Indian Folk Lore Dancing: Get introduced to the Indian Folk Dance styles of Garba, a Gujarati folk dance celebrated in Navratri, a celebration lasting nine nights. Participants will learn the basic dance movements and music. 

Adult Tap: A fun adult class to learn and refine your tap skills and learn longer sequences of movement.

Intro to Hip Hop: Each class will start with a warm up and stretch and then students will learn the technique and terminology of hip hop. 
 

Our academy dance programs are a longer-term commitment than monthly classes and are only available at our Upper Main Line YMCA. A few of our offerings include:

Adult Ballet Barre: This class is a beginner/intermediate Ballet barre class which works on correct placement of the body, carriage of the arms, and rotation of the hips and legs with simple and more complex combinations of movement at the Ballet barre.

Adult Modern Dance: This is a beginner/intermediate modern dance class for adults, that draws upon the techniques of Graham, Limon, and Horton. Floor work, center, and across the floor movement will be emphasized along with choreography.

Adult Tap: A fun adult class to learn and refine your tap skills and learn longer sequences of movement.

Advanced Ballet & Pointe: Take your ballet to the next level! This class is for the experienced ballet dancer who has completed at least four years of ballet training. The program emphasizes growth, technique, endurance, flexibility and complex combinations. Registration in Advanced Ballet/Pointe must be approved by The Dance Director prior to registration.

Advanced Hip Hop: Time to turn it up a notch! Dancers in this intermediate-level class learn the fundamentals and choreography of different styles of hip-hop and work on increasingly difficult dance routines.

Advanced Tap: If you have mastered the shuffle, ball change and time steps, then you will love Advanced Tap, which builds upon tap fundamentals. Registration is at the discretion of the instructor.

Ballet 1: Did you know that ballet is the foundation of all dance forms? Students in this class learn basic ballet exercises and combinations for the barre and center floor while gaining an understanding of dance class structure.

Ballet 1 / Tap: This class combines 30 minutes of ballet with 30 minutes of tap. Dancers will increase their understanding of dance terminology and will be introduced to longer dance combinations.

Ballet 2: You have mastered the arm and foot positions taught in Ballet 1, now you will build upon those skills as you learn more ballet terminology and are introduced to longer combinations of movement.

Ballet 3: Stretch those legs because dancers in this class work to increase leg, foot and ankle strength in preparation for pointe work and increasingly complex movement sequences. For students who completed Ballet 2.

Ballet 4: Stretch those legs because dancers in this class work to increase leg, foot and ankle strength in preparation for pointe work and increasingly complex movement sequences. For students who completed Ballet 3.

Beginner Contemporary / Modern Dance: This class will blend elements of Contemporary and Modern Dance, such as freedom of expression, interpretation of music, principles of fall and recovery, control, breathing, balance and contraction/release and will introduce the principles of choreography.

Beginner Hip Hop: Master moves seen in music videos today! Dancers practice basic dance skills and learn hip-hop terminology, while increasing their motor skills and developing self-expression through movements and music interpretation.

Beginner Jazz / Hip Hop: This class teaches the basics of jazz and hip hop dance.

Beginner/Intermediate Pointe: Lace up your slippers because this class is for the serious dancer who wishes to study ballet pointe work. Students must have adequate foot, ankle, leg and core strength to enter this class. Registration in Beginner/Intermediate Pointe must be approved by The Dance Director prior to registration.

Broadway Dance: Broadway Dance teaches dancers Jazz dance technique and choreography from various Broadway shows, they will perform in the end of the year dance recital.

Dance Explorers: A continuation of our Tiny Dance program, dancers build upon their ballet vocabulary. Tap dance is introduced to increase rhythmical understanding and coordination.

Holiday Nutcracker & Dance Spectacular: Learn holiday dance classics from the ""Nutcracker"" and ""A White Christmas"" as well as dance classics with a twist such as jazz, hip hop, and tap.

Inclusive Adaptive Dance: We are proud to announce our new dance class, Adaptive Dance, a dance class specifically designed to meet the unique needs of children ages 5-9 with diverse abilities. In a fun and welcoming environment, students will develop their fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and mobility through the art of movement and dance. Students will learn the basic fundamentals, build confidence, make new friends, and have a creative outlet to express themselves. Adaptive Dance will be taught by Ms.Claire Jones, who is a certified adaptive dance teacher, through the Boston Ballet. This class is a dance academy class and will participate in our annual dance recital. Pink leotard and tights or white shirt and black dance pants should be worn, as well as pink or black ballet slippers, long hair should be up in a bun.

