Jentle Embrace Dance Program
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We are proud to rename our dance program the Jentle Embrace Dance Program in honor of our dear friend, Miss Jen.
Jen created the dance program at the Community Center and lovingly grew it from the ground up. Dance was her passion, but her true gift was sharing that passion with children - teaching not just steps and routines, but confidence, kindness, and joy. Each week, dancers couldn’t wait to come to class and see Miss Jen. Jen guided her students with patience, warmth, and encouragement, making every child feel seen, supported, and important. Her gentle teaching style and genuine care left a lasting impact on countless families and young dancers.
Jentle Embrace Dance Program is more than a name—it is a reflection of Jen’s spirit and the way she taught. A legacy of love taught the Jentle way.
As we look ahead to our summer dance session, we are honored to carry on in Jen's legacy of love and will continue to teach our students the "Jentle way" in her honor. We are excited to expand our dance offerings this coming session to include classes such as Musical Theater, Ballet/Lyrical, and a wonderful Adult/child dance program called My Someone Special Dance. So grab your dancing shoes and join us for a fun dance program at the Community Center!
We offer several programs with a variety of instructors. The goal of these programs are to teach the fundamentals of Ballet, lyrical, and Hip Hop to the children in a light hearted, fun way. During our dance program, dancers will learn one number to perform at the recital on Thursday, Aug. 27th outside in our amphitheater at Anderson Farm Park in the evening. Rehearsal will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 26th in the evening. We will send more information home regarding specifics of the rehearsal and recital as the session goes on.
Costumes and shoes:
Costumes this year will be a little different. We are asking parents to provide the girls with a plain black short sleeve leotard (without a skirt). Boys will need plain black shorts and a plain black t-shirt. We will provide each dancer with an accessory of some sort (decided on by the instructor) to go with the plain black costume. Plain short sleeve leotards can be found at Target or online at Walmart or Amazon. They range anywhere from $7 to $20 and there are a couple options linked to the locations above. Please purchase what works best for your child.
Plain, solid colored ballet slippers are required for majority of the classes. These can also be purchased at Target or online at Amazon. Slippers can range in price from $10 to $15. Dancers will need to have ballet slippers by the beginning of August. If you have gently used ballet slippers that your child has outgrown and no longer using, we would love to pass them onto another family in the program. Please drop them off at the center during regular business hours. Families can check our donated supply of gently used slippers to see if there is a pair that works for their child. Please remember, there is no guarantee that the center will have a donated supply of slippers.
If your child is enrolled in Hip Hop, plain black sneakers are the only requirement for footwear.
Below you will find a list of our class offerings and a brief description. If you have any questions regarding the upcoming session of Dance, please reach out to us at uptparksandrec@gmail.com. Remember in the end, this program is all about fun and introducing the children to the world of dance. We can't wait to dance with our friends again!
Class Descriptions:
Ballet: Ballet is a graceful style of dance that focuses on balance, musicality, and precise moments. Kids can learn to explore basic movement in a fun and playful way, which will be enhanced by the use of props like hula hoops and bean bags.
Musical Theater: In our musical theatre class, we will focus on teaching dancers how to tell a story through their dance moves, acting, and music! We will focus on our dancing of course, but we will also work on incorporating emotions through our movements. We are hoping to capture a fun, Broadway style routine for both our dancers and audience to enjoy. This new genre will bring confidence, rhythm, and performance skills to our dancers. We are so excited to offer this option this session!
Ballet/Lyrical: Lyrical is a type of dance that combines both ballet and jazz technique. Choreography for lyrical dance typically derives from the lyrics of the music, with a strong focus on the song's emotional narrative.
Hip Hop: Hip-Hop dance offers high-energy, street-style dancing in a relaxed but fun atmosphere. Classes will help boost confidence, coordination, and creativity in a fun and supportive environment. Also featuring age-appropriate music with a focus on building foundational rhythm, hip-hop techniques, and freestyle, allowing children to develop their own personal style.
Classes are offered on Mondays and Wednesday evenings at the Center. Please see the schedule below:
*Contact us if you have questions about age categories.
Mondays: Ballet/Jazz (ages 5-7): 5:00-5:45pm with Miss Lia
Mondays: Musical Theater (ages 7-9): 6:00-6:45pm with Miss Lia
Mondays: Hip Hop (ages 5-10): 7:00-7:45pm with Miss Latoya
Wednesdays: Ballet (ages 3-4): 5:00-5:45pm with Miss Jeana
Wednesdays: Ballet/Lyrical (ages 6-9): 6:00-6:45pm with Miss Jeana
Wednesdays: Hip Hop (ages 5-10): 7:00-7:45pm with Miss Latoya
*Please note, there will be a make up class for our Monday classes due to Memorial Day. We will host make up classes on Tuesday, May 26th at the regular scheduled class times. We will not have class the week of June 29th to July 3rd in observation of the holiday.