Center Dance

Gettin’ hygge with it…
hyg·ge

/ˈh(y)o͞oɡə/

n. 1. a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.

Book & Bar(re)
/bo͝ok/ /and/ /bär/

n. 1. a combination book club, dance party and cocktail hour. A short but robust dance warm up followed by light stretching, adult beverages and low-stakes literary discussion.

Book & Bar(re): Hygge Edition: 

Coziness: check
Conviviality: check
Well-being: check

Wednesday nights at The Center Dance are brimming with hygge this winter, as we gather for movement, conversation, libation, and celebration of all things cozy. Whether you love winter, despise it, or fall somewhere in between, treat yourself to a healthy dose of midweek hygge in Book & Bar(re).

BYOBook*, BYOBottle**…We’ll provide the Barre***. Wool socks encouraged; hilarity guaranteed.

Location: The Center Dance, 321 Main Street in Amherst
Dates: Wednesdays, 1/15-3/12 (no class 2/18)
Time: 8-9:30 PM (or until we get sleepy)
Cost: $125-$175 (sliding scale)

*A book has not yet been selected; we will decide as a group during the first class.
**Bottle of wine, box of tea, thermos of coffee. Your version of liquid hygge.
***We may do a plié or two at the barre; mostly we move where we wish!

Register online at our Square Store. For more information, email thecenterdanceschool@gmail.com

Snow Boot Ballet

Swirl like a snow storm!
Sparkle like ice!
Ballet in snow boots?
Do we have to ask twice??

Take winter fun to the next level in Snow Boot Ballet: the COOLEST dance class around. Open to kids in grades K-1 and 2-4; no previous ballet experience necessary. 

Our 6-week sessions will culminate in a casual, outdoor performance featuring choreography inspired by Addie Boswell’s enchanting picture book, The Snow Dancer. 

Ages 4-8: Fridays, 3:45-4:30 PM; 1/14-2/18
Ages 6-10: Mondays, 3:45-4:45 PM; 1/10-2/28 (no class 1/17 or 2/21)

Classes will meet at Groff Park, in South Amherst. Snow pants and snow boots strongly recommended.

Due to the current surge in local COVID cases, masks will be required. 

To register, visit our secure Square Store or email us at thecenterdanceschool@gmail.com.

There’s no such thing as bad weather when you’re DANCING in it, so enroll today!

Celebrate winter with The Center Dance!

There’s no such thing as bad weather when you’re DANCING in it!

The Center Dance will hold a full lineup of outdoor Pre-K classes this winter, at Groff Park in South Amherst. Designed for children ages 2-6, The Center’s unique curriculum promotes creativity, connection, literacy and play! 

Visit our Class Descriptions page for detailed program information. 

 

 

 

If you’re in the market for indoor classes, those will be offered, too! A full schedule can be found HERE.

To register, visit our Square Store or email us at thecenterdanceschool@gmail.com. 

Center Stage Mini-Session

Curtains up!

The Center Dance is thrilled to announce Center Stage: Taste of Tap, a spin-off of our popular musical theater dance class. Like the original, this class will introduce kids to choreography straight off Broadway; a new highlight: foundational tap technique! Get your tapping toes ready to learn steps such as the Buffalo, the Shirley Temple, and the Cramp Roll; pull on your thinking caps to invent some steps of your own! 

Whether your child is an aspiring performer, a Broadway enthusiast, or simply looking for a fabulous way to kick off the weekend, Center Stage: Taste of Tap is the place to be!

Recommended for kids in grades 4-6. No prior experience necessary. 

Classes will meet on Fridays at 5:15 PM, 11/19, 12/3, 12/10 and 12/17 (no class the week of Thanksgiving), at The Center Dance Studio: 321 Main Street, in Amherst. Tuition is $65.

It’s YOUR turn in the spotlight. Enroll today!

Rhythm & Rhyme Mini-Session – Enroll NOW!

Tap. Snap. Flap. Clap; Snap. Flap. Clap. Tap!

Welcome to Rhythm and Rhyme, The Center Dance Studio’s inaugural tap technique class for elementary schoolers! Get your tapping toes ready to learn steps such as the Buffalo, the Shirley Temple, and the Cramp Roll; pull on your thinking caps to invent some steps of your own! Together, we will find our rhythm, and tap the time away!

Instructor Carson Kelly, a UMass Dance major, comes to us fresh from the Joffrey NYC Jazz & Contemporary summer intensive…and with close to a decade of competitive tap training under her belt!

This class is recommended for kids in grades 1-3. No prior experience necessary. Masks are required. 

Our fall mini-session will meet on Fridays from 4:15-5:15 PM, 11/19, 12/3, 12/10 and 12/17 (no class the week of Thanksgiving), and will be held at The Center Dance Studio: 321 Main Street, in Amherst. Tuition is $55. 

Register now!

For more information, email thecenterdanceschool@gmail.com. 

Come and play!

There’s no such thing as bad weather when you’re DANCING in it!

Our outdoor classes allow kids to safely gather for friendship and fun, stories and dance! A new 4-week “mini-session” begins next Sunday, November 14th at Groff Park in South Amherst.

