Rebecca Marie Academy of Dance, Milton Keynes
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RMAD Dance Classes
As a new dance parent, I understand sometimes choosing the right subject for your child can seem overwhelming! Please see a breakdown explanation of what we offer for each of our subjects below.
At RMAD, we offer the chance to take Graded examinations through the United Teachers of Dance Association in Ballet, Tap, Modern and Street Dance. In addition, our Modern, ballet and Tap qualifications (Grade 6 onwards) are eligible for UCAS points which can be really helpful for the dancers when they are looking to gain places at universities and dance colleges. Our examinations are always optional and students are welcome to train and learn graded ballet but opt out of exams.
With the United Teachers of Dance, we also can work the students up to their major grades in Street Dance, Ballet, Tap and Modern which gets them to the appropriate level to start their teaching qualifications with the UTD if they choose to do so.
Graded Ballet
Ballet is the foundation of all dance. At RMAD we offer the chance to take Graded examinations through the United Teachers of Dance Association.
Ballet promotes physical fitness by enhancing strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, and endurance. Students learn to follow instructions, practice consistently, and pay attention to details, which can translate to better concentration and discipline in other areas of life. Ballet teaches proper posture, body alignment, and graceful movement. These skills can help your child develop good posture habits that can benefit them throughout their life.
Progressive Ballet
I realised that some students would love to learn the foundations of ballet and master some of exciting moves safely such as pirouettes and jumps, but not work alongside a grade. In so many auditions, a ballet class always seems to arise and so having a good knowledge of some of the movements can really help all performers. This is where ‘Progressive Ballet’ class is so beneficial for lots of our students.
It is a strength-building class but also allows for creative expression through movement. Our progressive ballet class aims to build a strong foundation in technique, including specific positions of the feet and arms, movements such as pliés (bending of the knees), tendus (stretching of the foot), and various jumps and turns in a more ‘free’ setting without a set syllabus determined by a certain grade.
Graded Tap Dance
Tap dance is all about rhythm and timing. It can help your child develop a strong sense of musicality and timing, which can be beneficial in various aspects of life, including music, sports, and academics. At RMAD we offer the chance to take Graded examinations in Tap through the United Teachers of Dance Association.
Tap dance allows for self-expression and creativity. Your child can learn to express themselves through their movements and create their own unique style of dancing. They learn to dance to music, sometimes a Capella, and begin to understand different musical phrasing. As your child learns and improves their tap dancing skills, they will gain confidence in their abilities and the satisfaction of mastering tap movements is really wonderful. Students also love being able to make lots of loud noise with their shiny shoes too ;)
Graded Modern Dance
Dancers who start Modern classes with us will learn a wide range of movements, including floor work, leaps, turns, contractions with release and isolations. At RMAD we offer the chance to take Graded examinations in Modern through the United Teachers of Dance association.
Modern dance has played a significant role in the development of contemporary dance. Learning to isolate body parts and become comfortable using the floor for choreography is really encouraged in our Modern dance syllabus. Dancers are encouraged to use their natural body movements and explore different ways of moving around the floor and Modern really emphasizes clean, strong lines which is very important for those who also want to take their dance work seriously and go on to possibly compete or become a dancer in the future. The music is upbeat and the work is great fun and the students always love taking part in these classes.
Street/Commercial Dance
Where to begin! Our Street Dance classes are fun, very popular and offer something for everyone. If your child loves music, has rhythm and likes to opportunity to express themselves then I always recommend trying Street dance. At RMAD we offer the chance to take Graded Medal examinations in Street Dance through the United Teachers of Dance association.
As an academy we always go with what the students want in our street/commercial classes, we ask for their song recommendations and at the end of our session we allow students to ‘freestyle’ and show us the movements they like to do or might have learnt themselves. It's a versatile form of dance that welcomes personal style and interpretation.
Our street dance classes cover all levels. For those who want to come along once a week and have fun, then our general street classes are perfect. For those who want to take grades, then the class work we learn in the general classes contributes to this (often without students realizing!) and then for those who want to compete we have three competitive teams who take part in competitions 3/4 times a year.
