
The artistry and technical proficiency of classical ballet has significantly declined in recent years. Ballet used to be a form of dance that would pull audiences into the story on stage, immersing them in the action, allowing an emotional depth that lasts in their memories for years. As a dance school that focuses mainly on classical ballet technique and artistry, we want to breathe life back into ballet and help students understand that ballet doesn’t have to be boring to be beautiful.
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In our classes, students will learn classical artistry (using various styles including Finis Jhung, Balanchine, and Vaganova) as well as functional biomechanics to aid in injury risk reduction. Our classes are little different and some might say, unconventional. But that's exactly how we like them. Our main priority is to put the mental and physical health of our dancers first and foremost as building blocks toward better technical proficiency. In an effort to do this well, students will find a place where they are challenged appropriately to build good habits and attitudes within their ballet training.
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Though classical technique is our focus, our elite training incorporates biomechanics and ROM (range of motion) training, neuromuscular and structural balance, increased power and endurance, and proper facilitation of joint movement. This way, dancers who wish to pursue dance as a career, or even advance to our company, can have a better chance at injury risk reduction and pain-free retirement.
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For all of our students, they will receive a mid-year and end-of-year evaluation based on what they have been learning in class. This evaluation will give students an idea of what they are weakest and strongest in and will provide an outline of what they need to work on to progress in class. Our teachers will do their best to help each student master the techniques on their evaluations throughout the year. Parents are also required to attend a short parent orientation at the beginning of the dance year to prepare them for the year ahead.
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​​In addition to our dance school, we offer an opportunity for students to work toward advancing into our dance company. La Belle Vie Dance Company is designed to offer performances for our community throughout the year as well as any other special events. Dancers throughout Vero Beach and beyond are welcome to audition for these performances. Audition dates will vary but will generally take place around August and January.
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All enrolled students in our dance school will perform in their end-of-year showcase.
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View our dress codes here and our dance etiquette/policies here.
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"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid."
Matthew 5:14
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."
Psalm 19:14
Classes

Beginner Ballet
Ages 6-7
Students will learn all of the basic ballet terms and how to perform them correctly. We will be focusing on basic technique and center work to encourage both strength and coordination.
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Students enrolled in Beginner Ballet have priority access to auditions throughout the year.​
1 hour
1 class/week

Ballet 2
Ages 12-15
To build overall strength, balance, and coordination, floor barre and center barre will be incorporated more often. In addition, classes may also incorporate various conditioning exercises to improve jumps, turns, strength/flexibility balance, extensions, posture, control, and more.
It is required that dancers in this class join our annual Dance Health and Wellness Workshop.
It is recommended but not required that they take 2 extra elective classes (Pre-Pointe, Pointe, Repertoire & Performance, and/or Conditioning/Injury Prevention).
Pre-Pointe and/or Pointe are required for eligibility as soloists and principle roles.
Students enrolled in Ballet 2 have priority access to auditions throughout the year. Ballet 2 students will also be assessed for junior soloist roles.
1 hour
2 classes/week

Company Rehearsal
Audition Dates Coming Soon...
Because we want everyone to have a chance to perform and show off what they have learned at the end of the year, we offer an end-of-year showcase for dancers who are not cast in our annual dance performances.
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Company rehearsal is for dancers who have auditioned and been cast in any of our annual performances. All three rehearsals are mandatory for company castings.
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Please note that this class isn't mandatory for all and you cannot register for it as an official class. Auditions will determine whether a student must attend Company rehearsals. Pricing will include costumes, 2 tickets per dancer, a group photo, and event program.
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Please check back for audition dates and more information.
1 hour
3 classes/week

Conditioning/Injury Prevention
Grades 5-adult
Students will learn proper conditioning exercises that will focus on strengthening muscle groups used in their particular field of dance, increasing aerobic endurance, and increasing flexibility. This class involves free weight exercises, floor work, low-impact cardio, balance training, and exercise ball workouts. We will be incorporating various techniques including Pilates, Barre, PBT, and functional fitness training.
Unlike our regular conditioning class through La Belle Vie Fitness, this class is specific to dancers, using movements and techniques that are designed for those involved in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, etc. (limit 10 students to a class)
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This class is open to non-registered LBVD students as well to enhance their training.
45 minutes
1 class/week

Pas de Deux
Grades 7-12
Students will learn partnering and how to perform steps in sync with each other en pointe. Partnering classes are important for students who are more serious about pursuing dance as a career, for dancers who are interested in solo or principle roles in our company, or for those who want to add another level of expertise to their dance training. This class prepares students for performances, and it is recommended that students who are more geared toward pursuing a professional career also sign up for our Repertoire & Performance class. (limit 6 couples to a class)
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This class is currently not available for the 2024-25 dance season.
45 minutes
1 class/week

Beginner Tap
Ages 6-8
Due to popular demand, we are adding a beginner tap class this year! Students will be learning the basics of rhythm and tempo along with building the foundations of beginner technique and strength.
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Students in this class will have fun experimenting with various styles of tap including some musical-theater and Vaudeville-style tapping.
1 hour
1 class/week

Ballet 3
Ages 16-adult
Ballet 3 will continue to work on the student's flexibility, coordination, strength, and technique through PBT-style exercises and classical training. Students taking Ballet 3 should already be taking a Pre-Pointe or Pointe class in addition to their ballet training.
It is required that dancers in this class join our annual Dance Health and Wellness Workshop.
It is recommended but not required that they take 2 extra elective classes (Pre-Pointe, Pointe, Repertoire & Performance, and/or Conditioning/Injury Prevention).
Pointe is required for eligibility as principle and soloist roles.
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Students enrolled in Ballet 3 have priority access to auditions through the year. Ballet 3 students will also be assessed for principle dancers and soloists.
1 hour
2 classes/week

