Contemporary | Contemporary dance refers to classes, choreography, and movement practices that draw from a variety of styles but maintain a strong foundation in modern dance. As the internet and technology allowed for dance influences to become more accessible across distances, contemporary dance began to develop. Multicultural influences and the intentional blend of dance styles like jazz, hip hop, and others has been at the heart of contemporary dance since its inception. Unlike other dance forms which have a strong historical foundation in a single codified technique, contemporary is an ever evolving form; it is frequently defined by the individual teacher and taught as a personal reaction to their relationship(s) with other forms. At eXit SPACE, contemporary classes often include full-bodied movement, bottom-heavy dance phrases, extensive floor-work and emotionality.

Ballet | Class emphasis at eXit SPACE is on dynamic alignment, strength development, body awareness, artistic expression, and quality of movement taught in styles ranging from purely classical to more contemporary, with a frequent mix of methodologies. Every class includes a comprehensive barre and center practice with the option to adapt movements based on level, injury, and comfort. Ballet has a long history of exclusion - from socio-economic status, to skin color, body type, age, and level of training – but eXit SPACE is proud to be one of a growing number of dance education facilities that stands on the firm notion that ballet is for everybody and every body with the intention of elevating individual artistic voices by decentering the historic whiteness in ballet.

A brief history: The roots of Ballet date back to European ethnic/folk dances copied by the Italian court during the Renaissance for aristocratic entertainment. An Italian social dance with choreographic elements, "balleto" or ballet, made its way to France in the 16th century where dancing masters instructed children and choreographed increasingly elaborate performances with sets, costumes and story elements. In the 17th century court, King Louis XIV emerged as a figurehead of ballet's codification, establishing the Royal Academy of Dance where Pierre Beauchamp established the five traditional rotated positions. Russia, subsequently, played a major role in Ballet's further development and Russian dancers are often credited with "perfecting" the technique. Through the Baroque Period and into the Romantic Era and beyond, Ballet gained six codified teaching styles which are often adapted and/or mixed for ballet classes around the world (the Vaganova, Cecchetti Method, and RAD methods being the most common).

For a more comprehensive history of ballet: Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans and Night's Dancer: The Life of Janet Collins by Yael Tamar Lewin

Ballet and Conditioning | Beginning Ballet & Conditioning is a beginning-level ballet class for dancers with a basic understanding of classical movement vocabulary, which includes both a traditional ballet barre and center work along with warm-up and cool-down exercises on mats**, an emphasis on stretching, and expressive choreography. Class emphasis at eXit SPACE is on dynamic alignment, strength development, body awareness, artistic expression, and quality of movement taught in styles ranging from purely classical to more contemporary, with a frequent mix of methodologies. With that in mind, ballet has a long history of exclusion – from socio-economic status, to skin color, body type, age, and level of training, but eXit SPACE is proud to be one of a growing number of dance education facilities that stands on the firm notion that ballet is for everybody and every body with the intention of elevating individual artistic voices by decentering the historic whiteness in ballet. This is a great class for intermediate-level beginners and a wonderful relaxing work-out for any level.

**Conditioning includes work on mats and utilizes hand weights and/or exercise bands. Students are encouraged to bring their own, but we have some props available to borrow.

A brief history: The roots of Ballet date back to European ethnic/folk dances copied by the Italian court during the Renaissance for aristocratic entertainment. An Italian social dance with choreographic elements, "balleto" or ballet, made its way to France in the 16th century where dancing masters instructed children and choreographed increasingly elaborate performances with sets, costumes and story elements. In the 17th century court, King Louis XIV emerged as a figurehead of ballet's codification, establishing the Royal Academy of Dance where Pierre Beauchamp established the five traditional rotated positions. Russia, subsequently, played a major role in Ballet's further development and Russian dancers are often credited with "perfecting" the technique. Through the Baroque Period and into the Romantic Era and beyond, Ballet gained six codified teaching styles which are often adapted and/or mixed for ballet classes around the world (the Vaganova, Cecchetti Method, and RAD methods being the most common).

