Geeky Ballerina
artistry + technique
Which Division is Right for Me?
Pre-ballet & Ballet Foundations​
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The youngest ones are so fun to teach! Every day is a dancing adventure and you can almost see their brains making new connections right in front of you. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed like eager little squirrels, these kiddos will play ballet with you all day. (By the way, that squirrel imagery is great when you're exploring steps like bourrée and couru.)
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Written specifically for your youngest dancers through age 7, the Pre-ballet & Ballet Foundations curriculum has all kinds of information to help these classes be the highlight of your teaching schedule.This division introduces basic vocabulary and also includes important extras like information about child development, learning patterns, class theme suggestions, and ballet-specific songs and nursery rhymes to make class even more fun!
Elementary Division
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The Elementary Division is a time of amazing progress! Students in these levels are able to integrate information in a much more complex way than beginners can. And these kids ask the best questions. Watching the dancers grow from beginners to ready-for-pointe-work is an amazing transformation that happens in just a few short years. These dancers have no idea how much they are going to progress in these three levels. It's the most wonderful not-secret secret ever!
Designed for students in elementary school (around age 8 and up), this Division includes three progressive levels:
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Level 1: First Steps into Formal Ballet
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Perfect for dancers ready to embrace the focus of formal ballet training
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Introduces foundational ballet vocabulary from barre through grand allegro
Level 2: Building Strong Foundations
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Focuses deeply on alignment and classical positioning
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Progresses from 3rd position of the feet to mastering 5th position
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Develops proper muscle engagement and pelvic alignment
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Level 3: Increasing Artistry and Control
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Centers on developing aplomb through steps like assemblé
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Culminates in beautiful single pirouettes en dehors and en dedans from 5th position
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Prepares dancers for pointe readiness with strong, well-aligned ankles in relevé
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Adult and teen beginning dancers should start with Level 2 in the Elementary curriculum.
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Intermediate Division​
If I had to choose one division to specialize in for the rest of my life, it would be this one. All the hard work dancers have put into their earlier training really pays off and they now have the stability and aplomb to really play with the technique. They can jump higher, show off batterie, and turn more than ever before. Movements that seemed out of reach just a few years before now look easy.
Designed for ages 11 and up, this division includes three progressive levels that challenge students to find greater grace and clarity in their dancing:
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​Level 4: Expanding Technical Vocabulary
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Introduces extensive new vocabulary while refining existing skills
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Develops sophisticated movement quality through épaulement
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Culminates in refined double pirouettes en dehors and en dedans from 4th position
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Includes readiness evaluation for pointe work
Level 5: Deepening Classical Awareness
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Develops deeper anatomical understanding and control of turnout, building on students' capacity for complex body awareness
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Develops strength for extensions at or above 90°
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Focuses on maintaining technique through complex combinations
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Emphasizes intentional, sophisticated movement quality
Level 6: Refining Advanced Skills
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Centers on mastering aplomb through weight transfer in grand allegro
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Develops dynamic range in vocabulary execution
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Builds precision in alignment throughout movement
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Prepares dancers for advanced-level challenges
Advanced Division
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I know I confessed to loving the Intermediate Division, but there are joys in teaching the Advanced Division that you can't experience anywhere else. By this point in training, students have already learned most of the ballet vocabulary. While there is still more to be taught, the focus shifts to supporting upcoming performances and long-term goals for professional or collegiate dancing. Dancers in the Advanced Division are encouraged to infuse all of their movement with elements of artistry so that class is always more than copying someone else's demonstration.
The Advanced Division curriculum is specifically designed for dancers dedicated to pre-professional study and may not be right for all students. Many competition and recreational studios find that Level 6 (in the Intermediate Division) is their ideal "highest level"--and that's great! Geeky Ballerina is all about helping people teach quality ballet at all levels, and we encourage you to offer the levels that best serve your students.
For studios whose mission includes pre-professional ballet training, this division includes:
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Level 7: Cultivating Performance Artistry
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Develops finesse in batterie during petit allegro
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Masters sustained poses during center work
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Works toward 4+ pirouettes
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Builds consistency in multiple fouettés while maintaining technique
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Level 8: Polishing Professional Excellence
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Focuses on consistently combining artistry with advanced technique
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Refines performance quality through all movement
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Prepares dancers for collegiate and professional opportunities
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Represents the culmination of student training
