Brooklyn Jewish Dance Institute

We are currently the only frum dance studio in New York to offer quality dance training in a full spectrum of dance forms to all ages.

Description of Dance Forms

Ballet  -  Formalized form of dance with its origins in the French court, further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. It is a highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. It has been influential as a form of dance globally and is taught in ballet schools around the world which use their own culture and society to modernize the art. Ballet dance works (ballets) are choreographed and also include mime and acting and are set to music (usually orchestral but occasionally vocal). It is best known in the form of classical ballet, notable for its techniques, such as pointe work and turn-out of the legs, its graceful, flowing, precise movements, and its ethereal qualities.

Tap - Developed in the United States during the nineteenth century and is popular nowadays in many parts of the world. The name comes from the tapping sound made when the small metal plates on the dancer's shoes touch a hard surface. This lively, rhythmic tapping makes the performer not just a dancer, but also a percussive musician.

Jazz -  A form of dance that showcases a dancer's individual style and originality. Every jazz dancer interprets and executes moves and steps in their own way. Jazz dancing is energetic and fun, consisting of unique moves, fancy footwork, big leaps and quick turns. To excel in jazz, dancers need a strong background in ballet, as it encourages grace and balance. Although jazz dancing came about as dance done to jazz music, the style has developed into its own unique dance form that generally has nothing to do with the music from which it came. Jazz dance works vary from animated show/musical merry making as seen in musicals to lyrical ballads.

Hip Hop - Refers to dance styles, mainly street dance styles, primarily danced to music with a strong beat. This exciting dance form was created as a positive outlet for emotions.  In our studio, this class will be modified to include only those types of the dance form that are befitting our people, and the music used is only Jewish music or intrumental.

Flamenco -  A dance form that comes from Spain.  It is characterized by its exciting, intricate rhythms, made with the feet, hands, and body, and twirling of the wrists and skirts.  Sometimes castanets, and props, such as fans and shawls, are used to enhance the rhythms or the beauty of the dance.  There are different dances that fall under the umbrella of “flamenco,” and each has its own rhythmic structure unique to that dance.  This is a dance form that entertains both the ears and the eyes of the onlookers.

Modern -  A style of theatrical dance that rejects the limitations of classical ballet and favors movement deriving from the expression of inner.

Pilates -  A form of exercise that uses ballet principles of alignment and focuses on core strength and muscle control.

Yoga -  A form of exercise that uses held positions to enhance flexibility and develop enlongated muscles.

Break Dancing -   A form of solo dancing that involves rapid acrobatic moves in which different parts of the body touch the ground.  It is characterized by head spins and freezes and is an exciting and expressive form.

Pop and Lock -  This dance is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body. It gives a robotic impression. This class covers a variety of styles including robot, wavin, and finger tutin.

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