For a more comprehensive history of ballet: Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans and Night's Dancer: The Life of Janet Collins by Yael Tamar Lewin

Pointe | Pointe class is for students with strong ballet training who are interested in starting/revisiting pointe work. Each hour-long class is divided into two parts: strengthening and variation work. All students work at the barre on strengthening, participate in short exercises across the floor, and receive feedback on how to improve their technique and safety. On a basis of strength, safety, and overall readiness, some students may be asked to change to flat shoes as the class progresses to more difficult variations. With improvement and teacher permission, beginning/intermediate level pointe dancers will have the opportunity to work in pointe shoes for longer periods of time throughout class.

Jazz | Ray Leeper once said that jazz dance requires three main skills of the dancer: precision of body placement, muscular resistance and stretch (strong lines), and personality/pizazz. Jazz classes at eXit SPACE honor this multifaceted nature of jazz dance through an emphasis on individuality, technique, and a variety of stylistic frameworks. Aesthetically, Jazz can range from vernacular styles such as the Charleston and Jitterbug, to lyrical, commercial, and Broadway forms that many will recognize from contemporary pop culture; classes at eXit SPACE are primarily informed by Euro-influenced forms of lyrical, commercial, and Broadway style jazz, depending on the instructor. Classes begin with a comprehensive warm-up focusing on strength-building, flexibility, isolation, extension, and rhythm accompanied by a wide range of popular music selections from pop to Broadway. Rooted into the ground through use of deep plié, jazz emphasizes strong footwork and confident gross motor movement, allowing students at eXit SPACE develop strength and precision through challenging leaps, turns, and progressions before ending class with a longer combination that incorporates a wide range of artistic concepts.

A brief history: Jazz can be traced back to seventeenth century African dance rituals characterized by polyrhythm, improvisation, and isolation. Vernacular Jazz was formally developed by Black Americans in the early 20th century alongside the evolution of jazz music as an embodiment of Black culture and liberation. Vernacular or authentic jazz refers to such forms as the Charleston, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and the Twist which were subsequently copied by white audiences as popularity increased. Jazz became concert dance when Black choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham (1909–2006) brought works of performance ethnography to proscenium stages, having infused Carribean dance and African Diasporan traditions into her modern-based works, giving way to a new era of popular performance. Subsequent artists adapted, appropriated, and reimagined jazz, which has now branched off to include lyrical jazz as well as commercial and Broadway jazz forms (informed by burlesque, vaudeville, and musical theater) now seen most commonly on stage and TV. Eugene Louis Faccuito (Luigi), Gus Giordano, and Matt Mattox furthered the evolution of the style in the mid to late 1900's and are training the next generation of teachers to this day.

For a more comprehensive history of Jazz dance: Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance by Marshall Stearns and Jean Stearns

Broadway Jazz | Broadway jazz or musical theater jazz, describes a commercialized, theatrical form of jazz dance as seen in musicals and on television. The added challenges of story-telling, acting, and singing (optional and encouraged, but never required) differentiates Broadway jazz from traditional jazz technique classes. Broadway Jazz at eXit SPACE emphasizes performance quality, choreographic retention, and physical storytelling alongside classical jazz technique skills traditionally rooted in Black culture – skills such as isolation, extension, rhythm, leaps, turns, and progressions. After a full-bodied warmup, dancers in Broadway Jazz spend a large portion of the hour-long class working on the details of choreography set to Broadway hits and learning about the theatrical and historical context of the works they're exploring.

Black jazz dance pioneers including Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, and Frankie Manning have a heavy influence on this class, as their contributions to jazz dance, film, television, and the Broadway stage were critical in bringing vernacular jazz forms to commercial spaces. Non-Black choreographers of color and white jazz dance pioneers are also stylistically explored in this class, including the techniques influenced by Bob Fosse, Susan Stroman, Jerome Robbins, Gillian Lynne, Jack Cole, and Agnes DeMille who choreographed musicals such as The Pajama Game, The Producers, West Side Story, Cats, Donnybrook, and Oklahoma.

This class is appropriate for all ability levels, beginner through advanced.

