What Happens In A Dance Class?

All dance classes are different although most dance classes in a particular style will follow a similar format. For example in a ballet class you can expect to do barre work which you wouldn't in a hip hop dance class. A hip hop dance class might have a fairly quick warmup.

Most dance classes with a technique base such as ballet, contemporary and jazz will spend a large portion of the class doing various stretching, strengthening and technique based exercises. They may also include across-the-floor work or adage in ballet. The vast majority of dance classes will also spend some time teaching a dance routine in the latter section of the dance class, though how much time is spent on the dance routine itself varies between dance classes.

Some dance classes will also include some sort of warm-down at the end of the dance class too, but not all dance classes do this.

There are also dance classes where traditional stretching warmups may not be followed, but a warmup using dance moves within the style. Breakdancing, and locking and popping dance classes may be examples of this. Other dance classes will expect you to do your stretches before and after the dance class begins, as they will not take place during the dance class itself.

Dance routines or choreography are usually taught slowly at first in the dance class, and then work up to the full speed of the song being used. In a beginners dance class, moves are usually explained pretty slowly, whilst in an advanced dance class, dance routines will often be trickier and dance moves may not always be explained so thoroughly as you'll be expected to have a grasp of the dance style already.

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