Ballet Classes For Ages
8-10

No Snootiness allowed : )

Ballet classes for kids: Children' ballet I & II in our 2018 dance recital. American Dance Institute is well known for excellence in dance instruction. Notice how confident they are in their choreography. Not one is looking to a teacher in the wings for instruction. This is the quality difference.

In addition to the Ballet classes for kids 8-10 years of age class offerings on this page, American Dance Institute offers a comprehensive selection of adult ballet classes, children's ballet classes for ages 5-7, ballet & tap dance combination classes for ages 5-7, junior ballet for ages 11-14, and ballet classes for teenagers.

Ballet Classes For Kids: About Ours

Learn everything you need to know about this class to make an informed choice.

All of ballet classes for kids ages 8-10 include barre, center, stretching, adagio and allegro work. We focus on clean execution and both a physical and intellectual understanding of how and why each movement is executed. With our exclusive teaching methods, your child will progress further, faster and safer in half the time required by other schools. Whether you are experimenting to see where your child's interests lie are or have an aspiring dancer in the works, our ballet classes will satisfy you.

Most of our Ballet classes for kids are offered as a twice a week class as it is strongly recommended as a minimum for the study of Ballet. It truly expedites the muscle memory allowing dancers to progress much more quickly. If you can only attend once a week, it is recommended you take one of the single weekend classes. However, if one weekday class is all that works for you, we would still love to have you. Just expect that there will be a difference in technical ability from some of the other students at the end of the session.

Class Schedules & Information

Summer 2019

Kid's Ballet Class Attire

Ballet Classes for Kids: Beginning Student's School Year Attire:

Girls Ballet: Wear short sleeve cotton leotard (Bloch style CL 5402) in Pastel Blue, pink tights and pink Ballet slippers. Hair must be pulled back in a bun if it will fit. If short, it should be pulled back off the face.

Boys Ballet: Wear black tights, white T-Shirt and black or white Ballet slippers.

Junior Ballet Attire: Girls wear cotton tank leotard (Bloch style # 5405) in black, pink tights and pink Ballet slippers. Hair must be pulled back in a bun if it will fit. If short, it should be pulled back off the face.

Boys wear black tights, white T-Shirt and black or white Ballet slippers.

SUMMER SESSION DRESS CODE: Children can wear any leotard they already own and purchase the appropriate when they register for classes in the fall. If it is hot, children can wear just their leotard, or wear their leotard with bike-shorts.

Attire: available at Center Stage Capezio 5261 University Way NE, Seattle WA 98115 (527-4697) or check our swap box.

Greenwood

8001 Greenwood Ave North, Seattle, WA 98103

Magnolia

3116 West Smith Street, Seattle WA 98199

Shoreline, WA

1240 NE 175th Street, Shoreline, WA 98155

These little ballerinas will touch your heart...

This video is a performance from the May 2018 Greenwood-Phinney ArtWalk event. That performance featured kids, teens and adult dance students who want to perform and have the proper training. These little ballerinas, ages 9-12, performed beautifully and touched every heart in the audience.

Meet Your Ballet For Kids Teachers

"Just as in all the best schools, the quality of the dance teacher makes such a difference. That's why I only hire gifted instructors and mentor them to meet the highest dance teaching standards."

Elizabeth Chayer

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Alyssa Brillinger

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Margaret Behm

Abby Zimmerman

Dakota Crist

Emily Curtis

Emily Paul

Children's Ballet I class dance performance at our 29th annual dance recital in June 2018. Perhaps it's just me but let's see if you can keep from tearing up while watching this.

Looking for a quality dance school? Watch our Student Dance Recital Performance videos plus read about our unique performance philosophy.

Seattle's Moscow Ballet auditions 2017, American Dance Institute

KOMO Television's Seattle Refined videotaped portions of Seattle's Moscow Ballet Nutcracker auditions and they interviewed participants at American Dance Institute's Greenwood Studios. Their show aired Tuesday, September 19th at 3 pm on Channel 4. You can watch the show now Behind The Scenes Of The Cutest Nutcracker Auditions.

