MDT's Young Dancer Division fosters an engaging and encouraging environment for your child's early ballet experience. Structured after our YDD curriculum, our classes are tailored to support the development of the full child, while facilitating and inspiring a love for dance. Our nurturing faculty specialize in early childhood education, providing the opportunity for our youngest dancers to develop initiative and passion for the art of dance through classical training and creative expression.
Age on 8/31/24 | Level Placement |
18-36 months | Grown-Up & Me |
2 years | Early Introduction to Ballet |
3 years | Introduction to Ballet 1 |
4 years | Introduction to Ballet 2 |
5 years | Pre-Ballet 1 |
6 years | Pre-Ballet 2 |
7 years | Elementary 1 |
8 years | Elementary 2 |
9+ years | Balet Foundations |
Grown-Up & Me classes provide a nurturing introduction to the art of dance and are designed to establish a development of trust in the environment and a foundation in autonomy and joy in movement. Children ages 18-36 months will explore movement through rhythms, music, and creativity of dance, together with their grown-ups. Classes are taught by MDT faculty specializing in early childhood education.
Our Early Introduction to Ballet classes provide a gentle transition from Grown-Up & Me to our Introduction to Ballet classes for our youngest dancers. Class is designed to establish a development of trust in the environment and a foundation in autonomy and joy in movement. Children ages 2-3 years will explore movement through rhythms, music, and creativity of dance, independent from their grown-ups. Classes are taught by MDT Faculty specializing in early childhood education.
Our Introduction to Ballet classes for children ages 3-4 years provide a gentle introduction to the independence of a class setting alongside an exploration of movement through rhythms, music, and creativity. Our consistent class structure includes stretching, activities to develop coordination and musicality, across the floor work, and creative expression. Classes are taught by MDT Faculty specializing in early childhood education.
Pre-Ballet level classes provide an encouraging class setting for children ages 5-6 years to discover the joy of dance through rhythmic and spatial patterns, music, and creativity. The Pre-Ballet program includes stretching, introductions to basic technical steps, activities to develop coordination and musicality, across the floor work, and creative expression in movement.
At the elementary levels, students begin to connect a creative foundation of movement to the more technically focused elementary class work while developing initiative and passion for the art of ballet through classical training. Classes focus on joy of movement as well as technique and correct body placement, incorporating more technical work at the barre, and introducing the classical structure of a ballet class in an encouraging and inspiring environment. At the Elementary 2 level, specialty classes are added to the curriculum and foster a love for dance alongside developing musicality, coordination, and creativity through introductions to other dance styles.
MDT's Ballet Foundations class is a beginning ballet class design for students 9 years and older with no previous experience requirements. Ballet Foundations provides a foundation for classical ballet training while incorporating discipline, technique, and inspiration. Correct body placement, development of technical skills and vocabulary progression are developed in this level. In addition to ballet technique classes, the Ballet Foundations curriculum includes a stretch and strength class as an introduction to our Pilates strengthening program.
Saturday | 9:00 - 9:30 am | Adams |
Thursday | 9:00 - 9:30 am | Adams |
Saturday | 9:30 - 10:00 am | Adams |
Thursday | 9:30 - 10:00 am | Adams |
Saturday | 10:00 - 10:45 am | Adams | ||
Intro 1 | ||||
Saturday | 11:00 - 11:45 am | Pittman | ||
Intro 1 | ||||
Saturday | 11:00 - 11:45 am | Adams | ||
Intro 2 | ||||
Saturday | 12:00 - 12:45 am | Pittman | ||
Intro 2 |
Wednesday | 3:00 - 3:45 pm | Adams | ||
*combined Intro 1/2 | ||||
Thursday | 10:00 - 10:45 am | Adams | ||
*combined Intro 1/2 | ||||
Wednesday | 4:00 - 5:00 pm | Hoag | ||
*combined Pre 1/2 | ||||
Thursday | 4:00 - 5:00 pm | Hoag | ||
*combined Pre 1/2 | ||||
Saturday | 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Adams | ||
Pre 1 | ||||
Saturday | 1:00 - 2:00 pm | Pittman | ||
*combined Pre 1/2 | ||||
Saturday | 1:00 - 2:00 pm | Adams | ||
Pre 2 |
Wednesday | 4:00 - 5:00 pm | Adams | ||
*combined Pre 1/2 | ||||
Thursday | 4:00 - 5:00 pm | Adams | ||
*combined Pre 1/2 | ||||
Tuesday | 4:00 - 5:00pm | Hoag | ||
Saturday | 2:00 - 3:00pm | Adams | ||
Thursday | 5:00 – 6:00 pm | Adams | ||
Tuesday | 5:15 – 6:15 pm Technique |
Hoag | ||
Tuesday | 6:15 – 7:00 pm Specialty |
Hoag | ||
Wednesday | 4:00 – 5:00 pm Technique |
Pittman | ||
Wednesday | 5:00 – 5:45 pm Specialty |
Pittman | ||
Friday | 4:00 – 5:00 pm Technique |
Adams | ||
Friday | 5:00 – 5:45 pm Specialty |
Adams |
Wednesday | 5:15 – 6:15 pm Technique |
Adams | ||
Wednesday | 6:15 – 7:00 pm Specialty |
Adams | ||
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Monday | 5:15 – 6:15 pm Technique |
Pittman | ||
Monday | 6:30 – 7:15 pm Stretch & Strength |
Pittman |
*not offered at Corte Madera studio |
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