Ballet For Kids Ages 8-10
Ballet classes for kids: From our 2018 dance recital. American Dance Institute is well known for excellence in dance instruction.
For Parents, Teens, Kids
We surveyed 300 discerning Seattle area parents asking why they insist on dance classes for their children. Here are the most often cited responses. (53 seconds)
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.
Please Note: Some dance schools boast having 'university trained' dancers. Don't be fooled. What's not clear is if they are university trained dance teachers. While any dancer can teach a dance class, not every teacher is an effective one. We screen on average five teachers to find one that has the teaching skills we require. We are all about excellence in dance instruction.
Class Schedules & Information
Winter-Spring 2019
Fall Schedule-Current
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.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
Abby Zimmerman
Dakota Crist
Emily Curtis
Emily Paul
We Support Public Radio
Listen to hear our message. (21 sec)
American Dance Institute on King 5's New Day TV Show
American Dance Institute's founder/Director, Elizabeth Chayer is featured on King 5's New Day Television program promoting the school's partnership with the world acclaimed Moscow Ballet and their 2018 production of the Great Russian Nutcracker at Seattle's Paramount Theater.
American Dance Institute's
Excellence On Display
Beautiful images of our 2018 dance recital performance.
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.
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.
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.
Children & Competition
"Young children have yet to develop a healthy perspective with wich to frame ballet's competitiveness. Bad expereinces can damage a child's self image and dampen their enthusiasim 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."
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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.
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.
