Timber Creek Dance Classes


Mrs. Perry's Teaching Philosophy

The Timber Creek dance program is designed for students who are serious about studying dance for its athletic and artistic elements. Mrs. Perry strives to ensure all dance students will be successful in the class and hopes students will gain confidence and feel challenged. While teaching dance, Mrs. Perry also works with the students on the skills needed to become employable and well-rounded young adults. She hopes that the students will acquire an extensive appreciation for dance and that the students, through collaboration in class, will also create meaningful relationships with peers during their time in the program.

Before enrolling in the dance program, it is important to understand that learning the basic elements of technique is extremely important; therefore, the introductory classes (Techniques 1 and 2) will focus on giving the students a proper foundation. This foundation includes basic technique (ballet based), strength/endurance training, exploring creativity, and studying the history of dance to better understand the art. The continuing classes will focus more on exploring the professional, performance, and production aspects of dance. The Ballet class will focus solely on technique and is designed for those students that are interested in learning/improving technical skills.

Students wishing to join the program who have previous dance experience are highly encouraged to audition for proper level placement.

Please see our basic performing arts learning goals at the bottom of this page for a more detailed understanding of the concepts we will discover and master while taking multiple dance classes in the program/multiple art classes at Timber Creek.

Classes Offered:

Techniques 1 (Level 1)
Focus on technique. We will study the vernacular, movements and history of ballet, jazz, and lyrical. Required performances: Spring Showcase (must also attend the Winter Showcase)

Techniques 2 (Level 2)
Focus on technique and performance skills. We will mainly study ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, contemporary, and beginner choreography skills. Required performances: Winter Showcase and Spring Showcase

Techniques 3 (Level 3/4)
Focus on technique and performance skills. We will mainly study ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, contemporary, and intermediate choreography skills. Required performances: Winter Showcase and Spring Showcase

Techniques 4 (Level 3/4)
Focus on technique, performance skills and intermediate/advanced choreography skills. We will mainly study ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, contemporary, and intermediate choreography skills. Required performances: Winter Showcase and Spring Showcase

Dance Repertory (Level 5- Apprentice Performance Team Level)
This class will focus on performance and advanced choreography skills. Required performances: Homecoming Pep a Rally, Performing Arts Holiday Concert, Winter Showcase, Spring Showcase, Basketball game(s)

Dance Repertory (Level 6- Elite Performance Team Level)
This class will focus on performance, advanced choreography, and skills needed to be a professional dancer. This class will also be required to plan one TC Dance Program event, the annual program dance convention. This class requires technique classes to be taken outside of school hours and numerous hours of after school rehearsals. Required performances: Homecoming Pep Rally, OCPS Dance Performance Assessments and Expose, Performing Arts Holiday Concert, Winter Showcase, Spring Showcase, Basketball games

Ballet 1, 2, 3, and 4
This class will focus on the technical elements of ballet (classical and contemporary). There will be no required performance element associated with this class; however, there will be an opportunity to perform. At minimum, the Ballet students are required to help at the annual showcase, either backstage or in the house. Note: This class is designed for students who have room in their schedule for an extra dance class or for students who want to develop technique vs performance skills.

*Levels 5 and 6 will not focus as much on technique; therefore it is highly recommended that these students take class at a local studio as well. It is required of these performance team members to take a minimum of one dance class at a studio or the student must be on a technique contract with Mrs. Perry. These students will need to meet with Mrs. Perry individually. Performance team members also have the option to take the Ballet class to fulfill this requirement.


TCHS Dance Classes and Progressions
Tech 1 -----> Tech 2
Tech 2 -----> Tech 3/4
Dance Repertory 1-4: Apprentice Performance Team (audition/evaluation required every year)
Dance Repertory 1-4: Elite Performance Team (audition/evaluation required every year)
Ballet 1-4 (no audition required; no required performances)

Note to current students: To skip a level, you must audition.
To move on from one level to the next, you do not need to audition. You will just need a C or higher in the previous class to move forward.  Apprentice and Elite Performance Team students must audition/be evaluated every year and must have a B or higher in the class to be a returning member of the team. Please see the audition tab for more information.

If not a current dance program student, please know that you will need to fill out a permission slip to audition. All audition materials can be found on the "program auditions" tab.

TCHS Dance Program/Performing Arts Basic Learning Goals

1. Students will be able to understand that cognition and reflection are required to appreciate, interpret, and create with artistic intent.
2. Students will be able to assess their own and others’ artistic work, using critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
3. Students will analyze the processes of critiquing works of art which will lead to the development of critical-thinking skills transferable to other contexts.
4. Students will develop an appreciation of others and the worlds in which they live(d).
5. Students will reflect and document cultural trends and historical events and explain how new directions in the arts have emerged.
6. Students will research connections among the arts and other disciplines to strengthen learning and the ability to transfer knowledge and skills to and from other fields.
7. Students will create, interpret, and respond to the art to stimulate the imagination and encourage innovation and creative risk-taking.
8. Students will explore careers in and related to the arts that significantly and positively impact local and global economies.
9. Students will analyze the organizational structure of an art form for a foundation appreciation of artistic works and respect for the creative process.
10. Students will develop structural rules and conventions of an art form that serve as both a foundation and departure point for creativity.
11. Students will understand that every art form uses its own unique language, verbal and non-verbal, to document and communicate with the world.
12. Students will understand that the arts are inherently experiential and actively engage learners in the processes of creating, interpreting, and responding to art.
13. Students will develop skills, techniques, and processes in the arts and understand that this strengthens our ability to remember, focus on, process, and sequence information.
14. Students will understand that through purposeful practice, artists learn to manage, master, and refine simple, then complex, skills and techniques.

(Adapted from cpalms.org)

Pictured above: The first Timber Creek Dance classes (2012-13).