"ODC School is open 365 days a year and has dozens of classes available for all ages and levels"
"Don't look down.”
If you’ve ever been a first-time student in a dance class these three words have likely been directed to you. The teacher demonstrates 16 counts of fluid movement. When it’s your turn to try, all mind-body awareness exits stage left and the choreography becomes an intimate duet between your eyes and the floor. We’ve all been there. Moving in a new way can be disorienting. In a state of uncertainty nothing feels more certain than the floor.
ODC School is ready to get you on the dance floor. The school’s dance education program boasts classes available for movers from aged 2 to 92. On the Mission-based campus, there is a lifetime’s worth of opportunities to try new moves and deepen your relationship to familiar steps. Each week, 163 classes and workshops are available from their adult and youth & teen programs combined.
"The weekend of April 15-16, the Dance Jam performed its annual showcase featuring works by Kimi Okada, Dexandro Montalvo, Mia Chong, and Erin Derstine."
The Dance Jam, ODC’s teen company, offers participants the unique opportunity to learn from professional choreographers and be a part of a rich artistic community.
"Joining the Jam is one of the best decisions I've ever made," says 15-year-old Ella Ford. “Not only have I grown so much as a dancer, but I've also met some of my closest friends. My teachers and peers have challenged and supported me so much this year. The fact that The Jam gets to work with amazing choreographers on a daily basis is crazy to think about as a high schooler."
"ODC's Global Dance Passport is a workshop series that culminates in student performances."
Adults, too, can dive deep into dance traditions and feel the communal bond of moving together. The Global Dance Passport started in 1997 by ODC partner Rhythm and Motion. This year, under the leadership of Carlos Venturo, ODC’s Director of School Programming, the workshop series includes Tropi-Cali Dancehall, Musical Theater Dance, Hip Hop, Tap, Belly Dance and Rumba Flamenca. If you’re a novice or seasoned performer, Global Dance Passport provides a welcoming space for all movers to learn and dance together.
Creating a socially-integrated curriculum is essential to ODC School Director Kimi Okada. “I always say that any student that comes through the doors should have a whole world opened up to them—they’re not just coming to learn a few moves in a studio.” For Okada, “It’s about really learning life skills that you’re going to take with you wherever you go, whether you’re going to become a dancer or not. The definition of what dance is, and what art is, is really broad. Dance education is not defining one type of dance as the ‘art.’”
Whether you’re certain or uncertain, whether your eyes are glued to the floor or your phone, taking a dance class is a way to see more, to feel more. At ODC there is a diversity of opportunities to dance into new experiences and studied pasts. Go try a dance class. Look up. See the world you’re in.
"ODC School’s Summer Youth & Teen program hosts classes for dancers starting at age 2! Summer classes begin June 3, 2023 and enrollment for Fall Session opens on June 1, 2023.
ODC School’s Summer Youth & Teen classes begin June 3rd, and enrollment for Fall Session opens on June 1st! Learn more about ODC School’s Youth & Teen programs at odc.dance/youth&teen. ODC School and Rhythm & Motion Dance Program offer dozens of classes for all levels. Learn more and join the fun by visiting odc.dance/schedule. Can’t make it to class? Check out dozens of options streaming on ODC Connect.
Questions? Please contact our front desk team at [email protected].
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