A brief history: Jazz can be traced back to seventeenth century African dance rituals characterized by polyrhythm, improvisation, and isolation. Vernacular Jazz was formally developed by Black Americans in the early 20th century alongside the evolution of jazz music as an embodiment of Black culture and liberation. Vernacular or authentic jazz refers to such forms as the Charleston, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and the Twist which were subsequently copied by white audiences as popularity increased. Jazz became concert dance when Black choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham (1909–2006) brought works of performance ethnography to proscenium stages, having infused Carribean dance and African Diasporan traditions into her modern-based works, giving way to a new era of popular performance. Subsequent artists adapted, appropriated, and reimagined jazz, which has now branched off to include lyrical jazz as well as commercial and Broadway jazz forms (informed by burlesque, vaudeville, and musical theater) now seen most commonly on stage and TV. Eugene Louis Faccuito (Luigi), Gus Giordano, and Matt Mattox furthered the evolution of the style in the mid to late 1900's and are training the next generation of teachers to this day.

For a more comprehensive history of Jazz dance: Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance by Marshall Stearns and Jean Stearns

Hip Hop | At eXit SPACE, students can expect teachers to be well-versed in the history and steps associated with hip hop dance while providing a comprehensive, structured class. All hip hop classes at eXit SPACE begin with an aerobic warm up to practice basic steps and body isolations with clear dynamics, all the while building the necessary strength and flexibility for full-bodied movement. Teachers emphasize individuality, rhythm, and theatricality, embracing the roots of hip hop as an improvisational, cypher-based from. After warmup and skill building, the majority of hip hop classes are spent learning choreography, allowing dancers to engage in an in-depth study on locomotor steps while advancing coordination, musicality, and self-expression. Many instructors take early hip hop styles and steps, integrating them into combinations that represent hip hop in its current state.

A brief history: Hip hop dance emerged in the late 1960's out of the South Bronx, an economically depressed neighborhood in New York City composed primarily of Black and Latinx families. As a way to connect with one another and distract from racial oppression and poverty, youth in the South Bronx (and later Brooklyn and Harlem) channelled their fear and anger into a new culture of movement and expression, often using vacant lots and abandoned buildings for house parties where the co-mingling of rapping, DJing, B-boying, and graffiti emerged as the pillars of hip hop culture. DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant and the "father of hip hop music" invented the break beat, a looped musical interlude meant for dancers (b-boys and b-girls) to show off their respective talents; this invention and Herc's musical/rhythmic contributions of the time made way for a new style of modern movement. Between east coast and west coast dancers, uprock, breaking, locking, roboting, freestyling, and popping styles began to make waves and – in combination with James Brown's music, the formation of dance crews, and Don Cornelius' creation of the television show Soul Train – Hip Hop dance has since made its way from the streets into the studios.

For a more comprehensive history of hip hop: Hip Hop Dance (The American Dance Floor) by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar and/or Foundation: B-boys, B-girls and Hip-Hop Culture in New York by Joseph G. Schloss

Commercial Choreography | Power Hour | A class focused on a fusion of dance styles including Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, and many other forms of dance. Commercial choreography refers to a style of dance seen in Music Videos, L.A Dance Industry, Television Productions, and much more. Commercial Choreography is often confused with Hip Hop Dance due to the influence of Hip Hop Culture throughout history. Due to the fusion of dance styles, Commercial Choreography is simply inspired by but not the same as Hip Hop.

Tap | Dance students at eXit SPACE are trained in basic rhythmic skills, footwork, and traditional tap dances, exploring more detailed and difficult steps, syncopated rhythms, and challenging progressions over time. Classes are influenced by both rhythm tap (which focuses on percussion, complex rhythms, and use of the feet as instruments) as well as Broadway style tap (which combines rhythm tap and jazz dance for a more theatrical aesthetic and physical storytelling), offering dancers a wide range of skill sets for versatility of performance. eXit SPACE embeds tap history – which is rooted in oppression, physical liberation, and protest art – into its curriculum, while acknowledging the privilege of learning this art form in the studio.

