Location:

Lakeshore High School

Career Opportunities Include:

• Artistic Director
• Choreographer
• Dance Instructor
• Dancer

GRADES: 11-12

Class Description

Students have the opportunity to develop and improve strength and flexibility, coordination, accuracy of movement, leadership and social skills, self-confidence, experience performing, and overall appreciation of dance. They will explore a variety of movement styles and techniques, such as ballet, modern, jazz and tap. Students will also be introduced to dance history, elements of composition and basic anatomy that applies to dance.

Intermediate Dance will further study the skeletal alignment of the dancer's body placement, and student's work will enhance proper execution of advanced movement with a more mature quality. In addition, there is an in-depth study in choreography, more experienced performing, and the opportunity to take part in producing and organizing a dance concert.

The Advanced Dance Class is a two-hour block for two semesters designed to improve strength and flexibility, accuracy or movement, leadrship and social skills, self-confidence, experience performing, and an appreciation of dance. Students further study the skeletal alignment of the dancer's body placaement and are working to enhace proper execution of movement with a more mature quality. Students in this class already have the mechanics of dance and are challenged to develop their technique on a more experienced level. Along with studying the same variety of dance technique, this class will also learn the history of dance and nutrition; in addition, there is a more in-depth study in choreograhpy, more experience performing, and the opportunity to take part in organizing a dance production.  An audition is required before enrollment.

Content Areas

n/a

Career Outlook

Dancers perform in a variety of settings, such as musical productions, and may present folk, ethnic, tap, jazz, and other popular kinds of dance. Many dancers combine performance work with teaching or choreography.

Many dancers work with choreographers, who create original dances and develop new interpretations of existing dances. Most dancers begin formal training at an early age-between 5 and 15-and many have their first professional audition by age 17 or 18.

Median annual earnings of salaried dancers were $21,100 in 2002. Median annual earnings of salaried choreographers were $29,470 in 2002.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2004-2005 Edition. http://bls.gov/oco/