Ballet and modern dance for kids ages 6+. Our curriculum focuses on proper skeletal alignment, functional strength and range of motion, coordination, and musicality.

While minimum age is a prerequisite for starting in Pre-Ballet and Levels 1A and 1B, continued advancement through level 2A and 2B is based on proficiency in addition to age. The primary levels are important and should not be rushed. Students are encouraged to take multiple classes per week to aid their development and progression.

Multiple Classes

There is no replacement for the benefit that can come from students taking multiple classes per week. At the elementary level, there are many ways to incorporate additional weekly classes into your family's schedule. This table will help you get started, but please reach out to discuss. We're excited to work with you. 

Class Descriptions

Pre-Ballet

A prelude to formal ballet instruction, students ages 6+ will develop a foundation for ballet technique in a learning environment that fosters a love for dance and music. Students work standing, seated, and traveling across the floor, learning exercises that introduce ballet concepts and ballet class etiquette in a non-competitive atmosphere.

Dancing in pre-ballet builds strength and challenges the vestibular and proprioceptive systems in ways that are age-appropriate. An important part of the developmental process is working barefoot (in convertible tights) so the skin can sense the floor while the child learns. Bare feet are also critical so the teacher can be watching for aspects such as:

• Keeping the toes long when pointing the feet
• Muscular firing in the foot muscles when the dancer stands on one leg
• Arches responsive to rotation of the thigh bones
• Anchoring through the base of the toes—particularly the joint of the great toe

In spring semester each year, part of class will happen in ballet slippers to prepare the students to have their feet safely covered in shoes during the year-end concert. 

Each pre-ballet meets once weekly. May be taken as a stand-alone class or together with Creative Dance 3. Students may also take a second pre-ballet class each week.

Pre-ballet students must be six years old on or before September 1st.

Level 1A

A continuation after a year in pre-ballet. Level 1A is also a great place to start dance class for seven- and seven-and-a-half-year-olds. In this class, dancers learn elements like the fundamental ballet positions, the progression of a standard ballet class, and the French vocabulary that makes up ballet. Level 1A students work stationary in the center of the studio (often standing, sometimes seated), and in pathways traveling across the floor. 

Level 1A meets once weekly. May be taken as a stand-alone class or together with Creative Dance 3/Pre-Ballet & Level 1A Modern. Students may also take a second 1A ballet class each week.

Level 1A students must be seven years old on or before September 1st.

Level 1B

A continuing level, that builds upon Level 1A concepts. This level is designed for second-year ballet students and older children starting their study with the University of Iowa Youth Ballet and Community Dance School. 

Level 1B students must be eight years old on or before September 1st.

Level 2A

Students must be able to stay focused for the duration of this 75-minute ballet class. They should set a positive example to others and be able to understand and perform with greater consistency and proper alignment at the barre. 

Students at this level benefit from additional dance classes and should dance over the summer to continue progressing.

Level 2A students must be nine years old on or before September 1st.

Level 2B

At this level, students are beginning to use port de bras and head movement (epaulement) to refine earlier material. In addition, they incorporate more ballet jumps and center vocabulary. 

Students at this level benefit from additional dance classes and should dance over the summer to continue progressing.

Level 2B students must be 10 years old on or before September 1st.

Modern 1 (Pre-Ballet & Level 1A)

Pre-Ballet & 1A Modern is our newest offering for 6-7 year-olds. Kids build on previous experiences in Creative Movement classes to explore creative dance through storytelling, rhythm, and spatial exploration, while deepening their understanding of space, time, and movement quality. 

May be taken as a stand-alone class or alongside Pre-Ballet and Ballet 1A. 

Level 1B Modern (As of Spring 2026, combined with Level 2 Modern)

In Level 1B Modern, children explore the magic of movement in a fun and dynamic way! This class helps young dancers discover how their bodies move with strength, grace, and creativity. They'll build important physical skills like balance, coordination, and flexibility—all while dancing through space with energy and confidence. Along the way, they’ll learn about how their spine and muscles work and develop a strong sense of rhythm. It’s the perfect blend of learning and fun to keep 8-year-olds active, engaged, and inspired.

Level 1B Modern: 45 minutes. Students must be eight years old on or before September 1st. 

May be taken as a stand-alone class or alongside Ballet 1B.

Modern 2

In Level 2 Modern, 9–10-year-olds take their movement skills to the next level with a deeper focus on how their bodies move and connect. This class introduces key concepts like core/distal awareness—helping dancers understand how to initiate movement from their center and extend it through their limbs—and the head/tail connection, which supports fluidity, balance, and healthy spinal alignment.

As students explore these ideas, they also build essential physical skills like strength, coordination, flexibility, and rhythmic precision. Beyond technique, they gain body awareness, confidence, and expressive tools that support both dance and everyday life. 

Level 2 Modern: 45 minutes. Students must be nine years old on or before September 1st. 

May be taken as a stand-alone class or alongside Ballet 2A or 2B.

Stretching (Level 1B-2B)

Students in this class will learn how to do developmentally safe stretches that can also be done at home, full body mobility, and proper bodily alignment.

Late Arrival

In levels 2A and 2B, if a student is late and misses the warm-up exercises, they will be asked to observe the class. This is a UI Dance Department policy to avoid injury for students who have missed the initial warm-up.