that offers an introduction to Pointe. Pre-Pointe class would consist of exercises facing the barre and basic exercises on two feet in the center and across the floor (boure). Students will practice basic, safe exercises wearing pointe shoes to prepare them for more complex exercises for when they are old enough to take Pointe. Students will work on improving their turn out and feet flexibility during this class. A ballet class must be taken concurrently with the Pre Pointe Class.

Pointe Class
(for dancers 12 Years Old and older)
Pointe class concentrates on the transference of ballet steps from demi-pointe to pointe and is introduced only when a dancer has developed sufficient strength in the feet and legs necessary for this discipline.

To avoid injury to the feet, students must be 12 years old to take this class. Additionally, proper alignment is required to go up on pointe. Permission is needed by the instructor to register for a pointe class. A minimum of three years of ballet training is also required as a pre-requisite and a ballet class must be taken concurrently.

One pointe routine will be taught per year, per class. The dance year culminates with a memorable recital routine at the beautiful State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ! Pointe classes at Rising Stars are available by age and levels of ability. We offer recreational, pre-competition and competition pointe classes. Please see our current class schedule for class availability and times.