A brief history: Tap is an American dance form that originated through the communication of enslaved Africans and Irish indentured servants, blending the percussive dances of their cultures. Enslaved Africans learned to embed traditional African rhythms with European instrumentation and court dance structures, ultimately using clapping, patting, and percussive footwork as rhythmic substitutes for drums on plantations. Later, through experimentation of innovative rhythms, acrobatic feats, and personal style alongside the indentured Irish, Black Americans developed the foundations of what we know as tap dance today, epitomized by the works of Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Chloe Arnold, and Michelle Dorance.

For a more comprehensive history of Tap dance: Tap Dancing America: A Cultural History by Constance Valis Hill or What The Eye Hears: A History of Tap Dancing by Brian Seibert

Flexibility and Conditioning for Dancers | Starts August 6 2022 Develop balance, core strength, and flexibility in an hour long session doing exercises curated from yoga, acro, and dance with Tyra. With emphasis on working towards your splits, backbends, and inversions (headstand, handstand, shoulder stand, etc). This class is for dancers seeking greater active and passive flexibility for improved athletic and artistic performance. Exercises will be adjusted for students of all levels.

Open Movement and Contact Improvisation Jam | Contact Improv Jams are an open, unstructured gathering of like-minded dancers coming together to engage, practice and explore Contact Improvisation.

Contact Improvisation is a partnered dance form based on the physical principles of touch, momentum, and weight sharing. This can lead the ensemble through level changes by ways of tumbling, rolling, falling and flying! This is a constant source of endless playful investigation of exploring points of contact and dance improvisation.

Open Movement is encouraged for solo dance exploration and individual warm up.

Jams are generally silent (no music) with the exception of a once a month live-scored guest musician. Mellow socializing and laughing about it are totally allowed.
All levels of experience are welcomed and encouraged.
Contact Jams are for adults 18 years old and up.

Here is a short video >> demonstrating what a CI Jam looks like.

Burlesque Jazz | With inspiration drawn from the art of tease and reveal, and influenced by jazz and cabaret styles, this class is a fun and vigorous experience for intermediate and advanced dancers. Dancers will play with movements choreographed by Scarlett Folds and experience the suppleness of slow burns, high energy movements, and fun, titillating ways to tease.

Fall 2023 Guest Series | Three Months, Three Amazing Artists!
Tuesday evenings at NOD ~ 7:30p

Daniel Cruz | 9.12, 9.19, 9.26, 10.3
This high-impact class concentrates on movements found in commercial dance - music videos, concerts, films, commercials and other promotional experiences. It focuses on how the body, action, space, time and energy relates to the latest movement trends highly inspired by other forms of dance, especially Jazz and HipHop. Skills students will work on include: intention, control, alignment, texture, grooves, musicality, music interpretation, spatial awareness, traveling, focus, connection with music, others and, self.

Robbi Moore | 10.10, 10.17, 10.24, 10.31
Robbi will guide students through foundational exercises of the Lester Horton dance technique, a modern dance technique first developed during the 1920s-40s that is still practiced today by many schools and companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This class will incorporate fun, improvisational challenges using the Horton technique to stimulate the students' creativity and facilitate new pathways for envisioning how the technique can apply to contemporary dance being created today.

Brittany Parker | 11.7, 11.14, 11.21, 11.28
This four-week Contemporary Fusion series will be heavily focused on isolations, grooves, and acro-based movement, all wrapped up in a genre-layered approach to contemporary dance.

Basic Jazz | Aesthetically, Jazz can range from vernacular styles such as the Charleston and Jitterbug, to lyrical, commercial, and Broadway forms that many will recognize from contemporary pop culture. Basic Jazz classes at eXit SPACE are primarily informed by Euro-influenced forms of lyrical, commercial, and Broadway styles, while honoring the multifaceted nature of the form through an emphasis on individuality and stylistic range. As a new student to jazz dance, you will be guided through the structure of a dance class and the etiquette required from all dancers while in a studio. Classes begin with a comprehensive warm-up focusing on strength-building, flexibility, isolation, extension, and rhythm accompanied by a wide range of popular music selections from pop to Broadway. Rooted into the ground through use of deep plié (bent knees), movement combinations center and across the floor allow for an in-depth study on locomotor steps while advancing coordination, musicality, and self-expression. Jazz emphasizes strong footwork and confident gross motor movement, so eXit SPACE Basic students are presented with ideas and principles of movement as well as the fundamentals of rhythm, syncopation, isolation, and individual expression. Basic Jazz teachers provide options for modifications and alternative movements frequently so that all dancers of all ages, body types, and backgrounds can participate in ways that feel safe and successful.

