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Youth Ballet and Dance Forum

About the Program

The University of Iowa Dance Forum & Youth Ballet is a Community Outreach Dance Program dedicated to enriching the lives of all students by nurturing and encouraging artistic expression in children and adults—regardless of their ultimate careers, as well as preparing those students who are specially gifted in ballet for careers asprofessional artists.

Dance Forum & UI Youth Ballet is housed in the Department of Dance, Halsey Hall. Dance Forum offers beginning through advanced classes in ballet and pointe, as well as classes in modern, jazz, and tap for children and adults of all ages. Students do not receive University credit for these classes. Classes are taught by professional instructors from the community, as well as qualified undergraduate and graduate students. Our focus is teaching technique. Rehearsals for performances are scheduled separately from technique classes in order to maintain the highest quality of dance instruction for all students.

Enrollment [top]

Whether you dream of a career in dance, seek an outlet for personal growth, or just want to have fun, UI Dance Forum has the right program for you. We offer classes for students age 2 and older.

Class Schedules

UI Youth Ballet School offers a full schedule of classes throughout the school year, and a summer session. New students are encouraged to participate in a placement audition to determine the appropriate level of class.

Schedules and more information can be found in our registration forms:

Children's Program (Ages 2-6)

Creative movement and ballet fundamentals for young students are tailored to meet the developmental needs of children according to their age. The progressive curriculum for this program was developed by Kathryn Smith, and the syllabus introduces students to basic movement exploration and develops into the more structured study of classical ballet. Creativity is emphasized to encourage the artistic exploration of movement and allow the child's natural talent and skills to be discovered.

Class level is determined by the child's age on September 1 of each year.

Ballet Program

Complete classical ballet curriculum is offered for students ages 7 and up. The curriculum focuses on proper skeletal alignment, posture, strength and stretch of the legs and feet, fluid arm carriage, flexibility, and musicality.

Teen & Adult Classes

UI Youth Ballet School offers the unique opportunity for teens and adults to begin or continue their dance training in an environment that encourages them to be challenged and explore their movement potential. Classes include Adult Beginner and Adult Intermediate levels in ballet, modern, jazz, and body conditioning. Full year or semester enrollment options; pre-registration is required.

Modern
This 60-minute dance class allows the student to take technique and movement skills and explore spatial awareness, rhythm, and dynamics in an atmosphere that encourages the dancers own creativity to be awakened.

Jazz

Geared for teens and adults, Jazz dance incorporates popular hip-hop dance with more traditional musical theater style jazz to guide the students in a variety of dance combinations that develop rhythm, musicality and flair.

Body Conditioning

This is a full-body conditioning strength and flexibility workout class. Most of the workout focuses on the abdominals and lower body (thighs, calves, buttocks), with exercises that ballet dancers use to strengthen and lengthen their muscles and condition their core.

Calendar [top]

 

Dress Code [top]

*Please note the following dress code changes

Dance Forum students must adhere to a special dress code, which is detailed in the student registration materials. Leotards, tights, ballet slippers and additional attire can be purchased at www.discountdance.com. All Youth Ballet leotards are ABT Camisole and are available at the National Dance Academy Store with locations in both Iowa City and Coralville. Store hours are Monday - Thursday 2:00-7:00 PM & Saturdays 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

Wee Dance, Creative Movement

Wee Dance (ages 2-3 years) requires adult participation of one parent or legal guardian.

Dance clothes – such as leotards and tights, any color, or any loose fitting clothes – such as shorts and t-shirts. Students may wear socks, ballet slippers, or be bare-footed.

Ballet

  1. Females must wear hair in a bun, pink tights, leotard, and pink ballet slippers.
  2. Leotard colors for each level of ballet:
    Pre-ballet - Pink
    Ballet I A - Mint
    Continuing Ballet I B - Lavender
    Ballet 2A - Blue
    Continuing Ballet 2B - Rose
    Ballet 3 - Plum
    Ballet 4 - Black with pink belt
    * Skirts are not allowed in Youth Ballet classes.
  3. Males must wear dark black or blue shorts, solid-white t-shirt, white socks, & black ballet slippers.
  4. Modern, Jazz, Tap, Body Conditioning
  5. Dancers must have long hair pulled back from the face. Comfortable dance clothing.

Faculty [top]

Kathryn Smith – Administrative Director, Dance Forum & UI Youth Ballet
Kathryn received her B.A. in Dance Performance from the University of Missouri – Kansas City , where she also danced with the Kansas City Ballet Company. She holds a M.A. in Dance from the University of Iowa and has been teaching dance for over 30 years.

Jason Schadt - Youth Ballet Artistic Coordinator
Jason holds a MFA in Dance from the University of Iowa where he was a member of Dancers in Company and taught for the Department of Dance. He is well-versed int he areas of Dance Kinesiology and education. Jason is dedicated to using his talents to the development of aspiring dancers.

Erin Allen - Ballet
Erin trained in ballet at the Hillcrest Dance Center, Opus II and Neyon Dance in Ohio. Erin is rehearsal mistress for Youth Ballet.

Madison DeWitt - Hip Hop
Madison is a Dance Major at the University of Iowa. Hip Hop is her primary areas of expertise. She attended a visual and Performing Arts School in Elgin, IL performing at Disney World in the spirng of 2007.

