THE BALLROOM DANCE COMPANY
KIDS PROGRAM
We have the largest and most successful kids program in Oregon, producing the best competitors, performers and social dancers.
We are the only studio in Oregon with multiple championship level accomplished professional instructors who reliably produce Oregon’s top competitors, including multiple national title winners.
Growth is directly related to how much time students have on the floor. We provide the most cost effective program in the state with 19 hours of youth group classes every week, minimizing the need for many expensive weekly private lessons.
To maximize potential, we provide age-specific, skill-specific, and style-focused classes for children, pre-teens, and teens..
Kids receive youth discount for all adult group classes..
We are the largest ballroom & latin studio in the entire country , & the only northwest studio with a regulation competition size floor for competitors to learn and practice.
Kids Ballroom Dance Lessons in Portland Oregon
Youth classes run the following times:
Kids Creative Movement (ages 3-5) Saturdays 9:30-10:30am
Beginner Kids (ages 6-13) Saturdays 10:30-11:30am
Beginner Teens Fridays 7:30-8:30pm
Intermediate I Kids Wednesdays 5:30-6:30, Saturdays 12:30-1:30pm
Intermediate II Kids Thursdays 4-5pm, Saturdays 12:30-1:30pm
Intermediate Teens Thursdays 6:30-7:30pm
Youth Performance Team Saturdays 3-4:30pm
Junior Performance Team Saturdays 11am-12:30pm, Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm
Junior Elite Performance Team Saturdays 11am-12:30pm, Wednesdays 7:30-8:15pm
Kids & Teens Competition Rounds, Thursdays 5-6pm
Kids Ballet Saturdays 11:30-12:30pm
Kids Intermediate Jazz Fridays 5:30-6:30pm
Advanced Kids & Teens Mondays 4:45-5:45pm, Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm, Saturdays 9-10am
Teens Only Dances the 3rd Saturday of every month 7:30-11pm
In class, students are expected to:
In class, students are expected to:
- Wear closed-toe leather soled dress or ballroom dance shoes
- Students with long hair must wear it pulled back in pony tail or bun
- Treat teachers and students with respect and kindness
- Advanced class students are expected to wear a shirt & tie (boys) and dressy clothing with hair pulled back (girls)
- At competitions, students are expected to wear studio logo attire
- Children who are disruptive to the class will be given a time-out. Children who are tired during class are allowed to sit out and rest for part of the class.
Beginners will learn:
- At least two styles of dance including but not limited to waltz, samba, tango, west coast swing, cha cha, viennese waltz, hustle, quickstep, foxtrot, paso doble, nightclub two step, folk dance, east coast swing, country two step, rumba, jive, merengue, salsa.
- Choreography and technique
- Lead, follow and teamwork skills
Progression:
- We offer multiple levels of ballroom and latin classes
- Moving to the next higher level of class is similar to skipping a grade (or multiple grades) in school. This will require reliable group class attendance, private lessons and skill. Intermediate and advanced level class students have been taking group classes and private lessons for many years, so catching up to them will require hard work.
- When we have sufficient numbers of similarly skilled kids (or teens), we often create a new group class specific to their skill level. We strongly encourage students to take advantage of these, as well as our competitor and performance team classes, which cultivate the fastest learning curve. Students learn faster through spending as much time dancing as possible. Group classes are the least expensive means to gaining maximum floor time.
- It is OK for students to remain in their current skill level class. If you feel your child has exceptional ability, speak with your teacher about the steps necessary to progress to the next class level.
- We offer performance and competition opportunities for students of all ages and skill levels.
Performance:
- We host quarterly kids showcases, open to all students
- We host quarterly professional showcases, open to youth via audition
- If your child is interested in performance or competition, we highly recommend auditioning for our Junior, Teen, or Junior Elite Performance Teams. "Teams" focus on show choreography performed at our studio showcases as well as other venues. Partner is not required. Teams perform in all our professional and kids showcases. Please call the studio for more information or to schedule an audition.
- The least expensive path to perform in our kids showcase is to participate in our "Kids & Teens Performance" group class, currently Fridays 6:30pm.
- The most effective path to perform in our kids (or professional) showcase is to take private lessons. While these are more expensive, private lessons cultivate the highest level of dance. We teach private lessons 7 days a week.
Competition:
- If your child wishes to compete, your first step is to find an age-appropriate partner.
Experience is not as important as dedication. Group classes are a great place to find partners.
We also encourage you to ask friends at school.
Even a newcomer can quickly become a successful competitor if they reliably attend classes.
- Once you find a partner, ask your instructor for permission to attend our "Competitors" competition rounds for kids & teens, currently Thursdays 5-6pm.
In competition rounds, couples improve stamina and floorcraft through repeatedly dancing in mock competition.
Youth also recieve a discount for our adult competitors technique classes, currently Tuesdays 7pm (Ballroom) and Wednesdays 7:30pm (Latin).
- Superior technique is necessary for success in competition.
- Our intermediate and advanced group classes are pattern-focused, not technique focused.
Consequently taking intermediate or advanced level group classes will not be sufficient for achieving great success in competition.
- Couples who compete should take private lessons to learn choreography consistent with NDCA and USA Dance rules, allowable in competition.
Rules restrict which patterns couples may execute in competition, and which order they are allowed to execute the figures.
Couples are given simple routines, which they will execute at a higher standard of perfection.
Though fancy patterns are fun, they are also not allowed in the beginning levels of competition.
- Although private lessons are not required for competitors, dancers serious about winning and rising through competitive levels realistically must take regular private lessons --
at least once a week. Private lessons are more expensive than group classes, because they cultivate the highest level of dance through 1-on-1 specialized instruction.
- We also highly recommend they take workshops with world-class visiting coaches we bring to the studio each month.
- If you cannot find a partner, we recommend participation in our Junior, Teen or Junior Elite Performance Teams.
Teams perform and compete, and participants do not need a partner.
Team dancing allows less experienced dancers, and dancers who cannot find a partner or afford private lessons, to participate in competition.
Competition Schedule:
- Snowball Classic (January 22-24) (Vancouver, BC)
- City of Roses Ballroom Classic (March 12-13) (Portland, OR)
- Columbia Star Ball (May 8-9) (Portland, OR)
- River City Ball. (July 17) (Portland, OR)
- Oregon Fall Festival (October 8-9) (Portland, OR)
- NW Regional Dancesport Champsionships (October 23-24) (Seattle, WA)
The Ballroom Dance Company
8900 SW Commercial Street
Tigard, OR 97223
(503) 639 - 4861
