San Antonio Ballet School follows American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, which combines scientific principles with elements from the classic French, Italian and Russian schools of training. SABS strives to provide every student with a rich knowledge of classical ballet in a structured and nurturing environment.
Baby and Me
Hip Hop
Contemporary
Modern
Jazz
Flamenco
Acro
Adult Ballet
Workshops are offered in a variety of dance genres and styles. At SABS our workshops and Masterclasses guide dancers in their technique and promote creative growth. Students of all ages and back grounds experience a professional creative learning environment with masters guest instructors.
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Age: 3 years of age
Class Time: 30 minutes, 1 time per week
Main Objective: The Baby and Me class helps initiate young children into classical ballet discipline using carefully selected short, simple exercises, customized to their maturity level. The exercises practiced in this class are based on playful exercises, dances and games that help develop the child’s strength and coordination skills.
Age: 4 – 5
Class Time: 45 minutes, 1 time per week
Main Objective: This level builds on the skills learned in Baby Ballet. Fundamentals, such as body placement, first, second and third positions, and simple ballet steps are covered, while working with both hands on the barre and on center. Allegro work includes simple jumps and combinations, which help strengthen the student in a safe manner. Coordination and creativity are reinforced through dance games appropriate to this age group.
Age: 6 -7
Class Time: 1 hour, 1 time per week
Main Objective: All vocabulary from previous levels to be incorporated into this class. Fundamentals, such as body placement, first, second and third positions, and simple ballet steps are covered, while working with both hands on the barre and on center. Allegro work includes simple jumps and combinations, which help strengthen the student in a safe manner. Coordination and creativity are reinforced through dance games appropriate to this age group.
Age: 8 – 10
Class Time: One hour, 2 times a week PLUS 0.5 hour Stretch & Strength (Total minimum 2.5 hours/week)
Prerequisite: This class focuses on technical performance and creativity. Both of these elements are emphasized through age appropriate exercises and reinforcement techniques. The difficulty level increases in this class as simple head and arm movements are incorporated in to the exercises. The barre exercises increase to develop and strengthen concentration levels. Additional steps are introduced that demand emphasis on technique, such as improvement on using body weight changes, placement, and equilibrium. At this level, barre work is executed using both hands. Center and allegro exercises increase, reinforcing the work done at the barre.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Age: 11- 12
Class Time: 1.25 hours, 2-3 times a week PLUS 0.5 hour Stretch & Strength AND 0.5 hour Pre-Pointe (Total minimum 3.5-4.75 hours/week)
Prerequisite: The student must have knowledge of the fundamental ballet skills such as body placement and posture, use of body weight, basic foot positions, and simple arm and head movements and positions.
Main Objective: The technical skills used at the barre, center and allegro increase in difficulty through execution, combination, length, and coordination. Students will continue strengthening the technical aspects of ballet, and will work on improvisation exercises, inspiring creativity and expression.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Class Time: 1.5 hours, Minimum of 3 times a week technique; PLUS 0.75 hours Stretch & Strength; PLUS 2.0 hours Pointe AND 0.75 hours Variations (Total minimum 8 hours/week)
Prerequisite: Student must have skill requirements from Ballet 1 and 2
Main Objective: The barre, center and allegro work continue at this level with longer and more complex combinations, and many steps are executed on relevé in preparation for Pointe work. Mastery of self positioning in group formations is an important skill for this class. The Pointe class is mandatory and is taken simultaneously with Ballet 3, twice a week for one hour.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Class Time: 1.5-2.0 hours, Minimum of 4 times a week; PLUS 0.75 hours Stretch & Strength AND 2.0 hours Pointe and Variations (Total minimum 8.75 hours/week)
Prerequisite: Student must possess skills required for Level I, II and III starting Level IV.
Main Objective: Additional barre work with a higher level of difficulty in concentration, technical level, coordination and endurance is required. Greater mastery of arms-head-legs and turns and balance is required. Barre skills are required for proper execution of center and allegro, and execution speed, coordination, a good sense of balance, and turns are essential. The Pointe Class is also mandatory for this level and must be taken simultaneously with Ballet.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Class Time: 1.5-2.0 hours, Minimum of 4 times a week; PLUS 0.75 hours Stretch & Strength AND 2.0 hours Pointe and Variations (Total minimum 8.75 hours/week)
Prerequisite: Student must possess skills required for Level I, II and III starting Level IV.
Main Objective: Additional barre work with a higher level of difficulty in concentration, technical level, coordination and endurance is required. Greater mastery of arms-head-legs and turns and balance is required. Barre skills are required for proper execution of center and allegro, and execution speed, coordination, a good sense of balance, and turns are essential. The Pointe Class is also mandatory for this level and must be taken simultaneously with Ballet.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Age: 3 years of age
Class Time: 30 minutes, 1 time per week
Main Objective: The Baby and Me class helps initiate young children into classical ballet discipline using carefully selected short, simple exercises, customized to their maturity level. The exercises practiced in this class are based on playful exercises, dances and games that help develop the child’s strength and coordination skills.
Our Hip-hop class will introduce students to hip hop as a culturally significant form of dance. Students will learn history, social aspects, and fundamental techniques from house, popping and locking to name a few. Training will address flexibility, sequencing and coordination. Students will be encouraged to bring their own individual style and personality to the movement.
Class Time: 1 hour, 1 time a week
Main Objective: Contemporary is offered to students ages 10 and up who have demonstrated an intermediate/advanced level of technique.