Download Course Syllabus >>

Basic Ballet | Basic Ballet is geared towards adults of all ages, backgrounds, and body types looking for an introduction to classical ballet technique, vocabulary, and aesthetics. As a Basic Ballet student, you will be guided through the structure of a dance class and the etiquette required from all dancers in a studio, learning fundamentals of the technique through a traditional class structure: ballet barre followed by center floor and locomotor technique. At barre, dancers learn basic vocabulary from pliés and tendús to fondus and frappés, before moving out to the center floor where they practice stationary turns, extensions, and jumps. Basic Ballet students learn to waltz, leap, and turn across the floor with ample opportunities to modify movements as needed for individual safety and with a constant emphasis on dynamic alignment, strength development, body awareness, safety, artistic expression, and quality of movement throughout.

We at eXit SPACE acknowledge that ballet has a long history of exclusion – from socio-economic status, to skin color, body type, age, and level of training – but are proud to be one of a growing number of dance education facilities that stands on the firm notion that ballet is for everybody and every body with the intention of elevating individual artistic voices. Basic Ballet teachers provide options for modifications and alternative movements frequently so that all dancers can participate in ways that feel safe and successful!

Download Course Syllabus - Miranda >>
Download Course Syllabus - Jennifer >>

Basic Hip Hop Fundamentals and Movement Skills | Hip hop dance emerged in the late 1960's out of the South Bronx, an economically depressed neighborhood in New York City composed primarily of Black and Latinx families. As a way to connect with one another and distract from racial oppression and poverty, youth in the South Bronx (and later Brooklyn and Harlem) channelled their fear and anger into a new culture of movement and expression, often using vacant lots and abandoned buildings for house parties where the co-mingling of rapping, DJing, B-boying, and graffiti emerged as the pillars of hip hop culture. Basic Hip Hop classes at eXit SPACE are taught by instructors well-versed in the history of hip hop dance and skilled at integrating early hip hops steps and styles into movements that represent hip hop in its current state. As a new student to hip hop dance, you will be guided through the structure of a dance class and the etiquette required from all dancers in a studio while learning the nuances of individuality, rhythm, and theatricality. Basic Hip Hop classes begin with an aerobic warm up to practice fundamental steps and body isolations with clear dynamics, all the while building the necessary strength and flexibility for full-bodied movement. After warmup and skill building, dancers learn locomotor steps and choreography, advancing coordination, musicality and self-expression in doing so, ending the session with increased confidence, rhythm, and physical awareness.

Download Course Syllabus >>

Basic Tap | Against the backdrop of a historical framework, Basic Tap students at eXit SPACE are trained in fundamental rhythmic skills, footwork, and traditional tap dances, exploring more detailed and difficult steps, syncopated rhythms, and challenging progressions over time. Classes are influenced by both rhythm tap (which focuses on percussion, complex rhythms, and use of the feet as instruments) as well as Broadway style tap (which combines rhythm tap and jazz dance for a more theatrical aesthetic and physical storytelling). Basic Tap dancers will be guided through the structure of a dance class and the etiquette required from all dancers while in a studio; warm-up exercises designed to re-pattern movement habits, build balance and strength, and introduce different rhythmic patterns to prepare the student to move more fully, while combinations center and across the floor allow for an in-depth study on specific tap steps and their expressed rhythms. Throughout class, students are encouraged to use their whole body to feel the sounds their feet are making, find their own groove within the given steps, and advance coordination, musicality, and self-expression along the way.

Download Course Syllabus >>

Basic Beginning Burlesque | Delve into your sensuality and get comfortable in your own skin. This all ages (18+) and all backgrounds welcomed class will help you find a way to transform into a version of yourself you perhaps did not know existed.Through simple twirls, whirls and shimmies, explore a class inspired by the classic art of tease and reveal. Learn choreography by Scarlett Folds and experience the suppleness of slow burns, high energy movements and fun, titillating ways to strip.

