Classes

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Following the Acrobatic Arts syllabus to build the correct foundation, acro is essentially two skills in one programme; the art of dance and the skill of the acrobat. It combines many classic dance elements with a physical conditioning that allows you to undertake the complex acrobatic moves that are part of the style.  

From our tiniest pre school dancers to our advanced ballet candidates we have something for all who enjoy ballet at DSD. Following the RAD ballet syllabus, we offer everyone the opportunity to take part in RAD ballet examinations once a year. Our dancers who would like to take dancing that little bit more seriously have the opportunity to take part in vocational ballet exams which include working on pointe. The higher and vocational grades offer students the opportunity to gain UCAS points from their exams, helping towards their university applications. We also offer the non exam route for students who would prefer this, moving up with their class each year. 

Contemporary is a style of dance that combines elements of several other dance genres, this includes modern, jazz, lyrical and ballet. It is about the connection of the mind and body allowing free flowing movements unlike ballet which is very strict and structured. This class has two parts to it, one half is following the ID company contemporary syllabus to learn the technique of contemporary dance and to build a foundation. The second half is learning and working on new choreography. 

Commercial dance takes movements from jazz, hip hop, breakdance, popping, krumping and street dance, usually seen in the likes of music videos, concerts, films, advertisements and television shows. This class is a fun, fast paced environment allowing dancers to work on new choreography each week to current music. 

Our competition teams are audition only, held once a year. Competitions allow the chance for children to perform multiple times a year in various theatres across the UK competing against other dance schools. We offer the opportunity for children to perform as a team as well as solos, duets and trios. Our teams have been known to help students build their confidence. 

Jazz is a technical style, taking inspiration from the likes of Bob Fosse, Katherine Dunham and Jack Cole. It is often performed to up beat music, with the choreography being fast paced and including isolations, turns, leaps and jumps. We are now following the ISTD modern jazz syllabus as a section of the class, which will allow our students the opportunity to take part in examinations in this style if they would to do so. Our older dancers have the opportunity to take jazz/modern examinations to a vocational level offering them the chance to gain UCAS points and also become a dance teacher themselves if they would like to do so. 

Our newest and most exciting class allows students to learn choreography as if they were a professional dancer in a musical theatre production. No other school in Edinburgh or the Lothians offers a class at this level where students will wear New Yorkers (heeled dance shoes) like they would on stage. Whether your child is just taking this class for fun or as a stepping stone into a career in dance it will provide a fun environment.  

We offer private lessons, which are available on request. Whether this is for a comp team member to work on a new solo, extra practice before a ballet exam or for a student who is keen to take dance further as a career. One to one time is the best way for specific improvement in a dancer.  Please email Miss Stewart to book in. 

Our SST class provides dancers time to work specifically on stretching, strengthening and technique, think jumps, leaps, turns. This equips our dancers and allows them more time in their other classes to specifically work on that style instead of spending extra time on technique etc. 

Tap is brand new to DSD and we are so excited for our students to learn and benefit in their other classes from this technical style. Working on rhythms, beats and timings to create fun sounds, our youngest dancers will enjoy making lots of noise with their sparkly tap shoes in this class. We are now following the ISTD syllabus in tap which will allow our students the opportunity to take part in examinations in this style if they would like to do so. Our older dancers have the opportunity to take tap examinations to a vocational level offering them the chance to gain UCAS points and also become a dance teacher themselves if they would like to do so.