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American Dance Institute and other greater Seattle dance students performed with the famous Moscow Ballet at the Paramount Theater in November 2017.

Ballet Classes for Kids: Finding Excellent Classes

You're looking for kid's ballet classes For ages 8-10 but how do you find excellent classes? What questions do you ask? Here is some advice.

Look for non-competitive kids ballet dance classes where everyone is friendly and your child will always feel welcome.
Find a kid's ballet class where the teacher understands that the pace of the class has to be good for your child.

Insist on dance studios with specially designed 'sprung' wood floors that 'give' to protect their feet and ankles. Avoid studios with regular wood floors and heaven forbid, run away from dance studios with concrete floors.
Seek out children's ballet dance schools with customer accommodating policies like a 100% money back guarantee if you don't like your class for any reason.
Try to find dance studios that are clean, bright and sunlit.

Most importantly look for a dance school that has highly trained, expert dance teachers who know how to give your child personalized attention so they will progress faster.

KEEP LEARNING: 10 Top Questions to Ask A Dance School-Before You Give Them Your Money. It's FREE.

Elizabeth Chayer ADI Founder/Director

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Children & Competition

"Young children have yet to develop a healthy perspective with which to frame ballet's competitiveness. Bad experiences can damage a child's self image and dampen their enthusiasm for ballet. To protect fragile self-images, we encourage young students to first discover their 'own best self', not to compare themselves to others who may have more or less natural ability."

Join our mailing list and get new class announcements here.

The teaching is upbeat, fun and encouraging!

My 9 year old daughter took dance classes at American Dance Institute. She loved her class and teacher, Miss Kara. They learned technique, musicality, rhythm, as well as teamwork. I find the atmosphere supportive and non-competitive. The philosophy is to nurture a love of dance and movement. The teaching is upbeat, fun, and encouraging. I highly recommend ADI!

Susan F.
Former ADI Parent

Kara Burrows waits with her Jr. Ballet students just before their performance at a Greenwood Phinney art walk event.

Backstage, under the careful supervision of Instructor, Rebecca Greenfield, Office Manager, Mary Castaniada, and Instructor, Kara Burrows, the Ballet I students await their cue to enter stage right for their first in-studio Art Walk performance. They'll be dancing with the adult Ballet student performers.

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They've done well. Taking their final bow, the audience obviously appreciates their talent and how well they are progressing.

Here's what parents and children say about Seattle's American Dance Institute.

Instructor Alyssa Brillinger

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Allyssa Brillinger teaches tap dance classes for American Dance Institute

6 Student reviews.

Classes Alyssa Teaches

Ballet
Children's Pre-Ballet

Tap Dancing

Parent Toddler
Children's Creative

Alyssa Brillinger's Bio

Alyssa is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and she began her dance training there at the Academy of Dance Arts. She hold a BA in English from Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she minored Dance.

While at Hope, she studied under instructors associated with the Ailey School, Alonzo King LINES training program, the Joffrey Ballet, Lehrer Dance, Rennie Harris Puremovement, Nikolais/Louis, and Pilobolus.

She danced in several faculty and student-choreographed performances, and she choreographed several pieces that were performed on campus and within the community.

Alyssa is trained in the Cecchetti Ballet technique as well as in tap, jazz, modern, and pointe. She teaches creative movement classes within various Seattle schools and day care centers.

Testimonials

Emily H. gave a favorable Yelp review for american dance institute's Tap dance classes, tap dance studios

Emily H. Seattle

We just finished our parent and toddler class with Miss Alyssa. As a former early educator with a little one who is on the tender/sensitive side, I believe we couldn't have had a better experience and teacher. It was a creative, casual environment where our daughter could watch the other children and adults until she was comfortable participating. Additionally, our daughter went from observing most of the time to doing all the movements and songs at home and participating in the entire class. As parents, it was truly rewarding watching our daughter gain confidence and enthusiasm in expressing herself through dance in front of others.

Miss Alyssa is warm, personable, and knows how to involve and engage the toddlers with their different personalities. She keeps things moving along, with enough predictability for the toddlers to anticipate the next part of the class. I had other friends do the parent and toddler class, and when they hear about our class experience, they say they wish they had Miss Alyssa too! I can't say enough positive things about her, especially if you have a slow-to-warm little one as we do.

