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ACRO DANCE classes
Our Acro Dance Classes are specifically designed to give a solid foundation of acrobatics moves to prepare our students to become more versatile in choreography, and to further increase core strength, balance, spatial awareness, coordination, and enhanced flexibility, needed for success in every genre of dance.
Welcome to reading more about our Acro Dance Classes.
At SBS, to help our students master the elements of Acro Dance, our emphasis is to ensure safety and build confidence, together with developing sound technical training. Our students not only learn how to execute acrobatic moves with strength, flexibility and technique, but also how to ultimately incorporate these into dance choreography.
Most importantly, at Saddleworth Ballet School, our students are taught in a progressive manner, meaning we never skip over a part of our dancers foundation of acro skills, as this will only result in not achieving the highest level of virtuosic tricks. For example, bridge kick-over's progress to back walkovers, which progress to back handsprings. Mastering a backwards roll is needed to ensure round-off back tucks can be achieved further down the road. In addition, emphasis on building the correct acrobatic foundations, and in a patient and progressive manner, ensures we prevent injuries for our dancers.
On a Saturday, we offer a 1 hour Beginner Acro Dance class. This 1 hour class is designed to be an introduction to acrobatics and to accommodate the fun element for young dancers. This is open to ages 3-10.
On a Tuesday, we offer a 1 hour Intermediate Acro Dance Class. This 1 hour class is designed to accommodate the expectations of the aspiring student. This is open to ages 8 and above.
What is Acro Dance?
Acro dance is an art form that incorporates the difficult tricks from acrobatics, the elements of lyrical gymnastics, balance, and tumbling, all coordinated with the fluid and graceful movements of dance. Acro Dance is a difficult art to master as it draws on many techniques, styles, and forms.
At Saddleworth Ballet School, the aim of Acro Dance is not to turn dancers into gymnasts; we do not focus on the sticking of landings out of tricks, or on speed and hard hitting tumbling. Instead, our students learn how to execute difficult acrobatic tricks with a softer, more lyrical touch with a focus on strength, and how to incorporate these into dance choreography. In turn, the physical benefits gained from mastering acrobatics, enhances our students overall physical and technical execution of all dance styles.
As part of this, our dancers learn how to be creative, understanding how to convey emotion and how to tell stories with their movements. Our students development of emotional growth, their development as artists, and the building of their transferable skills, is very important to us.
Why do we offer Acro Dance Classes?
At SBS, we know that gymnastics and dance have given a lot to each other – from choreography for gymnastic floor routines, to shared training techniques between gymnasts and dancers alike. Two of the world’s greatest ballerinas, Darcey Bussell and Sylvie Guillem, did gymnastics as children, and undoubtedly benefited from the headstart it gave them in flexibility. Classical ballet includes many virtuosic movements that require excellent flexibility, such as "split" penchee's and grand jete's.
Also, Acro Dance trains in parallel, allowing for cross-training in dancers, who spend so much of their time working in turned out positions. This creates more stability in the body and aids in more well-rounded development. Dancers who train in Acro Dance, also gain additional body awareness, especially in inverted positions and balancing, translating to better turning, jumping, and partnering.
However, at SBS we also believe that dance is an artform and gymnastics is a sport. We ensure that our students physical prowess should always be used at the service of the art form, not in place of it. Therefore, our Acro Dance, and Dance Choreography & Performance classes, are taught with dance aesthetic and choreography in mind.
Acro Dance moves you will learn in our Beginner Acro Dance Class
Saturday morning's-
10.15-11.15am
- Acro Shapes
- Forward Rolls and Backward Rolls (variations)
- Handstands
- Cartwheels (variations)
- Bridges
- Backbends
- Kickovers
- Handstand into Bridge
- Working towards Forwards and Backwards Walkovers
- Headstands
- Elbow stands
- Round-offs
- Balances
- Jumps
Acro Dance moves you will learn in our
Intermediate Acro Dance Class
Tuesday evening's-
5.30pm-6.30pm
FAQs - Acro Dance
How old do you need to be to start Acro Dance classes?
At Saddleworth Ballet School children can start Acro Dance classes at 3 years old.
How much are Acro Dance classes?
Acro Dance Classes are £6 at Saddleworth Ballet School.
When do Acro Dance Classes run near me?
Saddleworth Ballet School runs Acro Dance classes on Tuesdays and Saturdays, check our Dance Class Timetable page for more details.
Saddleworth Ballet School
The Dance Studio
Greenfield Primary School
Shaw Street Greenfield
Saddleworth
Oldham
OL3 7AA