Our Mission

To provide quality dance education to students of all age levels which will nurture and develop the person while developing pure classical technique.  Our belief is that students excel in a positive, nurturing environment.

Ballet Program

Our ballet program is divided into four divisions: the Pre-Ballet Division, the Children’s Ballet Division, the Pre-Professional Division, and the Adult Division. Our ballet syllabus is based on a mixture of the English RAD school, the Russian Vaganova method, the Danish school, and the Italian Cecchetti method to provide students with a well-rounded ballet technique.  We want our dancers to be strong and versatile which is essential in today’s dance world.   We realize that not all of our students will ultimately choose a career in ballet.  Some may decide to go into different forms of dance or theatre and we hope to prepare them for this as well by offering other dance classes beside ballet, such as tap, jazz, and hip hop.  Ultimately we hope all of our students will have a life long love of dance and become well-educated supporters of this beautiful art form.

Pre-Ballet Division

Pre-Ballet with Tap (ages 3 & 4) and (ages 5 & 6)

At the tender of ages of three, four, and five, a child’s muscles and bones are not ready for rigorous ballet training. Yet many children at this age love to dance and would like to take part in an actual dance class.  Our pre-ballet program teaches rhythm, coordination, musicality, as well as early ballet and tap steps which are gentle enough for children’s bodies and teach them important skills as well. Children are natural movers and respond to music with freedom and abandon.  It is our aim to embrace this natural ability and enthusiasm while teaching them classroom discipline and respect for the art form.

v      Pre-Ballet with Tap  (ages 3 & 4)

This 45-minute class teaches children rhythm, coordination, musicality, and early classroom etiquette through simple imaginative exercises, skipping, creative dance, and early ballet and tap steps. 

v      Pre-Ballet with Tap (ages 5 & 6)

This one hour class teaches rhythm, coordination, musicality, and classroom etiquette through imaginative exercises, stretching, simple strength exercise designed to teach proper placement, creative dance, and early ballet and tap steps becoming more involved and setting the child up for Ballet I and Tap I.

Children’s Ballet Division

Ballet I, II, III, IV

This division is important because it lays the foundation of classical ballet.   Ballet teaches grace, coordination, strength, flexibility, musicality, balance, and is the backbone of all dance forms.  It has been around for hundreds of years and because of this, the art form demands respect and discipline. All classes at the Littleton Dance Academy embrace this tradition.  Dance has also been proven to help students in school and other physical activities.

All classes are taught by co-directors Bobbie and Alison Jaramillo

v      Ballet I (ages 6 and up, once a week)

This one hour class begins basic ballet training complete with barre work, stretching and strength exercises designed to teach proper placement, and center work, fully using the French terminology.  This class is a serious ballet class modeled after a professional dancer’s class.

v      Ballet II (recommended 1- 2 times per week)

This one hour class continues to build onto the basics of Ballet I complete with barre work, stretching and strength exercises designed to teach proper placement, and center work, fully using the French terminology.  Ballet II students are expected to know and be comfortable with Ballet I vocabulary and able to develop cleaner, more precise technique.

v      Ballet III (recommended 2-3 times per week)

This one hour class continues to build onto the basics of Ballet II complete with barre work, stretching and strength exercises designed to teach proper placement, and center work, fully using the French terminology.  Ballet III students are expected to know and be comfortable with both Ballet I and II vocabulary and are starting to put together more complete combinations with emphasis on proper technique.

v      Ballet IV/Pointe (recommended 3-4 times per week)

This one and a half hour class continues to build on the basics of the last three levels.  The class focuses on learning many new steps and developing clean technique, both on the barre and in center, stretching, and begins specific exercises for pointe work.

Pre-Professional Ballet Division

Ballet V and VI

v      Ballet V (recommended 4-5 times per week)

v       Ballet VI (recommended 5-6 times per week)

Our Pre-Professional Division is designed to give aspiring students the highest quality training focusing on clean technique, pointe work, and developing artistry.  Lorita Travaglia and Debra Mercer join Bobbie and Alison Jaramillo as teachers of Ballet V and VI.  Students at this level fully learn to connect steps together and advance to more difficult combinations. The class emphasizes classical epaulement, artistry, fluidity and strength in adagio and precision in both turns and allegro steps.

Tap Program

Beginning (ages 6 and up), Intermediate, and Advanced Tap

Taught by former Broadway dancer Bobbie Jaramillo, these classes teach proper technique with an emphasis on clean sounds and musicality.  Typically students will spend three years in each class, working with students of their own level.

Jazz Program

Beginning Jazz (ages 7 and up), Intermediate, and Advanced Jazz 

The jazz program is based on technique and longevity.  These classes include a broad spectrum of jazz technique of New York style jazz from funk to Fosse.  Students begin with warm-ups, stretches and isolation exercises before working on combinations across the floor and in center.

Hip Hop Program

Hip Hop I (ages 7 and up) and Hip Hop II

This class introduces the aspiring dancer, boys and girls, to the excitement of hip hop. Dancers learn various aspects of hip hop technique such as locking, popping and b-boying/girling in exciting combinations. All classes are taught by Larry Southall.

Adult Program

Adult Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop

The adult program is designed to give adults a chance to dance as well.  Some adults come with no training but the desire to learn, others come with training as children and a desire to dance again.  The program is directed at teaching adults to dance to the best of their abilities, get in an enjoyable workout, and have a wonderful time while doing it