Basic Burlesque Chair Flow | This nine-week series for beginning and intermediate dancers will focus on sensual chair dance techniques, moves, and choreography one can utilize on or off stage. Chair Flow balances movement composed of intricate lines and shapes, while also offering more stability and accessibility for dancers of different movement modalities. Learning to work and move with chairs and props encourages dancers to develop into well-rounded and versatile performers, so join Scarlett Folds for this unique opportunity to delve into this Burlesque-inspired class and gain a few tricks to store up your sleeve...

Combo Class | 5 - 7yrs | Combo classes are the perfect bridge from Creative Movement to level 1+ classes, combining creativity and imagination with a greater focus on technical development. Students at this age are introduced to the basic principles of Ballet, Tap, Modern, Hip Hop and Jazz in 30 minute increments, learning the structure and discipline of each form with frequent integration of games, activity songs, and explorations related to specific skills or concepts of space, time, energy, and effort. Dancers become familiar with dance terminology, practicing center skills before moving through space with locomotor steps. Like creative movement classes, combo classes provide essential tools for children in all areas of their social-emotional development including socialization, balance, coordination, critical thinking, imagination, teamwork, and structured learning; these essential skills and techniques are required to progress to the next levels of dance.

Modern One through Six | 7+ yrs | eXit SPACE offers an array of modern technique classes, all focused on full-bodied movement and improving artistry in styles that range from Euro-influenced codified forms to new age contemporary forms and afro-diaspora movement. As a technique, modern dance allows students to develop a deep connection to their center, confidence in inversion techniques and acrobatic skills (cart wheels, hand and head stands, floor rolls, etc), refined articulation through the spine, improvisation practice, and freedom of movement. Dancers learn to focus their attention on traveling through space with intention and dynamic variation rather than just focusing on shapes and steps. eXit SPACE is proud to have a modern dance faculty composed of professional dancers and choreographers currently presenting work in the Greater Seattle Area and has become a vital hub for young modern dancers looking for both pre-professional level modern dance study and well-rounded foundational introductions to the form.

A brief history: Modern Dance is a style of western concert dance developed in the late 19th and early 20th century by European artists as an artistic rebellion against the perceived constraints of classical ballet and by European diasporic movers seeking to re-ground dance in indigenous and Black dance foundations. In Germany, dancers Rudolf Von Laban and Mary Wigman began abandoning the strict movement vocabulary, nymph-like portrayals of women, and confining expectations of ballet for more freeform movement characterized by organic body patterns, deliberate falls into the floor, and improvisatory scores – ideas later relayed to the United States by American dancer, educator, and modern dance pioneer, Isadora Duncan by 1914. By the 1930's Katherine Dunham, an African American anthropologist, ethnologue, dancer, and choreographer (among many other roles) revolutionized the form by rooting modern dance in Black culture and folk dance through her anthropological studies in Trinidad, Jamaica, and Haiti. Bolstered by the work of Lester Horton, Alvin Ailey, Pearl Primus, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Pina Bausch, and so many others, modern dance has since evolved to encompass a multiplicity of techniques not limited to any specific vocabulary. From Horton and Graham Techniques – which explore linearity and contractions with an emphasis on flat backs, lateral extensions, tilts, and lunges – to more somatic-centered practices based on concepts of release, imagery, strength, and emotional embodiment, modern dance can encompass a wide variety of aesthetics ranging from its even broader history in european and afro-diasporan movement.

Jazz One through Six | 7+ yrs | Ray Leeper once said that jazz dance requires three main skills of the dancer: precision of body placement, muscular resistance and stretch (strong lines), and personality/pizazz. Jazz classes at eXit SPACE honor this multifaceted nature of jazz dance through an emphasis on individuality, technique, and a variety of stylistic frameworks. Aesthetically, Jazz can range from vernacular styles such as the Charleston and Jitterbug, to lyrical, commercial, and Broadway forms that many will recognize from contemporary pop culture; classes at eXit SPACE are primarily informed by Euro-influenced forms of lyrical, commercial, and Broadway style jazz, depending on the instructor. Classes begin with a comprehensive warm-up focusing on strength-building, flexibility, isolation, extension, and rhythm accompanied by a wide range of popular music selections from pop to Broadway. Rooted into the ground through use of deep plié, jazz emphasizes strong footwork and confident gross motor movement, allowing students at eXit SPACE develop strength and precision through challenging leaps, turns, and progressions before ending class with a longer combination that incorporates a wide range of artistic concepts.

