Frame Dance Training Tracks
Frame Dance offers a dual training program for young dancers — Ballet and Modern — built on the conviction that the two forms grow together. Ballet builds the architecture of the dancer; modern teaches the dancer to think, create, and articulate ideas with the body. The combination is what makes a whole artist.
From ages 2 through 6, every dancer at Frame Dance is encouraged to try both forms. The early years are for exploring — building movement vocabulary, developing musicality, and discovering what calls to each child. As dancers mature, they begin to choose a training track that matches their goals, schedule, and curiosity.
We currently offer three tracks. None is more important than another; they reflect different artistic paths.
The Ballet Track
For dancers drawn to the classical tradition and working toward pointe preparation. This track follows a graduated syllabus that develops strength, alignment, articulation, and the technical foundation that pointe work requires.
Dancers on the Ballet Track are expected to:
- Take two classes per week beginning at age 8
- Take three ballet classes per week beginning at age 12
While modern dance is not required, we encourage Ballet Track dancers to take modern when their schedule allows — modern develops the artistic intelligence that elevates a technically strong ballet dancer into a thoughtful one.
The Choreographer Track
For dancers more drawn to making dance than to a single technique. The Choreographer Track centers on modern dance technique and adds focused study of choreography itself — the craft of building movement, structuring time, working with space, and developing the dancer’s own artistic voice.
Ballet is encouraged but not required on this track. Many of the world’s most distinctive choreographers have come from a modern dance foundation, and this track honors that lineage while preparing dancers to create their own work.
Choreographer Track dancers will:
- Train primarily in modern technique
- Study in dance making and composition
- Have opportunities to present their own choreography in Frame Dance performances and showings
The Pre-Professional Track
For dancers committed to the full training experience. The Pre-Professional Track invites dancers to develop both ballet and modern with rigor, artistry, and focus — building the versatile, deeply trained body that today’s professional dance world asks for.
This is the most demanding of the three tracks, and the most rewarding for dancers planning to pursue dance into high school, college, and beyond. Pre-Professional dancers train in both forms multiple times a week, participate fully in Frame Dance performances, and work closely with our faculty on their long-term development as artists.
Pre-Professional Track dancers will:
- Take multiple ballet and modern classes weekly
- Pursue pointe preparation if appropriate
- Engage in choreographic study alongside technical training
- Participate in performance opportunities throughout the season
- Receive mentorship from our faculty on high school auditions, college dance programs, and professional pathways
Choosing a Track
Tracks are typically chosen between ages 7 and 10, in conversation with the family and Frame Dance faculty. We meet with each dancer’s family individually to discuss the right fit, and dancers may shift tracks as their interests develop. The tracks are a framework, not a label — and our goal is always to help each dancer become the artist they’re meant to be.
Frame Dance Ballet Program
Our ballet program builds skill and artistry over time, meeting each dancer where they are. Classes are taught by working professional artists with decades of experience in the field, and our progression honors both the tradition of ballet and the curiosity of the dancer. It is equal parts creativity, safety, and rigor.
Primary Ballet (Ages 2–3)
Primary Ballet is a dancer’s first class without a parent at Frame Dance. In a warm, encouraging setting, students learn to communicate with respect, to develop artistically as individuals and as an ensemble, and to find, articulate, and combine ideas and actions of their own. Dancers grow in gross and fine motor skills, musicality, coordination, and social confidence.
For dancers ages 2–3 at the start of the session.
Kinder Ballet (Pre-K4 and Kindergarten)
Kinder Ballet focuses on each child’s personal development and mastery of movement. This is a two-year program divided into Kinder A and Kinder B, with Kinder B reserved for dancers who have completed Kinder A. Dancers begin learning the tradition of ballet — terminology, positions, combinations, and class structure — while building strength, balance, musicality, and the joy of moving both independently and as part of a group.
For Pre-K4 and Kindergarten dancers.
Ballet I (Levels 1A and 1B)
In Ballet I, young dancers make mind-body-and-heart connections that channel energy, promote creative expression, and build healthy physical habits through ballet technique, movement creation, and performance preparation. Dancers progress through a thoughtful, informed syllabus designed to develop skill and artistry over time.
Ballet I meets once a week. We encourage Ballet I dancers to pair their ballet class with modern dance to deepen their training.
Ballet 1B is for dancers who have completed Ballet 1A, and instructor observation is required before enrollment.
Ballet II
In Ballet II, dancers focus on strengthening fundamentals in both ballet technique and choreography. The year-round syllabus supports steady, age-appropriate progress, and we encourage Ballet II dancers to take two classes per week to maximize growth during this pivotal stage of development.
Ballet II requires three or more years of dance training. If your dancer is new to dance and over the age of 8, please contact the office before registering.
Ballet III
Ballet III is by teacher approval only. Please contact the office to schedule a trial class.
Frame Dance Modern Program
Primary Modern (Ages 2–3)
Primary Modern is an exciting introduction to dance for young children at Frame Dance. Through creative movement exercises and playful interaction, students explore the fundamentals of modern dance — expressing themselves artistically, developing rhythm and spatial awareness, and collaborating with their peers in a warm, supportive setting. Above all, this class emphasizes personal expression, creativity, and the joy of dancing, building a strong foundation for future dance education.
For dancers ages 2–3 at the start of the session.
Kinder Modern (Pre-K4 and Kindergarten)
In Kinder Modern, dancers roll, jump, swing, and fall to the floor. Students are introduced to modern dance techniques while collaborating with the instructor and classmates to innovate ways of moving their bodies through space. Dancers progress through a thoughtful, informed syllabus designed to develop skill and artistry over time.
Kinder Modern meets once a week. We encourage Kinder Modern dancers to pair their modern class with ballet to deepen their training.
For Pre-K4 and Kindergarten dancers.
Modern I & II (1st and 2nd grade)
In Modern I/II, dancers progress through our thoughtful, informed syllabus that builds skill and artistry over time. They learn the foundations of modern dance technique — moving into and out of the floor, jumping, turning, and moving dynamically with music — while developing the curiosity and physical intelligence that defines modern dancers.
Modern I/II meets once a week. We encourage dancers at this level to pair their modern class with ballet weekly.
For first and second graders.
Modern III
In Modern III, dancers deepen their technical foundation and further establishing choreographic ideas, partnering, and performance preparation. The syllabus expands to include more complex floor work, traveling phrases, and improvisation, and dancers sharpen the artistic voice that modern dance is built around.
Modern III meets once a week, and dancers at this level are strongly encouraged to take two classes per week — pairing modern with ballet — to maximize growth during this pivotal stage of development.
TODDLER CREATIVE MOVEMENT:
Toddler Creative Movement is designed to be fun and impactful, teaching young children to notice and control how their bodies move through space. Little dancers build brains and bodies as they practice initiating their own ideas and actions in movement. This class is taken with an adult, and students dance barefoot in comfortable clothing.
FAMILY CREATIVE MOVEMENT:
Family Creative Movement classes teach creativity, musicality, and coordination through carefully chosen music and props. They are an opportunity for families to engage with each other – mind, body, and heart – through movement!
This class is for children 0-5 years old and their caretaker.
Wear comfortable clothing, we dance barefoot.