Whether dancing for fun or preparing for a professional career in entertainment dance, middle and high school students have a home at Twirl where they learn the value of work ethic, focus, dedication, and teamwork.
The following 2023-24 season classes are appropriate for students age 11+
Classes run continuously from September 7, 2023 to June 3, 2024.
BALLET
Ballet II– (classes for ages 9+) Students fourth grade and older with previous ballet training and beginner level dancers age 11+ will love dancing barre and center floor combinations that will feed their spirits and strengthen their dance technique.
Mondays 4:30-5:30pm
Thursdays 6:30-7:30pm
Ballet III and IV- (ages 10+) Dancers with at least two years of ballet training will plié the night away in this higher-level ballet class. Students will grow as dancers while they gain strength, control, and beautiful technique through more challenging barre work and center floor combinations. Level placement is based on teacher recommendation.
Ballet III Mondays 7:30-8:45pm
Ballet III Thursdays 5:30-6:30pm
Ballet III/IV Wednesdays 7:30-9:00pm
Ballet IV Mondays 6:30-7:30pm
My daughter got back into dance because of the wonderful friendliness and caring of the instructors and owner of the studio. She's learned so much, I can't imagine going any place else for dance!
-Stephanie
Ballet V- (ages 11+) Turns, leaps, and beats. Ballet V is for Twirl’s most advanced ballet students. Level placement is based on teacher recommendation.
Thursdays 7:30-8:45pm
Pre-Pointe– (ages 11+) Pre-pointe is a 30-minute class of strengthening and technique to prepare students to dance en pointe for the following season. Twirl has a unique partnership with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in our assessment of pointe readiness for the dancers in this class. Pointe readiness will be assessed individually by Twirl’s teaching artist and dance/sports specialists from CHOP toward the end of the dance season. Students ages 11+ must be approved or recommended to register for pre-pointe and are required to take two additional ballet classes each week.
Mondays 8:45-9:15pm
Pointe– (ages 11+) Dancers work on strengthening, conditioning, and dance artistry as they safely navigate the world of dancing en pointe. All pointe students must have completed Twirl’s pre-pointe program or have previous pointe training. Pointe students who are new to Twirl and have not completed Twirl’s pre-pointe class must pass an assessment before being approved to take this class. All pointe students must also be enrolled in at least two ballet classes per week.
Pointe Thursdays 8:45-9:15pm
MUSICAL THEATRE DANCE
Musical Theatre Dance III– (ages 11+) Students who dream of dancing at Disney, on cruise ships, and other live entertainment venues are challenged with contrasting musical theatre dance styles that require both dance technique and performance quality. This class is perfect for intermediate dancers age 11+.
Tuesdays 6:30-7:30pm
Musical Theatre Dance IV– (ages 10+) Intermediate/advanced dancers hone in on jazz dance technique and learn dance styles that are prevalent in the entertainment industry.
Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm
Musical Theatre Dance V– (ages 11+) Twirl’s highest level of musical theatre dance features advanced training in dance technique and choreography.
Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm
TAP
Tap I– (ages 8+) Beginner tappers will fall in love with this style of dance as they train in the basics of tap technique and rhythm, providing the framework for tap classes in years to come.
Tuesdays 5:30-6:30pm
Tap II (ages 9+) Tap dancers with at least one year of recent tap training since third grade will learn cool moves like time steps, drawbacks, Cincinnati’s, and other awesome classic tap steps.
Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm
Tap IV (ages 10+) This class will challenge proficient tappers with intricate footwork, complex rhythms, pullbacks, pickups, and advanced tap steps.
Tuesdays 6:30-7:30pm
HIP HOP
Hip Hop- (ages 11+) Dancers learn how to find the rhythm and the baseline in a song as they build core strength and learn really cool dance moves. Dancers are also given the tools to develop their own creative style and voice through freestyle dancing. Like all classes at Twirl, music for hip hop classes is free of suggestive or inappropriate lyrics and choreography is cool, hip, and current while maintaining modesty and integrity.
Mondays 7:30-8:30pm
CONTEMPORARY DANCE
Contemporary Dance I, II, and III– (classes for ages 9+, 10+ and 11+) Students will love dancing out their joys and frustrations through this super expressive genre of dance, which is a fusion of ballet, jazz, and modern. Level I (ages 9+) is for first year contemporary dance students, level II (ages 10+) is geared toward dancers with at least one year of contemporary training, and level III is designed for advanced dancers . NOTE: All contemporary dance students must also be enrolled in a ballet class.
Contemporary I (ages 9+) Mondays 6:30-7:30pm
Contemporary II (ages 10+) Thursdays 7:30-8:30pm
Contemporary III (ages 11+) Wednesdays 5:30-6:30pm
ACROBATICS
Acrobatics I*– Bring out the mats and let’s get upside down! It’s not a surprise that these are some of Twirl’s most popular classes. Students work on physical conditioning and agility as they learn handstands, walkovers, cartwheels, and other fun tumbling tricks. Students are challenged according to their individual skill level, and beginners are welcome.
Thursdays 7:30-8:30pm (ages 8+)
Saturdays 11:00am-12:00pm (ages 6+)
Acrobatics II*— (ages 6+) Level II is Twirl’s intermediate level acrobatics class. Along with strength and flexibility training, this class focuses on cartwheel variations, walkovers, and balancing skills. Note: The prerequisite for this class is a consistent bridge kickover. For clarification on this prerequisite please click here.
Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm
Wednesdays 7:30-8:30pm
Saturdays 12:00pm-1:00pm (combined level with Acrobatics III)
Acrobatics III*— (ages 7+) This class is designed for acrobats who want to bring their skills to the next level. Students work on back handsprings, aerial cartwheels, and other more advanced acrobatic tricks as well as exercises to improve flexibility and strength. Note: Having a solid back walkover and bridge recover (standing up from a bridge) are required prerequisites for this class. For clarification on this prerequisite please click here.
Tuesdays 6:30pm-7:30pm
Saturdays 12:00pm-1:00pm (combined level with Acrobatics II)
*Note for all acrobatics classes there is a $20 class fee per student due with each quarterly tuition payment.
LEAPS AND TURNS
Leaps and Turns (ages 11+) Dancers in this class will work on conditioning, stretching, technique, and drills to master solid turns and beautiful leaps. Leaps and Turns will focus on technique only and is a non-performing class for the June show.
Mondays 7:30-8:30pm
PERFORMANCE TEAM
Team Twirl III (ages 9+) and IV (ages 11+)– Team Twirl is a performance group that gives Twirl dancers more opportunities to have a positive presence in the community though public performances (not dance competitions). Team Twirl classes include dance technique and learning choreography for these performances. All Team Twirl dancers ages 11+ are required to take at least three classes a week including at least one Ballet class, plus Musical Theatre Dance or Contemporary or Lyrical (for Team Twirl III level only), plus Team Twirl III or IV (based on teacher recommendation). Students who are part of this performance group are required to attend at least 70% of all their classes. The Team Twirl class is considered a regular class when it comes to paying tuition. Click here for more details.
Team Twirl III (ages 9+) Wednesdays 7:30-8:30pm
Team Twirl IV (ages 11+) Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm
DOWN SYNDROME DANCE
Down Syndrome Dance– Students with Down syndrome work on improving movement skills, creativity, and memorization as they explore jazz and musical theatre dance styles. Learn more about Twirl’s Down Syndrome Dance program by clicking here.
Mondays (ages 11+) 5:30-6:30pm