A brief history: Jazz can be traced back to seventeenth century African dance rituals characterized by polyrhythm, improvisation, and isolation. Vernacular jazz was formally developed by Black Americans in the early 20th century alongside the evolution of Jazz music as an embodiment of Black culture and liberation. Vernacular or authentic jazz refers to such forms as the Charleston, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and the Twist which were subsequently copied by white audiences as popularity increased. Jazz became concert dance when Black choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham (1909–2006) brought works of performance ethnography to proscenium stages, having infused Carribean dance and African Diasporan traditions into her modern-based works, giving way to a new era of popular performance. Subsequent artists adapted, appropriated, and reimagined jazz, which has now branched off to include Lyrical jazz as well as commercial and Broadway jazz forms (informed by burlesque, vaudeville, and musical theater) now seen most commonly on stage and TV. Eugene Louis Faccuito (Luigi), Gus Giordano, and Matt Mattox furthered the evolution of the style in the mid to late 1900's and are training the next generation of teachers to this day.

Tap One through Three | 7+ yrs | Young tap dancers at eXit SPACE are trained in basic rhythmic skills, footwork, and traditional tap dances, exploring more detailed and difficult steps, syncopated rhythms, and challenging progressions from level to level. Our young dancer classes are influenced by both rhythm tap (which focuses on percussion, complex rhythms, and use of the feet as instruments) as well as Broadway style tap (which combines rhythm tap and jazz dance for a more theatrical aesthetic and physical storytelling), offering dancers a wide range of skill sets for versatility of performance. YDP teachers at eXit SPACE are both skilled dancers and educators, embedding tap history into the curriculum while acknowledging what a privilege it is to learn this art form in the studio.

A brief history: Tap is an American dance form that originated through the communication of enslaved Africans and Irish indentured servants, blending the percussive dances of their cultures. Enslaved Africans learned to embed traditional African rhythms with European instrumentation and court dance structures, ultimately using clapping, patting, and percussive footwork as rhythmic substitutes for drums on plantations. Later, through experimentation of innovative rhythms, acrobatic feats, and personal style alongside Irish Immigrants, Black Americans developed the foundations of what we know as tap dance today, epitomized by the works of Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Chloe Arnold, and Michelle Dorance.

Ballet One through Six | 7+ yrs | Emphasis in Ballet classes at eXit SPACE is on dynamic alignment, strength development, body awareness, artistic expression, and quality of movement, taught in styles ranging from purely classical to more contemporary with a frequent mix of methodologies. Every class includes a comprehensive barre (depending on level and readiness, classes may practice barre skills at center), center practice (preparing students for turns, balances, extensions, and jumps), and across the floor, allowing students to develop strong technical skills while exploring their individuality as artists. eXit SPACE is proud to be one of a growing number of dance education facilities that incorporates dance history into its curriculum and stands on the firm notion that ballet is for everybody and every body – ballet educators at eXit SPACE seek to elevate individual artistic voices, decenter the historic whiteness in ballet, and create spaces where dancers feel respected, safe, and honored in their dancing bodies.

A brief history: The roots of Ballet date back to European ethnic/folk dances copied by the Italian court during the Renaissance for aristocratic entertainment. An Italian social dance with choreographic elements, "balleto" or ballet, made its way to France in the 16th century where dancing masters instructed children and choreographed increasingly elaborate performances with sets, costumes and story elements. In the 17th century court, King Louis XIV emerged as a figurehead of ballet's codification, establishing the Royal Academy of Dance where Pierre Beauchamp established the five traditional rotated positions. Russia, subsequently, played a major role in Ballet's further development and Russian dancers are often credited with "perfecting" the technique. Through the Baroque Period and into the Romantic Era and beyond, Ballet gained six codified teaching styles which are often adapted and/or mixed for ballet classes around the world (the Vaganova, Cecchetti Method, and RAD methods being the most common).