This was a wonderful experience for our whole family. Our daughter gained so much confidence and excitement for creative movement through this experience. Thanks, ADI and Miss Alyssa! We hope to be back

"Very patient Instructor and teaches at a nice pace. ""Consistently Awesome 5 stars" Trisha Creaven

"Consistently Awesome 5 stars " Annalisa Steinnes

"Consistently Awesome 5 stars " Brenna Steinnes

"Consistently Awesome 5 stars " Erica Crane

'Consistently Awesome - 5 stars' Anonymous

Margaret Behm

Margaret's Bio

Originally from Fort Collins, CO, Margaret holds a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Women & Gender Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She has been a member of Louder than Words Dancetheatre in Denver, CO and most recently with Keshet Dance Company in Albuquerque, NM.

margaret teaches ballet dance classes, jazz dance classes, modern dance classes for american dance institute

Margaret has directed the pre-professional programs at Mountain Dance in Fort Collins, where she also grew up dancing. At Keshet Dance Company, her teaching experience was diverse and included teaching Adaptive dance, working with dancers with disabilities.

Margaret is a dance and teaching artist with an affinity for improvisation, and a desire to explore the infinite ways her body moves. As a teacher, she takes pride in guiding others’ discoveries of their dancing bodies, and wants everyone to feel empowered to take up space in the world.

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margaret behm's dance performance promotion poster ballet dance classes, jazz dance classes, modern dance classes for american dance institute

a dance poster featuring Margaret behm ballet dance classes, jazz dance classes, modern dance classes for american dance institute

Margaret is new to Seattle and incredibly excited to get involved with the dance community and to be joining the staff at ADI.

margaret-behm-junior-teen-jazz-dance-classes-american-dance-institute-magnolia

ADI instructor Margaret Behm with students Sara, Jessica, Carly, Sophia and Ann at our first Junior/Teen Intermediate Jazz class at our new Magnolia studio. Great work tonight girls. So happy to have you in our ADI family.

Abby Zimmerman

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Abigail ("Abby”) Zimmerman grew up in Gray’s River, WA, and received her early training at Maddox Dance Studio, Warrenton, OR where she was also a member of the Little Ballet Theatre.

She holds a B.F.A. from Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, WA and is a certified pilates mat instructor. Abigail has performed with 127th St. Dance, and has danced at the Astoria Music Festival on multiple occasions. She has performed works by local Seattle choreographers Donald Byrd, Dayna Hanson, Jamie Karlovich, Wade Madsen, Zoe Scofield, and Deborah Wolf.

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Abby, on the right, models a new ADI Hoodie seat shirt with fellow instructor Margret Behm.

Dakota Crist

Dakota Crist had her early training in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary and Modern Dance at Diane’s Dance Works in Helena, Montana, then went on to study at Creative Arts Center in Helena, Ballet Montana Academy and Sacramento Ballet.

She holds a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts. Dakota is currently a company member of The Three Yells dance company and she has been teaching since 2009.

She joined American Dance Institute in January of 2018.

Emily Curtiss

Emily Curtiss teaches: Ballet Classes, Pre-Ballet Classes, Children's Creative Dance, Modern Dance and Mommy & Me Toddler Dance classes at American Dance Institute Shoreline, WA.

Emily Curtiss had her early training at Studio One and Allegro Dance Studio, both in Sandpoint, Idaho. She studied Ballet, Jazz and Modern and danced for 4 years on the Sandpoint High School Dance Team. She holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Montana. Emily has extensive choreographic and performance experience and has been teaching since 2012.

Emily joined American Dance Institute in January of 2018.

Emily Paul

Emily Paul trained in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Modern and Tap at the Dance Academy of Libertyville, Illinois. She earned a BFA in Dance and Theatre from Loyola University in Chicago. She has worked extensively in Musical Theatre and been teaching dance since 2015.

Emily joins American Dance Institute in January of 2018.

Ballet Classes For Ages
8-10

Ballet Classes For Kids: About Ours