Kelsie Forbush - Ms. Forbush trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts, Milwaukee Ballet, and the University of Iowa. She was a principal dancer with Vine Street Ballet (formerly Ballet Iowa) and was awarded an apprentice position with Miami City Ballet. Ms. Forbush is currently working towards her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders.

Joan Gonwa - MA, CMA - Professional Modern Dancer, choreographer, Certified Movement Analyst and specialist in Children's Dance/Movement Education. Joan come to the Forum with over 30 years of teaching experience with children and adults. She is co-creator of "Minds on the Move" a nationally recongnized program bringing kinesthectic learning into classrooms for children and their teachers.

Vanessa Hartman - Vanessa is a senior Dance Major at the University of Iowa. She has experience teaching dance both for the Forum and for studios in Cedar Rapids.

Mareva Minerbi - Ms. Minerbi danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Compania Italiana D'Opera. In 2000, Ms. Minerbi was awarded semifinalist for the International Dance Competition in Italy.

Lydia Phillips - Lydia taught ballet at the Makaroff School of Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, where she spend the Fall of 2008 working and teaching. Lydia is a senior Dance Major at the University of Iowa.

Sara Koslowski – Intermediate Jazz

Sara Koslowski is studying Dance and Entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa . She has had professional experience in jazz dance performance for three years at the Sabre Room located in Chicago and has had nine years of jazz dance training in the Chicagoland area. Sara has also assisted and danced with the HHPD Company Dancers.

Lindsay Smith - Lindsay is currently working on her BFA in Dance at the University of Iowa. She is skilled in lyrical, jazz, and tap. Lindsay performed in the University of Iowa's Dance Gala in 2007 and 2008. She also was on faculty this summer for our Youth Ballet summer intensive.

FAQs [top]

How do I switch classes?
Your child may switch from one class section to another (i.e. from a Monday to a Thursday class) only if there is space still available in the new class. Please call the Registrar at 319.335.2193 to request a switch.

How do I report an absence and why is it important to notify you if my child will not be in class?
To report an absence, please leave a message at 319.335.2193. In order for your child's absence to be considered excused, we must be notified in advance of the absence. Only excused absences can be made-up. If your child is injured and will miss a prolonged series of classes, we ask that you provide us with an applicable doctor's note.

How do we know if the school is closed due to inclement weather?

When the weather turns bad, we assess canceling classes three times during the day: 7am, 12pm and 3pm.Subsequently, we update our phone message to learn which classes are being held and which classes are not. 319.335.2193

Is there a formal recital? May I stay and observe my child's class?

In place of a formal performance for our youngest students, we offer two annual Open House weeks where family and friends are invited into the classroom to observe our students' progress. Outside of these special weeks, we feel the presence of multiple adults creates a distraction by taking attention away from their teacher's instruction.

Can my child be enrolled in one class and be on the wait list for another class?

No. Since both our enrollment and our waiting lists are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, we cannot accommodate a child taking up two spots in this system. When space opens up in a closed class, we will immediately call the first child on the waiting list to offer them the class. If that student can not enroll, we will move down the list until we have an acceptance. We ask parents to make the choice so that we can offer as many students as possible the chance to attend ballet class.

History [top]

Since its establishment in 1972, the Dance Forum/UI Youth Ballet School has stood as a superior community outreach program, training aspiring dancers within Iowa City and the surrounding communities.

The school has a full range of programs for all ages. The UI Youth Ballet School experience instills in students self-discipline and an eagerness to learn.

The UI Youth Ballet School is housed in Halsey Hall, and shares with the University of Iowa Department of Dance six spacious studios.

The UI Youth Ballet School's faculty includes distinguished instructors and choreographers as well as current and former dancers from major companies worldwide.

The UI Youth Ballet School welcomes talented students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national or ethnic origin in its admissions procedures, employment policies or the administration of its programs and activities.

Performances [top]

 

All rehearsal classes for the concert and student ensemble are scheduled separately from technique classes in order to maintain the highest quality of dance instruction for all students.

2009 Dance Forum/UI Youth Ballet Winter Concert:
Saturday, December 19 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, December 20 at 3:00 PM

2010 Dance Forum/UI Youth Ballet Spring Concert:
Saturday, May 15 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, May 16 at 3:00 PM

Both concerts will be held in Space Place Theater, 101 North Hall. North Hall is located at the north end of Madison Street, right next to the North Parking Ramp - click for directions

Tickets for all performances are available through the Hancher Auditorium Box Office
at 319-335-1160 or 1-800-HANCHER or at www.hancher.uiowa.edu/tickets.

Facilities [top]

The Dance Forum/Youth Ballet offers live piano accompaniment for almost every class. Live music in class is a crucial part of a young dancer's development, as it provides an opportunity for the students to interpret music in ways that are not possible with recordings.

Contacts [top]

UI Dance Forum Office and Youth Ballet: 319.335.2193
Email: kathryn-smith@uiowa.edu

Address:

UI Dance Forum and Youth Ballet

University of Iowa Department of Dance

W106 Halsey Hall

Iowa City , IA 52242-1000

Tuition [top]

Please consult Class Scheduling information to view the tuition rates for our program.

  • 1.5 hour class $15.00
  • One Hour Class: $13.00
  • 10-Punch Class Card: $135.00
  • Credit cards are not accepted.
  • Dance Forum/UI Youth Ballet will accept checks or cash payment.