Our Curriculum
Factory Street Studio’s curriculum is founded on a belief that dance education can encourage a student’s physical, mental, and emotional health through the creative act of self-expression combined with the athleticism and rigor of dance technique. Our concept-based program offers a well rounded, developmentally sound approach to teaching the art, craft, and joy of moving.
Creative Movement for Young Dancers
Our Creative Movement classes are designed to lay the foundation for understanding dance concepts and basic movement skills before students are placed in more traditional dance technique classes. Creative Movement lesson plans are structured to give a balance of movement exploration, traditional dance exercises, movement games, and skill building for maximum fun and learning! Creative Movement classes include Preschool Movement Fun, Movement Fun, Creative Movement 1A, and Creative Movement 1B.
Technique for Dancers Ages 8-18
All technique classes are taught from an anatomically correct base, emphasizing the safe execution of dance skills in order to develop strength, flexibility, stamina, and physical expression. Technique classes are offered in levels 2 through 6, beginner through advanced. We strive to place students in appropriate class levels according to age, dance experience, and maturity level. We run on a two-year cycle wherein students complete two full consecutive years in their current Tech level before advancing to the next level. We currently offer classes in the following techniques:
Modern Dance - Modern is a genre of dance that emphasizes not just form and athleticism, but expressiveness and creativity as well. Students learn many traditional techniques such as Humphrey/Limon and Horton, while being introduced to concepts of improvisation and composition.
Ballet – Our classes in classical ballet technique are a blend of Vaganova (Russian) and Cecchetti (Italian) techniques, with an emphasis on line, anatomically correct form, strength, and flexibility. As our students progress to more advanced levels, instruction en pointe is offered to dancers who exhibit exceptional strength and technique.
Jazz Dance – We offer jazz classes to students starting at the Tech 3 level. As a highly stylized dance form, it combines high-energy movement and technical skills such as turning, jumping, and fast footwork. Jazz techniques include influences from Broadway, Latin Jazz, and West Coast style jazz.
Tap Dance - Our Tap classes are a combination of the “hoofing” style of tap and traditional Broadway tap styles. Students will gain an understanding of rhythm, percussive movement, and basic to more complicated steps of the tap repertoire.
Hip Hop - Our Hip Hop classes are fun, high energy classes that cover the basics of hip hop, street dance, and techniques such as popping and locking. No dance experience is necessary to enroll in our Hip Hop 1 class.
Choreography and Performance Programming
At Factory Street Studio, we believe that self-esteem can be nurtured in young dancers through the creative act of dance-making. We strive to give dancers of all ages the opportunity to learn how to create dances that will give form to personal expression, allowing them to engage in the creative process and become familiar with the ins-and-outs of dance performance from start to finish. We currently offer three Choreography and Performance programs: the Creative Kids Company (Composition Class), the Capstone Project for Juniors and Seniors, and the Visiting Artists in Composition Program. See details about these programs below.
Creative Kids Company (Composition Class)
The Creative Kids Company (CKC) is Factory Street’s performance group, which will perform regularly in outreach capacities around Athens County throughout the year, including presenting work at our Winter Dance Celebration. Students wishing to participate in CKC attend weekly Composition classes where they are guided in the creation of original dances that they then perform for the community. Students learn all about the creative process, from cultivating and developing movement ideas to finding music and creating costumes. Students wishing to participate in the Creative Kids Company must be enrolled in Tech 3-6 and must be taking at least one dance technique class.
Capstone Project for Juniors and Seniors
The Capstone Project was developed to provide Factory Street dancers who are juniors and seniors in high school the opportunity to engage in a pre-professional choreographic project as the culmination of their dance education at FSS. Capstone dancers create an original high-quality choreographic work which is truly their own, and have the opportunity to take it “on tour” to a venue outside of Athens. They also present their work at FSS’s Spring Concert. Juniors and seniors are also given the opportunity to participate in a pre-professional dance workshop or series of classes (such as the annual OhioDance Festival) to expose them to the “next step” in their dance education after graduation.
Visiting Artists in Composition Program
The Visiting Artists program was started last year as a way to expose students to a variety of choreographic methods and viewpoints from professional artists. Throughout the year we bring in multiple Guest Artists from diverse backgrounds to lead workshops for students enrolled in at least one dance technique class Tech 3-6. Workshop fees are on a drop-in basis, usually $15 per workshop. Workshop fees are waived for students participating in the Creative Kids Company. Past workshop topics have included improvisation, media-based choreography, dance-video, and character and narrative development. Past Guest Artists have included Adriana Durant, Christi Camper, Tresa Randall, and Megan Payne.
