Pre Ballet Level
Ages (3-6) True Beginners.

Every dancer begins somewhere. For our youngest students, that beginning is found in small moments — learning to listen, to move with purpose, and to feel the joy of music through motion.

 

Pre-Ballet at Northern Nevada Ballet Academy is for children who are ready to explore. It’s for those curious, imaginative, and full of energy — the ones who twirl in the living room, march proudly to the rhythm of a song, or can’t wait to show you a “new move.” They may not know what ballet is yet, but they already carry the spirit of a dancer.

 

In this first level, students learn much more than steps. They discover how to stand tall, to focus, to follow direction, and to share space with others. Through gentle structure and imaginative play, they begin to understand rhythm, posture, coordination, and balance.

 

Parents are an important part of this journey. Their quiet encouragement, steady routines, and presence at milestones help shape a child’s confidence as much as any lesson. When parents share in those small victories — the first plié, a graceful bow, the spark of pride after class — they become partners in their child’s artistic growth.

 

Each class builds not only technical foundations — plié, tendu, port de bras — but also personal ones: confidence, patience, and self-expression. It’s about teaching young dancers how to move gracefully, but also how to be in the world — to listen, to connect, to create.

 

 

Curriculum Overview

Pre-Ballet introduces students to the structure of a true ballet class while allowing space for imagination and play. Instructors encourage students to observe, participate, and take simple notes to remember key positions and movements as they grow.

 

Our weekly lessons explore:

 

• Warm-Up / Floor (Center): developing coordination, posture, and flexibility through creative exercises like Airplane arms, Butterfly sit, and Swan stretches.

• Facing Barre: building strength and alignment through early barre work including pliés, tendus, relevés, and port de bras.

• Center (No Barre): learning balance and simple combinations with focus on musical awareness and placement.

• Traveling / Across the Floor: moving through space with control and joy — ballet walks, chassés, skips, and pas de chats.

• Artistry & Habits: exploring rhythm, creative expression, and teamwork through musical games and circle dances inspired by the “7 Habits” focus: Be Proactive, Imagery, and Solidarity.​

 

 

By the end of this level, students begin to see themselves differently. They will know port de bras, tendu, plié, élevé, relevé, tendu devant and à la seconde, coupé and passé, chassé side, pas marché, prances with coupé, and pas de chat.

 

They carry a sense of pride, awareness, and presence that goes beyond the studio. They stand taller. They move with intention. They start to understand that dance isn’t something they do — it’s something they are.

 

This is where the journey begins.