This one hour class is structured and based on Horton Technique. With the use of flat backs, roll downs, release swings, and other aspects of the technique it enhances the dancer's ability to explore unique ways of using their body. It is a technique that governs the actions of the body and prepares students for any style of dance they pursue it the future. A strong background in ballet and jazz is recommended.
In Jazz, students will engage in learning and executing jazz technique and performance skills by using a mixture of methodologies, most which are ballet based. Movement qualities include clean strong lines, isolations, and syncopated rhythms. Core skills as well as body conditioning are very important as we explore the different genres of jazz.
Age: 8-10
Class time: 1 hour
Frequency: 2 times per week / plkus 0.5 hour Stretch & Strength
(total minimum 2.5 hours / week)
Prerequisite: This class focuses on technical performance and creativity. Both of these elements are emphasized through age appropriate exercises and reinforcement techniques. The difficulty level increases in this class as simple head and arm movements are incorporated in to the exercises. The barre exercises increase to develop and strengthen concentration levels. Additional steps are introduced that demand emphasis on technique, such as improvement on using body weight changes, placement, and equilibrium. At this level, barre work is executed using both hands. Center and allegro exercises increase, reinforcing the work done at the barre.
Age: 3 years of age
Class Time: 30 minutes, 1 time per week
Main Objective: The Baby and Me class helps initiate young children into classical ballet discipline using carefully selected short, simple exercises, customized to their maturity level. The exercises practiced in this class are based on playful exercises, dances and games that help develop the child’s strength and coordination skills.
Age: 4 – 5
Class Time: 45 minutes, 1 time per week
Main Objective: This level builds on the skills learned in Baby Ballet. Fundamentals, such as body placement, first, second and third positions, and simple ballet steps are covered, while working with both hands on the barre and on center. Allegro work includes simple jumps and combinations, which help strengthen the student in a safe manner. Coordination and creativity are reinforced through dance games appropriate to this age group.
Age: 6 -7
Class Time: 1 hour, 1 time per week
Main Objective: All vocabulary from previous levels to be incorporated into this class. Fundamentals, such as body placement, first, second and third positions, and simple ballet steps are covered, while working with both hands on the barre and on center. Allegro work includes simple jumps and combinations, which help strengthen the student in a safe manner. Coordination and creativity are reinforced through dance games appropriate to this age group.
Age: 8 – 10
Class Time: One hour, 2 times a week PLUS 0.5 hour Stretch & Strength (Total minimum 2.5 hours/week)
Prerequisite: This class focuses on technical performance and creativity. Both of these elements are emphasized through age appropriate exercises and reinforcement techniques. The difficulty level increases in this class as simple head and arm movements are incorporated in to the exercises. The barre exercises increase to develop and strengthen concentration levels. Additional steps are introduced that demand emphasis on technique, such as improvement on using body weight changes, placement, and equilibrium. At this level, barre work is executed using both hands. Center and allegro exercises increase, reinforcing the work done at the barre.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Age: 11- 12
Class Time: 1.25 hours, 2-3 times a week PLUS 0.5 hour Stretch & Strength AND 0.5 hour Pre-Pointe (Total minimum 3.5-4.75 hours/week)
Prerequisite: The student must have knowledge of the fundamental ballet skills such as body placement and posture, use of body weight, basic foot positions, and simple arm and head movements and positions.
Main Objective: The technical skills used at the barre, center and allegro increase in difficulty through execution, combination, length, and coordination. Students will continue strengthening the technical aspects of ballet, and will work on improvisation exercises, inspiring creativity and expression.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Class Time: 1.5 hours, Minimum of 3 times a week technique; PLUS 0.75 hours Stretch & Strength; PLUS 2.0 hours Pointe AND 0.75 hours Variations (Total minimum 8 hours/week)
Prerequisite: Student must have skill requirements from Ballet 1 and 2
Main Objective: The barre, center and allegro work continue at this level with longer and more complex combinations, and many steps are executed on relevé in preparation for Pointe work. Mastery of self positioning in group formations is an important skill for this class. The Pointe class is mandatory and is taken simultaneously with Ballet 3, twice a week for one hour.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Class Time: 1.5-2.0 hours, Minimum of 4 times a week; PLUS 1 hour Stretch & Strength (Total minimum 7 hours/week)
Prerequisite: Student must possess skills required for Level I, II and III starting Level IV.
Main Objective: Additional barre work with a higher level of difficulty in concentration, technical level, coordination and endurance is required. Greater mastery of arms-head-legs and turns and balance is required. Barre skills are required for proper execution of center and allegro, and execution speed, coordination, a good sense of balance, and turns are essential. The Pointe Class is also mandatory for this level and must be taken simultaneously with Ballet.
**Evaluations are required for placement in Level I and higher**
Class Time: 1 hour, 1 time a week
Main Objective: Contemporary is offered to students ages 10 and up who have demonstrated an intermediate/advanced level of technique.
Contemporary is a blend of ballet, jazz, and modern with a strong emphasis on taking technical classical lines and making them different. Dancers will explore levels, space, accents and patterns through dance phrases, floorwork and improvisation.
In Tap, students will develop tap dance technique through a series of drills and exercises. Fundamental music concepts will be paired with these steps to make a more dynamic dancer. As the class progresses, we will learn more complex movements and rhythms within the many styles of tap.
Our Hip-hop class will introduce students to hip hop as a culturally significant form of dance. Students will learn history, social aspects, and fundamental techniques from house, popping and locking to name a few. Training will address flexibility, sequencing and coordination. Students will be encouraged to bring their own individual style and personality to the movement.
