Styles of Dance

The following dance styles are offered during the Recital Session:

• Ballet
  
• Tap
  
• Jazz
  
• Pointe

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For advanced level students, each dance style meets for 40 minutes.  For all other students, each dance style meets for 30 minutes.  Certain age and/or experience requirements must be met to participate in each style of dance (see the Policies page for more information).

Attendance

​During the Recital Session, attending class on a regular basis is imperative.  Dedication to class not only ensures students are prepared for the recital, but also helps students get the most out of their dance experience.  Therefore, all students who participate in WMRC Dance Program’s Recital Session must comply with the program’s attendance policy.  Please see the Attendance Policy page for additional information.

Class Overview

Students who participate in White Marsh Rec. Dance Program's Recital Session receive instruction appropriate to their age and ability level.  However, for most age groups, the structure of the class is relatively similar.  

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• Arrival: Upon entering the dance room, students are asked to place their belongings in the designated area and find a seat on the floor.  When all students are seated and all parents have left the room, the instructor begins class by taking attendance.
• Warm-Ups: For each dance style, an age-appropriate warm-up is used to prepare the students for the rest of the class.  For younger students, warm-ups may include basic following directions activities, familiar songs, creative movement, and stretches.  For more experienced students, warm-ups may focus on improving strength, flexibility, and technique.  With the exception of pointe classes, student rarely use a barre for warm-ups, and barres are only used at the Chapel Hill location.
  
• Individual Focus: This portion of the class allows teachers to focus on steps that are used frequently or that provide a greater challenge to students, and if needed, allows teachers to work with students on an individual basis. Students are given specific steps or sequences to practice as they move from one end of the room to the other. Students typically form two lines on one side of the room, and a teacher works with two students at a time as they practice a specific movement across the room.
  
• Choreography: For each dance style, students will learn a choreographed routine to perform in the recital. Therefore, for each style of dance, instructors focus on choreography and recital preparation for approximately 10 minutes.
• Dismissal: At the end of class, students are rewarded for their positive behavior with a stamp or sticker (see the Policies page for information on the program's behavior expectations).  Parents must enter the room at dismissal - students will not be permitted to leave the dance room without a parent.
  

Recital Overview 

The Recital Session ends with a recital, which showcases all of the students’ dance talents and uses songs and acting to tell a familiar story.  The recital is typically held on a Saturday in early May, and all students who participate in the Recital Session perform in the recital.  Previous recital themes have included:

• Annie (2018) 
• Cinderella (2023)
• The Wizard of Oz (2024)
• Grease (2016)

​During the week that leads up to the recital, students are usually required to attend two evening rehearsals instead of attending regular classes.  These mandatory rehearsals are held in the auditorium of Perry Hall High School and last for approximately 3 hours.  Finally, during the two mandatory rehearsals and the recital, students remain with their class at all times, and several Room Parents are assigned to each class to watch over and assist students.​

​​​​Recital Session

​The White Marsh Rec. Dance Program's primary session is the Recital Session.  The Recital Session typically runs from September until May, and ends with a recital, which showcases all of the students’ dance talents.  Students who participate in the Recital Session are primarily grouped by age, and attend approximately 30 classes throughout the session.  Additionally, all students attend one evening class per week (weekend classes are not offered), and the length of the class depends on the styles of dance being taken.  For the Recital Session, the program offers classes at two locations (see the Locations page for more information).