Word Play (45 minutes, ages 3-6) In this 45 minute class, students leap, prance and spin their way through the world of children’s literature. Using picture books, fairy tales and poetry, children are introduced to the fundamentals of creative movement and narrative dance. Whether they’re twirling down their own Purple Crayon path, pouncing at the Wild Rumpus, or dancing the alphabet, kids will love this interactive class that honors the reader, and storyteller, in all of us. Caregiver participation welcome! 

Sundays from 11:15 AM – 12PM; 11/14, 11/28, 12/5, 12/12
Tuition is $60

Register today!

For more information, email thecenterdanceschool@gmail.com. 

Story Ballet Mini-Session – Enroll Today!

Register now for Story Ballet: a unique blend of movement, picture books and play.

Story Ballet (45 minutes, ages 3-6) invites young dancers to explore the world of ballet through an imaginative lens. Using imagery and children’s literature as inspiration, students will engage with the vocabulary and principles of classical ballet. Our interactive, developmentally appropriate class structure nurtures students’ enthusiasm for dance while cultivating focus and a growth mindset.

Now in its seventh year, The Center’s early childhood ballet program continues
to delight, inspire, and welcome young children into the world of dance.

Find a story. Find your feet. Then, tell us a dance!

Location: The Center Dance Studio (321 Main Street, in Amherst)
Dates: Sundays, 11/14-12/12 (class will not meet 11/21)
Time: 10-10:45 AM
Tuition: $60

Masks are required; social distancing will be maintained.

Register today!

Nutcracker Under the Lights!

The more the merrier!

On Sunday, December 19th, The Center Dance will host “Nutcracker Under the Lights,” a wintertime party and “flash mob” dance performance. This event will take place on the football field at ARHS, shortly after sunset, and will feature a bake sale, games, music, and of course, lots of dancing.

Participants will learn the flash mob choreography (a groovy mashup of 21st Century Nutcracker moves!) in our Nutcracker Mini-Session classes: a series of 4 classes running from November 15th – December 17th (classes will not meet the week of Thanksgiving). Class assignments are based on grade level, and will be held outdoors at Groff Park* at the following times:

Kindergarten: Fridays, 4-4:45 PM
Grades 1-3: Mondays, 3:30-4:15 PM OR Thursdays, 4-4:45 PM
Grades 4-6: Mondays, 3:30-4:30 PM OR Tuesdays, 3:30-4:30 PM
On/Demi Point (program for BIPOC dancers): Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30 PM
Grades 7-12: Wednesdays, 4-5PM (*at Kendrick Park)
Adults: Wednesdays, 8-9PM (*at The Center Dance)
Family Class (grades K+): Saturdays, 3:30-4:15 PM

Register online at our secure Square Store, or email thecenterdanceschool@gmail.com.

Ballet in the Park!

For their first plié….The Center Dance.

Where friendships blossom.

Where grace grows wild.

Where strength is a quality of body and mind.

Where fancy takes flight, and the landing is kind.

Where Ballet is magic unfolding…

Since 2015, The Center has offered outstanding ballet programming to the Valley’s youngest dance lovers. Our interactive, developmentally appropriate approach nurtures children’s enthusiasm for ballet and celebrates the creative spark inside all of us. 

Classes

Story Ballet (45 minutes, ages 3-6) invites young dancers to explore the world of ballet through an imaginative lens. Using imagery and stories as inspiration, students will engage with the vocabulary and principles of classical ballet. 

OUTDOOR class: Sundays, 11-11:45 AM, at Groff Park

Pre-Ballet  (45 minutes, Kindergarten) introduces young dancers to the fundamentals of classical ballet, emphasizing strength, alignment, musicality and spatial awareness. The developmentally appropriate class structure keeps kids active and engaged while cultivating discipline and a growth mindset. 

OUTDOOR class: Fridays, 4:15-5PM, at Groff Park

Ballet 1 (1 hour, grade 1; grade 2 without prior experience) In Ballet 1, students are supported and challenged as they develop strength, coordination and musicality. Ballet 1 dancers gain confidence as their physical and mental stamina increase, and they move toward fluency in the “language” of ballet.

OUTDOOR class: Thursdays, 4:15-5PM, at Groff Park

 

Afra Dance!

Afra Dance 1 (45 minutes, grades K-2) and Afra Dance 2 (1 hour, grades 3-6) offer a diverse, spirited and life affirming celebration of movement and rhythm. Afra Dance provides a deeply energizing experience of dance and drum from the roots of traditional African dance forms. The call of drums, and the movements they inspire, support dancers of all ages to flow in the breath and the art of living!

Afra Dance curriculum was created by Kalpana Devi, founder of One Earth Drum Dance Co., and is taught by Ashirah DeviDalomba.

Afra Dance 1 meets Mondays from 3:30-4:15 PM.
Afra Dance 2 meets Mondays from 4:15-5:15 PM.

Classes will be held outdoors at Groff Park, in South Amherst, starting Monday, September 20th.

Register online, or take your first class as a FREE TRIAL before enrolling (no need to pre-register; simply show up!). 

For more information, contact thecenterdanceschool@gmail.com.