INTERMEDIATE CLASSES
Ages 10-17
Call today to set up a trial class for evaluation.
Dancers with 3 or more years of graduated training should be placed in classes based on Teacher recommendation and Director Approval. All dancers Level 3-5 are required to take Ballet.
These classes will have the option to compete if chosen by the GCAPA Crew. Participation is optional.
List of Classes Below
GCAPA, prefers not to seek out dancers from other studios, therefore we do not actively promote our upper level classes. We seek to promote our students from within. We believe that it is important for a dancer to stay with his/her studio as long as possible to gain the most benefit from the instruction. If you are a local dancer looking to relocate to GCAPA, please first consider staying in your home studio and explaining the reasons you might be looking elsewhere for instruction to your current Studio Owner. If you cannot find a resolution and would like to consult about your options here, please email Wendi@gcapa.net for more information. Please do not enroll yourself in any classes that require placement unless you have been placed specifically. Please call with any additional questions. SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR A LEVEL CHART
TRANSPARENCY IS KEY TO A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. THIS HANDBOOK INCLUDES ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S DANCE EDUCATION.
Contact the studio for Schedule 704-896-3033, info@gcapa.net
Tuition Scale
To calculate tuition, total the hours per week to determine the monthly rate. Keep in mind that classes have different lengths. For 45 minute classes calculate .75 hours of time.
dance team opportunities for interemdiate level dancers.
GCAPA is a studio that teaches technique and builds confident dancers. The choreography talent from the teachers is phenomenal. Great competition team! The recitals and community performances are professional grade! They offer a free trial class for new students.
My daughters started at GCAPA roughly 3 years ago. They have learned the basics of ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, acro, musical theatre, and lyrical styles. They have performed in local parades, showcases, and recitals; as well as, regional and national competitions. They love the variety of music and dance styles they are exposed to, their instructors, and the many friends they’ve made in over the years. I’ve seen their confidence, coordination, and even communication skills improve each year. My daughters are much more comfortable on stage, under the spot light, in front of an audience. They’ve learned that struggling with something new is just part of the process and that perseverance and asking for help are keys to success. And that’s translated into better concentration and performance with their academics as well. While these lessons aren’t free, the value (physical skills, mental toughness, friendships, and memories), well exceeds any cost associated with the training and performances. This is an investment into my daughters’ futures that I’m happy to make.
Dancers Levels 3-5 are considered Intermediate Level Dancers. So what does this mean for your dancer and his/her growth, potential, opportunities, placement?
Who is Level 3-5?
Dancers who begin dance before age 6 will become Level 1A around 2nd grade. Graduating each year to the next level, they will become a L3 dancer sometime at the end of elementary school.
Dancers who begin dancing after age 7 will be considered Beginners until their 4th year of dance at GCAPA when they graduate to Level 3.
We know that everyone is always so excited about being “big” or “older” but we believe in trusting the process. Everyone is a beginner at something at one time or another. Savor it. Learning the foundation of dance takes time and we don’t believe in falsely labeling Lake Norman Dance Studio dancers intermediate until they are truly ready.
How can my child become an intermediate dancer?
Trust the process. Trust your teachers. Remember that dance class is just 1 hour of your week. The speed at which you move through the levels is based on how much you are willing to practice at home in the remaining 167 of the week. No matter which level they dance, theyw ill enjoy themselves and their peers. The fun is in the journey, not the destination.
Flexibility is key!
A dancer’s ability to stretch their backs and legs is a key component to the Lake Norman Dance Studio advancement of the steps they can handle. Many steps and sequences are based on a dancer’s ability to stretch beyond what is required to execute the movement. Becoming more flexible is not a time-consuming task. It is something that can be done while doing innocuous tasks throughout each day. Sitting in the frog or straddle position while doing homework or watching TV. Lunging up every other step on the staircase on your way upstairs each time. Ask your teachers about more ways to incorporate flexibility training into your day!
Strength is Flexibility’s Best Friend
If you’re going to be flexible, you need to also be strong in the same muscle groups and joints to avoid injury. It is possible to be too flexible. Without the strength in combination with flexibility there is no control. Legs can be thrown too hard in a battement (kick) and cause a tear in the muscle. An acrobat can move too quickly in the bridge position and injure his/her spine if they lack the required strength. When the Lake Norman Dance Studio GCAPA Crew notices a dancer is not as strong as they are flexible, they may hold off on allowing that dancer to work specific sequences to avoid student injury. Be sure to always work both flexibility and strength in concert as you grow, because it’s easier to grow them together than to grow them one at a time.
Tools for Advancement
There are so many tools that dancers are encouraged to use in their at-home training like turn boards, spin-spots, foot stretchers, arch stretchers, tap boards, thera-bands, flexi-stretchers, yoga bricks, and so much more. These tools are available at local warehouse stores and online and we encourage Lake Norman Dance Studio dancers to use them often. It’s always good for dancers to use a tap board at home to save your floors from scratching and other damage. We also want to save your tap shoes from losing their life too soon. Ask your teacher about tools that may be useful for your personal growth. The GCAPA Crew is always excited to share tips and tricks to help dancers gain momentum in their training.
Can I help my dancer with at-home training?
Children need praise. They should be applauded for dancing on stage, praised when they achieve a goal. It’s part of raising children to feel self-confident. As a parent, you can continue to praise your child and let him/her know that you are always amazed by their talent and accomplishments. Allow the instructors to give critiques. They have a path in mind. Today their focus might be on pointed toes and extended knees. If you begin to correct their arms or head, it may be counter-productive to your child’s Lake Norman Dance Studio progress. Remember: all in due time. The experts you have entrusted to train your child will make sure that they are on par with what is typical and expected of a particular age/level. Supplying your child with the tools that can help them to advance or progress is the best way for you to help.
What Opportunities and Responsibilities Come with Becoming an Intermediate Dancer?
The best thing about progress is the opportunities that it provides. Intermediate dancers are now able to participate in conventions which are basically workshops in multiple genres of dance at a convention center or a hotel with several ballrooms. GCAPA attends one convention every year, typically in the spring. We feel that intermediate dancers are ready for the challenge of a convention and understanding the expected behavior that comes with representing the studio name.
Intermediate dancers are also invited to participate in Flashmobs! Each year on National Tap Dance Day, the GCAPA Dancers go to Birkdale Village where they walk around entertaining unsuspecting shoppers, and restaurant goers with a pre-rehearsed routine. Parents record on their phones and send their videos to the studio so we can make a compilation video of the event for posterity.
At Level 5, dancers may participate in the annual choreography contest held among the upper level dancers viewing for a spot in the recital! This awesome contest breeds so much creativity with students who are tasked with finding their own partners, supplying or reinvention and old costume, choosing and editing their own music, and preparing for an excellent Lake Norman Dance Studio performance. Each routine is given audience feedback and answers questions about their process from audience members. The audience consists of parents and peers of the student choreographers. The winning routine is decided by the GCAPA Crew and offered a spot to perform the routine in the recital.
Responsibility
As an older student of GCAPA, Intermediate Dancers are held to a new standard of behavior. Although we consider that they are still growing children, we continue to guide them into their new role as role models for all younger students. This is an awesome responsibility and we expect each Intermediate Dancer to set the example for all the Sparkle and Beginners that wish to be just like them.