Pointe | Ballet Level 4+ Elective | Pointe class is an option for YDP students in Ballet Four and above who have teacher permission to enroll. Each hour-long class is divided into two parts: strengthening and variation work. All students work with resistance bands and/or at the barre on exercises to improve ankle, calf, adductor, and rotator strength before progressing to exercises at center and across the floor. On a basis of strength, safety, level, and overall readiness, students in this class may be asked to remain in flat technique shoes, get divided into groups, or receive individual instructions about how to proceed throughout class.
Please do not purchase pointe shoes or enroll in this class until receiving permission from the instructor.

Hip Hop One through Five | 7+ yrs | At eXit SPACE, YDP families can expect teachers to be well-versed in the history of hip hop dance while providing a comprehensive, structured class. All hip hop classes at eXit SPACE begin with an aerobic warm up to practice basic steps and isolations with clear dynamics, all the while building the necessary strength and flexibility for full-bodied movement. After warmup and skill building, the majority of hip hop classes are spent learning choreography, allowing dancers to engage in an in-depth study on locomotor steps while advancing coordination, musicality, and self-expression. Many instructors take early hip hop styles and steps, integrating them into combinations that represent hip hop in its current state, while also emphasizing individuality, rhythm, theatricality and the roots of hip hop as an improvisational, cypher-based form.

A brief history: Hip hop dance emerged in the late 1960's out of the South Bronx, an economically depressed neighborhood in New York City composed primarily of Black and Latinx families. As a way to connect with one another and distract from racial oppression and poverty, youth in the South Bronx (and later Brooklyn and Harlem) channelled their fear and anger into a new culture of movement and expression, often using vacant lots and abandoned buildings for house parties where the co-mingling of rapping, DJing, B-boying, and graffiti emerged as the pillars of hip hop culture. DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant and the "father of hip hop music" invented the break beat, a looped musical interlude meant for dancers (b-boys and b-girls) to show off their respective talents; this invention and Herc's musical/rhythmic contributions of the time made way for a new style of modern movement. Between east coast and west coast dancers, uprock, breaking, locking, roboting, freestyling, and popping styles began to make waves and – in combination with James Brown's music, the formation of dance crews, and Don Cornelius' creation of the television show Soul Train – Hip Hop dance has since made its way from the streets into the studios.

Adaptive Dance | 6 - 10 yrs | Adaptive dance class is open to neurodivergent dancers and dancers with developmental disabilities, 6-10 years of age. The program provides a brave space for dancers with more complex support needs to explore their movement impulses and creative identities using an interest-based yet predictable approach. Dancers will engage in a full body/brain warm-up based on the brain-compatible dance education methodology, sequence through developmental patterns with songs and games, engage in creative improvisatory exploration, and learn adaptive dance skills central to non-locomotor and locomotor technique before cooling back down with a low-sensory activity. Caregivers are encouraged to watch and welcome to participate!

Please note that this program is run on a session-by-session basis, meaning enrollment is broken down into eight-week chunks with the hope that children continue to enroll throughout the whole season. We cannot support dancers experiencing incontinence or violent behaviors towards oneself and others at this time.

About the instructor:

Miranda holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a BFA in dance, but sees herself as a perennial student in the contexts of movement and accessibility. Miranda has spent the past 10 years teaching dance, preschool, and arts enrichment to early learners in Seattle and New York, she has presented at the Dance Educators Association of Washington Conference on adaptive dance for Parkinson’s, and has been awarded for her outstanding contributions in the classroom. In addition to her higher education training, Miranda is Autism Movement Therapy certified with experience teaching brain-compatible dance and adaptive dance for adults.

Miranda is allistic but neurodivergent, which informs her practice as a dancer, listener, and educator. Committed to uplifting the voices of autistic adults and prioritizing the well-being of neurodiverse children, she does not use ABA or compliance methods in the classroom but instead, seeks to empower children to embrace their lived identities.

Contact: Miranda >> for more information