Children's Dance Lessons

The Meriden-New Britain-Berlin YMCA is excited to welcome back Amber Ganaros to the Y as our new Dance Coordinator. Amber brings her Rhythmic Force Dance program to the Y.

Location: Performing Arts Studio 14-16 West Main Street    

Start Date: Tuesday, September 8th -  June 2021

Instructors: Miss Amber, Miss Jaci, and Miss Sydney

Please note: Due to Covid-19 protocols we request that students of each age group take all classes around their interest. This will  limit the amount of foot traffic in and out of the dance space and allow for cleaning and sanitizing. Please also note that due to social distancing guidelines,  we will  be limiting the in person class sizes to ten (10), but will  hold hybrid classes, meaning that we will have students joining us both physically in class, and virtually from home. To ensure everyone gets the most out of this experience we will be asking students to rotate weeks to come in, and to join us from home!  We can’t WAIT to dance with you!

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Mommy and Me Creative Movement: This class is designed for children 2 years of age and their moms (guardian)  to learn the fundamentals of movement. This is to prepare them for entering a dance class the following year.

Petite Dancers: This is for dancers ages 3 - 4 years old. Dancers will be learning the fundamentals of each style at a beginner level, and choreography for a recital at the end of year. Black Tap shoes and pink Ballet shoes will be required for class. Acro classes will be barefoot.

Mini Stars Dance Classes: This is for dancers ages 5 - 7 years old. Dancers will be learning the fundamentals of each style at a beginner level, and choreography for a recital at the end of the year. Black tap shoes, pink ballet shoes, and black hip hop shoes will be required. Arco classes will be barefoot.

Rising Stars Dance Classes: This is for dancers ages 8 - 10 years old. Dancers will be learning the fundamentals of each style at a beginner / intermediate level, and choreography for a recital at the end of the year. Black tap shoes, pink ballet shoes, and black hip hop shoes will be required. Acro classes will be barefoot.

Junior Elite Dance Classes: This is for dancers ages 10 - 13 years old. Dancers will be learning the fundamentals of each style at an intermediate / advanced level, and choreography for a recital at the end of the year. Dancers will also be potentially competing in competitions throughout the year. Black tap shoes, pink ballet shoes, tan jazz shoes, and black hip hop shoes will be required. Acro classes will be barefoot.

Elite Dance Classes: This is for dancers ages 14 + unless advised by a teacher. Dancers will be learning the fundamentals of each style at an advanced level, and choreography for a recital at the end of the year.  Dancers will also be potentially competing in competitions throughout the year. Black tap shoes, pink ballet shoes, tan jazz shoes, and black hip hop shoes will be required. Acro classes will be barefoot.

Solos, Duets, and Trios: Dancers will be selected by teachers to participate in any of these activities. Dancers do not have to participate in a solo, duet, or trio if they are not interested. Parents will be contacted before dancers to be sure they are ok with the extra class/classes

Production Number: This will be a dance performed by the entire dance program. While your dancer is not required to join production they are welcome if they are interested. There will be a part for every level in production!

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Monday

  • 9:00 am - 10:00 am Mommy and me Creative Movement
  • 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm Mini Star Tap
  • 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Mini Star Ballet
  • 6:15 pm - 6:45 pm Rising Star Hip Hop
  • 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm Rising Star Acro

Tuesday

  • 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm Mini Star Hip Hop
  • 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Mini Star Acro
  • 6:15 pm - 6:45 pm Rising Star Tap
  • 6:45pm - 7:15pm Rising Star Ballet

Wednesday

  • 9:00 am - 10:00 am Mommy and Me Creative Movement
  • 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm Jr. Elite Acro
  • 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Jr. Elite Hip Hop
  • 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm Jr. Elite Jazz
  • 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm Elite Hip Hop
  • 7:15 pm - 7:45 pm Elite Jazz
  • 7:45 pm - 8:15 pm Elite Acro

Thursday

  • 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm Jr. Elite Contemporary
  • 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Jr. Elite Ballet
  • 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm Jr. Elite Tap
  • 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm Elite Ballet
  • 7:15 pm - 7:45 pm Elite Contemporary
  • 7:45 pm - 8:15 pm Elite Tap

Friday

  • 9:00 am - 10:00 am Mommy and Me Creative Movement 
  • Reserved for Solo’s, Duets, and Trios

Saturday

  • 9:30 am - 10:30 am Petite Tap / Ballet Combo
  • 10:30 am - 11:00 am Petite Acro

