OPEN DIVISION

Vancouver Island’s most prominent dance school offers specialized, tailored, and holistic instruction instilling a love and passion for dance in students of all ages, levels, and ambitions. VAB’s Open Division provides full-year and sessional programs allowing students to balance their academic endeavors and other  life commitments, while dancing multiple times per week. Classes are offered in ballet, jazz and contemporary, ranging from once a week to intensive afterschool training at the higher levels. VAB’s curriculums are student focused, always ensuring that the challenging training is carried out with utmost care and commitment to keeping the dancer’s overall health in mind.

Under the leadership of Academy Director Bleiddyn Del Villar Bellis, Fellow and Examiner CC-CICB, Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma, VAB’s internationally acclaimed and dedicated artistic faculty and the Academy’s approachable teachers, ensure students are nurtured in a supportive, welcoming, and rewarding learning environment where they are inspired to reach their greatest potential.

Note that this program does not require approval by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. As such, PTIB did not review this program. Students may not file a claim against the Student Tuition Protection Fund in relation to this program.

FULL-YEAR PROGRAM | FOUNDATIONAL

Kinder Ballet, Pre-Primary Ballet, and Primary Ballet are Foundational Classes. Victoria Academy of Ballet Foundational Classes focus on inspiring students and instilling a love for music, dance, and self-expression. Foundational classes prepare students to move to higher levels of dance exploration in the Open Division. Classes are offered to students ages 4-6 covering fundamental dance skills:

• Body awareness
• Spatial awareness
• Rhythm
• Basic coordination

DANCE CURRICULA

The Full-Year program runs for 10 months a year, running from September to June. Students learn choreography and perform in our annual CELEBRATION OF DANCE RECITAL.

Children age 4-6 years old are taught in a fun and creative atmosphere with a focus on learning and improving fine motor skills, listening skills, and body/spatial awareness. The development of musical response, rhythm, creativity and self-expression are organically shaped through the use of mime, storytelling and imagination. Upon completion of the program, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Stand in a poised manner
• Demonstrate joy in moving
• Be aware of spacing relative to other student
• Show an understanding of spatial instructions
• Perform movement to a defined musical phrase
• Show the beginnings of rhythm and musicality
• Demonstrate concentration
• Follow verbal instructions

FULL-YEAR PROGRAM | LEVELS 1 TO 10

Typically after completing Foundational Classes, students enter the Open Division at age 7. As students progress through Levels 1 to 10, an increasingly formal approach and technical structure is applied using the Cecchetti Method. Students looking to expand their dance vocabulary are offered optional add-on classes. As students mature and gain technical prowess at Level 3, they may choose to join the Youth Company.

DANCE CURRICULA

Open Division: Full-Year Classes run for 10 months a year, running from September to June. Students in performance classes learn choreography and perform in our annu­al CELEBRATION OF DANCE RECITAL. Students are evaluated through observation, checking for understand­ing, in-class activities to demonstrate learning and discussion, and receive a written progress report once a year. Students in higher levels may be examined by Cecchetti Canada – British Columbia.

In Levels 1 through 10 a formal approach and technical structure is applied to classes as the students mature and gain technical prowess. Students are trained in the Cecchetti Method by highly qualified and experienced teaching professionals. In selected Level 7 – 10 classes students will supplement their training with elements from the RAD syllabus. Students attend the number of ballet classes per week required for their level. Upon completion of Levels 1-10 the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Learn correct body alignment in basic positions
• Further develop a sense of musicality and rhythm
• Increase muscle strength, flexibility, and balance throughout the body
• Be introduced to classical ballet vocabulary and movement
• Develop an understanding of the artistic and tech­nical elements of physical expression that lead to performance artistry
• Be self-motivated and take responsibility for their dance program

LEVEL 1-10 OPTIONAL CLASSES

Students who are interested in expanding their dance vocabulary may add an additional class or two in jazz, contemporary, and pointe work (when technically ready) but must continue with the compulsory num­ber of ballet classes for their specific level. The number of hours/classes per week increases throughout the levels and optional dance classes in different genres of dance are added if the students chooses.

SESSIONAL PROGRAM (3 Sessions/Year)

The Sessional Programs are short-term classes for students looking to explore an interest in dance without committing to a Full-Year Class. This program runs for 6 to 12 weeks long in the Fall (September to December), Winter (January to March), and Spring (April to June). There will be no performance with this class, but students can join us for 1, 2, or 3 Sessions throughout the year.