Lyrical/Contemporary Dance
Our Lyrical/Contemporary dance classes are beautiful. If your child dances around at home and loves to turn, leap and really emote to music then I would suggest giving these sessions a chance.
Lyrical dance is a style of dance that combines elements of ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance with a focus on expressing emotions, storytelling, and interpreting music through movement. We always encourage the connection between the dancer, the music, and the audience and so students learn to use their facial expressions and build up their confidence to allow themselves to convey their emotions clearly.
Lyrical dance does mirror lots of the technique we use in ballet, however, lyrical dance allows for more freedom and creativity in movement than classical ballet. We have two Lyrical competitive teams that dance at festivals/competitions alongside four regular lyrical dance classes at our academy. So whether it’s for fun or to take it to the next level, we have both options.
Musical Theatre
Our Musical Theatre classes are for all students in academic school year 5 onwards to adult. We find this works so well for us, especially when putting on our end of year show. Its such a social class and I find that it’s a brilliant lesson for confidence building and learning how to work as a team.
In musical theatre classes, students cover singing, acting, and dancing to tell a story. We often start with a vocal warm-up and exercises to improve singing techniques. Students learn how to project their voices and develop their vocal range. Acting is a crucial part of musical theatre so our students work on character development, emotional expression, and stage presence. Students learn choreography and different dance styles, mainly jazz, but it does change depending on the production or class focus. We sometimes will also do a workshop day on audition training, teaching students how to choose and prepare audition songs and monologues.
Acro Dance
Is there anything better than being upside down? Not in the opinion of tons of our RMAD students! This class is purely a floor based tricks Acro class, focusing on confidence in Acro basics and tumbling. We use Air Trax mats as well as general gymnastics mats to build up our skills, along with a lot of conditioning and strength training for safe practice. Our teachers have trained in either Cheerleading, Gymnastics or the UTD Acro Dance syllabus.
Please note we are not a gymnastics studio and all our skills are learnt on the floor. We teach our students how to transition from their beautiful walk overs into a gorgeous dance move safely and create lovely, exciting show numbers for our end of year productions. Acro is amazing for building confidence, social skills, learning how to do safe partner work and for general strength and well being.
Limber and Stretch
Stretching and taking care of the body is important for all ages which is why we dedicate a whole class to it. Dance often involves a wide range of motion, from high kicks to deep pliés. Flexibility is essential to perform these movements gracefully and without straining muscles or joints. Stretching helps increase muscle freedom,, allowing dancers to achieve greater flexibility and reach their individual goals, such as things like splits, bigger leaps and leg catches. Stretching helps improve joint mobility and muscle elasticity, reducing the risk of strains, sprains, and other injuries.
Properly stretched muscles always means that the body is ready to dance and means safe practice all around. This is a general class for all ages and something ever dancer should look to add to their timetable.
Pop Choir
At RMAD we love knowing that we have helped develop confidence through dance and performance. We had so many budding singers that we felt starting our own choir would be brilliant to help give students a sense of unity and togetherness. It allows students to connect with like-minded people who share a passion for music. I know lots of children really love singing, but are unsure if they are singing correctly or are nervous to sing out loud in front of others. Our choir singing training focusses on safe practice, learning how to harmonize and also giving students the option to sing verses or lines individually too. Since creating this class we can see that the training leaves a positive impact on everyone involved.
Broadway Jazz
Broadway Jazz dance is a dynamic style that combines elements of modern and Musical Theatre. It is characterized by sharp movements, isolations, leaps and turns. In our class at RMAD, we start warm ups in jazz shoes or trainers and then once starting corner work the students change into their dance heels (2 or 3inch - optional).
In Broadway shows, jazz dance is often used to express emotion, tell a story, and enhance the overall theatrical experience. Broadway Jazz is a brilliant way to learn clean, slick dance moves to a real varied mix of music from pop songs to musicals.