LEVELS
Cadenza Ballet classes are offered at five levels:
-Ballet Foundations for Absolute Beginners
-Beginner
-Intermediate
-Intermediate/Advanced
-Advanced
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Students who have been with Cadenza in the 2024-Summer 2025 year should be advised that our 2025-2026 Program class levels will be different than what was previously experienced. Students should be prepared to stay in their current level.
LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS
Students should be advised that if they ask for a level recommendation, we will do so after observing you in 3 classes at the level you wish to join. Only then can we accurately advise you. Our level recommendation decisions are not meant to gate-keep or hold someone back. While ultimately, it is your decision, dancers should be advised that enrolling in a more advanced level than recommended will increase the risk of injury, stagnation, and frustration.
We retain the right to move a student to a different level, including to a lower level, if we see that they are struggling too much in class and are unable to keep to the pace of the class, or are ready to advance.
Students who wish to discuss their level should email Leigh at leigh@cadenzaballet.org to either schedule a time to speak in-person or by telephone, or ask for recommendations via email.
CHOOSING YOUR LEVEL
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When choosing your level, please use the following recommendations as a guide:
Ballet Foundations (0-1 year): This new class is designed for students who have no prior experience. This class teaches foundational French ballet terminology and movements and is designed to prepare students for beginning ballet classes. No prerequisites.
Beginner: (3 months-2 years, and recommended completion of our Ballet Foundations class). We build our repertoire of foundational French ballet vocabulary and movements as we begin preparing dancers for intermediate ballet levels. Emphasis is on coordination of arms and feet, use of the head. No prerequisites, although familiarity with foundational French terminology helpful.
Intermediate: (Recommended Experience: 1+ years) Dancers at this level should be comfortable with foundational French ballet terminology, and possess strong foundational technique with a minimum of 1 full year of consistent ballet experience. Prerequisites to join this class: Able to correctly execute changements de pieds, petit assemblé de côté, devant and derrière, able to execute basic linking steps such as glissade and all variations of pas de bourrée; have strong capacity to execute correctly single pirouettes from 5th, 2nd and 4th positions., and able to execute combinations with correct use of port-de-bras and épaulement.
Intermediate/Advanced: (Recommended Experience: 2+ years) This class is a fast moving class that prepares students for advanced ballet skills and artistry. Dancers in this level have mastery of all foundational and intermediate technique and movements.
Advanced: (Recommended Experience: 4+ years) This fast moving class requires dancers to have mastered foundational technique. Students in this class are expected to understand how to move as part of a group, possess exceptional ability to count music and stay on tempo, and be able to execute complex combinations without excessive modification of the movements or tempo.