Intermediate Contemporary Dance: Intermediate Contemporary Dance is a continuation of beginning contemporary dance which emphasizes the techniques of modern dance and Ballet. Floor work, strengthening exercises, across the floor work, combinations, and choreography will be emphasized in this class.

Intermediate Hip Hop: Time to turn it up a notch! Dancers in this intermediate-level class learn the fundamentals and choreography of different styles of hip-hop and work on increasingly difficult dance routines.

Intermediate/Advanced Ballet: This class is a continuation of ballet technique, barre work, center and across the floor will be emphasized with increasingly complex combinations and movements. Previous ballet experience is required for this class.

Intermediate/Advanced Contemporary / Modern Dance: This class will blend elements of Contemporary and Modern Dance, such as freedom of expression, interpretation of music, principles of fall and recovery, control, breathing, balance and contraction/release and will introduce the principles of choreography.

Intermediate/Advanced Dancer Package: By Invitation Only. Allows access to 4 Intermediate/Advanced Dance classes for $250/month.

Intermediate/Advanced Tap: If you have mastered the shuffle, ball change and time steps, then you will love Intermediate/Advanced Tap, which builds upon tap fundamentals.

Junior Dance Company: Enrollment in at least 1 ballet class per week is required. Dancers will learn a variety of choreography that is a blend of ballet, jazz, modern and other techniques, which emphasizes self-expression, space, rhythm and choreography. Dancers will participate in dance competitions and outreach programs.

Musical Theater Jazz: Musical Theater Jazz is a theatrical dance class that combines the songs of Broadway musicals with the movement of classic Jazz dance technique. This is a high energy class that will prepare you for the Broadway stage!

Musical Theater Tap: Musical Theater Tap is a beginning, mixed age tap class that introduces the dancer to the classic steps and sounds of Broadway tap.

Pre-Ballet / Tap: Ballet? Tap? Why not do both! This class combines 30 minutes of ballet with 30 minutes of tap. Students learn to identify, utilize and demonstrate tap and ballet terminology.

Senior Dance Company: Enrollment in Advanced Ballet is required. This class is by audition only. Dancers will learn a variety of choreography with increasingly difficult technical requirements. Dancers will participate in dance competitions and outreach programs. There will be additional costs for dance competitions.

Silver Swans: It's never too late to Shine! Silver Swans classes have been specifically designed for the over 55s, but whatever your age, if you are looking for a new way to keep fit and active our Ballet classes will put a spring in your step. Whether you have never danced before, or want to get back into the swing of it, our classes have something for everyone. The Royal Academy Of Dance (RAD) developed this program based on research into dance practice for older learners. This class is taught by Silver Swans Licensee Claire Jones.

Tap 1/2: Tap 1/2 is a beginner tap that class that introduces the basic steps of tap dance, with simple dance combinations.

Tap 3: Students who have taken at least 4 years of Tap and mastered time steps and other fundamentals of Tap.

Teen/Adult Ballet: This is a mixed level ballet class, floor barre, barre work, center and across the floor work with a strong focus on correct ballet technique and alignment, increasingly complex combinations will be introduced.

Teen/Adult Musical Theater Jazz: This class is perfect for any level adult dancer. Students learn the many different styles of Broadway dance while dancing to their favorite dance show tunes and perfect their dance technique and performance skills.

Teen/Adult Tap: A fun adult class to learn and refine your tap skills and learn longer sequences of movement.

Tiny Dance: Have a little one interested in dance? This introductory dance class helps children develop coordination, balance and self-esteem while discovering the fun of movement and learning simple ballet steps.

UMLY School of Dance Education*
Ages 2 - 18+
From Sep through May, the School of Dance Education at the Upper Main Line YMCA offers a variety of dance classes. Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap – and more.
Learn more. 

Dance Company*
Ages 8 - 18
We offer two competitive dance teams – Junior and Senior Dance Company – who perform in festivals and competitions from Sep through May.
Learn more. 

*Academy Dance Courses require the participant to be a YMCA of Greater Brandywine member to participate. 

Zumba, belly dancing, line dancing and other adult exercise classes are included with YMCA membership. A full schedule of when these drop-in classes are available in our schedules section.