Class Prices

  • YMCA Youth Full Membership Required
  • Mommy and me Creative Movement $35 a month
  • Petite Dancers
    • Tap Ballet Combo $35 a month
    • Petite Acro $40 a month
    • Petite Discounts Both Combo and Acro $65 a month
  • Mini Stars Dancers
    • Tap and Ballet $65 a month
    • Hip Hop and Acro $65 a month
    •  Mini Discounts All four classes $120 a month
  • Rising Stars Dancers Combo
    • Tap and Ballet $65 a month
    • Hip Hop and Acro $65 a month
    • Rising Discounts All four classes $120 a month
  • JR Elite Dancers Combo
    • Acro Hip Hop, and Jazz $70 a month
    • Contemporary, Ballet, and Tap $70 a month
    • JR Discounts All 6 classes $130
  • Elite Dancers Combo
    • Acro, Hip Hop, and Jazz $80
    • Contemporary, Ballet, and Tap $80
    • Elite Discounts All 6 classes $150
  • Solos Duets and Trios
    • Solos $20 per session
    • Duets $10 per dancer per session
    • Trios $10 per dancer per session
  • Production $40 a month

How to register for programs:

1. If you already have an up to date membership - You can register online, by phone at 203.235.6386 or in person at the Meriden YMCA at 110 West Main Street.

2. If you do not have a membership yet or need to update your membership - Register in person at the Meriden YMCA at 110 West Main Street. 

Meet our instructors

Miss Amber 

Amber Ganaros started her dancing career at a young age, training in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Contemporary. She has performed at many dance competitions throughout the New England area, and was invited to International Dance Competition’s national competition. Amber received a performing arts scholarship upon attending Dean College in Franklin Massachusetts as a dance major. She graduated cum laude receiving her degree in the performing arts in the year 2013. At Dean, Amber perfected her technique in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Modern. She also took extensive classes focused on working with and teaching children such as creative movement, and pedagogue for dancers. Amber also took a dance composition class, focusing on different styles of choreographing, dance history classes, and rhythmic analysis classes. 

After college, Amber continued to share her passion for dance, teaching at many different schools across the New England area. She has taught Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Modern, Acro, Jazz, and Technique classes to children of all ages. She has also choreographed many competition pieces, four of which have received first place titles in their divisions. Amber has received two choreography awards at Nexstar National Talent Competition, one for Hip Hop and one for Contemporary.

Amber has attended the Pulse Annual Teacher Convention in New York City Twice. There she took classes perfecting her skills in dance and sat in on lectures with other instructors, learning different methods of teaching for all different styles of dance. She believes “as a dance teacher, you should never stop learning, and improving your art”. She has also attended several classes at Broadway Dance Center in New York City  for all styles of dance.

In 2016 Amber opened her own dance studio in Middletown Connectcut where she taught students of all ages Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Acro, Creative Movement, and technique classes. She has taken her students to multiple competitions around the New England area winning high scores at every competition. She has also invited other talented instructors to run workshops at her studio to help her students branch out and learn from other instructors and perfect their skills in every area of dance.

Amber continues to strengthen her technical skills by attending classes and workshops as much as possible. She is a well practiced teacher devoted to sharing her passion with her students.

Miss Jaci

Jaci Adams started taking dance classes in Hip-hop at a young age, and over the years gradually added on lessons in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary and Modern. In high school she participated in several dance competitions throughout New England performing group numbers and solos with Caffery’s Dance in Middletown.

At a young age she was a performer on the UFL Hartford Colonial Cheerleaders as well as the ABA TopDancers. Jaci went on to study as a Dance Major at Dean College where she furthered her dance education at the collegiate level with performance and academic courses such as dance composition, dance history and more. She was selected to be a member of the Elite Hip Hop Dance Company and worked under Ricardo Foster Jr. who has choreographed for celebrities such as Jay-Z, Usher, NSYNC and more. During training sessions with him she was taught the understanding of hip-hop culture and the various styles within hip-hop. She received
her degree in Dance Arts in 2014.

Following college she moved to the Boston area and performed with the hip-hop company “The Expressive Movement” where they held several workshops as well as traveled around New England and Canada doing performances and competitions. At this time she began teaching hip-hop and contemporary to students age 6 and up at two studios in the Boston area.

Following the year she lived in Boston, Jaci moved to Colorado where she furthered her dance training taking classes in downtown Denver and also teaching hip-hop at a local studio for kids age 8 and up. For the past four years she has been teaching hip-hop at Rhythmic Force Dance Studio in Middletown.

Jaci is passionate about teaching and getting to know each student, and being a good role model in the dance classroom. She also loves expressing her choreography and creativity!

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