Pre-Pointe
Grades 5+
Special invitations may come from our La Belle Vie Dance staff
This class helps prepare younger students, or students who are not yet ready for pointe. Young dancers are more at risk, even at 12 years old, for foot and ankle injuries. Taking a pre-pointe class allows them to become more aware of the movements that will occur during a typical pointe class, how to reduce the risk common injuries, and how to strengthen the areas in which pointe works the most. Students will work to strengthen their ankles, feet, and legs to make the transition to pointe much easier. They will learn proper technique, combinations, choreography, and conditioning exercises that will eventually be performed in a pointe class. Since pointe work includes more than just feet, ankles, and legs, students will also be working on core strength, balance, and posture.
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This class is required for dancers wishing to take our Pointe class. They must take at least 1 year of Pre-Pointe before their pointe assessment. Students who have been through a Pre-Pointe class at another studio must schedule an assessment with La Belle Vie Dance to determine whether they are ready to move forward.
45 minutes
1 class/week

Repertoire & Performance
Grades 5-adult
This class allows students to learn famous variations and excerpts from a variety of famous ballets (i.e., Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Serenade, etc.) while incorporating ballet "acting" to further enhance their performance skills. Students will be turning their technique into art as use their whole bodies to perform and tell a story.
During repertoire class, dancers will learn how to use basic performance acting techniques, using their hand, feet, arm, and head movements to tell a full story. (limit 6 students to a class)
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Students enrolled in this class will be performing their finalized piece for the end-of-year showcase.
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This class is open to non-registered LBVD students as well to enhance their training.
1 hour
2 classes/week

Private Dance Lessons
Grades 5-adult
These private lessons are meant to enhance the dancer’s overall training. Private lessons can be booked separately, or in addition to regular class training. Pricing will vary depending on the number of classes per week as well as the level of the dancer.
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We know that there is often a demand for specialized scheduling, especially for homeschoolers. However, due to the availability of our teachers, we will not be scheduling any private lessons in the mornings or afternoons. We apologize for any inconvenience.
45 minutes
Pricing for this differs from our regular classes and they cannot be registered for online. Please contact us for details.

Ballet 1
Ages 8-11
Students will be expected to know all of the basic ballet terms and should be able to perform them correctly. We will be focusing on more challenging technique and center work as well as incorporating floor barre for strength and conditioning. Classes may also include various functional training exercises to improve balance, coordination, flexibility, extension, strength, posture, and much more.
It is required for our dancers in this class join our annual Dance Health and Wellness Workshop.
It is recommended but not required that they take 1 extra elective class (Pre-Pointe, Repertoire & Performance, and/or Conditioning/Injury Prevention).
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Students enrolled in Ballet 1 have priority access to auditions throughout the year.
1 hour
1 class/week

Adult Ballet
Adults 18+
Have you been thinking about getting back into dance but aren't sure where to begin? Many adults are considering getting back into ballet which is why we've created this specialized class in addition to our regular ballet classes.
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As with our regular classes, our adult ballet class will focus heavily on flexibility, coordination, strength, and most of all, technique. Students will begin with beginner-level technique to refresh their memories and build up to intermediate-advanced levels based on the technical proficiency of our students.
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The difference between this and our other classes is that students enrolled in Adult Ballet do not perform in our end-of-year showcase. If students choose to perform, we recommend taking an elective such as Repertoire & Performance, Pre-Pointe, or Pointe.
It is required that dancers in this class join our annual Dance Health and Wellness Workshop.​
1 hour
1 class/week

Pointe
Ages 11+
Students must have passed their preliminary assessment with our La Belle Vie Dance staff to take this class.
Taking everything they learned from their pre-pointe class, students will begin to learn how to properly break in their pointe shoes while encouraging excellent technique and stability through classical training and conditioning exercises.
It is required that dancers wishing to take pointe take 1 year of pre-pointe in preparation. The preliminary assessment is also required and can be scheduled with the teacher at not additional cost to currently enrolled students. This assessment cannot be scheduled until the student has completed at least 1 year of pre-pointe. Non-LBVD students can schedule their assessment for $30 provided they have taken a pre-pointe class at another studio. A failed assessment requires the student to return to pre-pointe for another 6 months-1 year depending on the reason for failure.​
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This class is recommended for dancers in Ballet 2 and 3, however, it is not required. For dancer who wish to be promoted to soloist or principle roles in our company, they are required to take pointe class.
45 minutes
2 classes/week

Junior Pas de Deux
Grades 5-8
Students will learn partnering and how to perform steps in sync with each other at a junior level. This class is open to younger students as well as students who are not yet en pointe as pointe shoes are not required. Students are invited to attend this class as a precursor to our more advanced pas de deux, if they are interested in soloist roles in our company, or if they are not sure whether or not they would like to pursue a more advanced level of dance. (limit 6 couples to a class)
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This class is currently not available for the 2024-25 dance season.
45 minutes
1 class/week

Dance Health & Wellness Workshop
Ages 8-adult ($10 for anyone not currently enrolled in LBVD)
This class is required of all of our students 8-adult to maintain healthy physical, mental, and emotional health outlooks throughout the dance year. As a company that focuses their efforts on maintaining the health and stability of the dancer first and foremost, we provide these health and wellness classes annually and address issues such as proper conditioning practices, flexibility "secrets", nutrition guidelines for athletes, common injuries and how to reduce the risk, common health issues and how to reduce the risk, eating disorders, body image, and much more.
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This workshop is open to the public. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend alongside their student(s) as they are the driving forces behind what our dancers practice at home. Please bring pencils/pens and paper to take notes.
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View the schedule for this year's date and time.
2 hour workshop
1 class/year