Advanced Beginning/Intermediate Contemporary Ballet

Join us Fridays for a fun, physical ballet exploration challenging and reimagining what a ballet class can be and how we can experience, explore, and enjoy the ballet form in 2024.

KJ Dahlaw (they/them) brings years of experience within modern, contemporary, ballet, and somatics to offer an exciting 90 minute class. They honor their lineage within Bay Area ballet education and the pivotal work of Augusta Moore. KJ’s recent professional work has been within personal training and Progressive Ballet pedagogy.

KJ’s class begins in a circle with some somatic and conditioning work. This work brings us into the present moment, gets muscles firing, builds a sweat, and gets us ready for the physicality of ballet barre work.

The class is grounded in the ballet class structure and vocabulary, but also actively pushes against and challenges it. Dance phrases will have a contemporary slant; music playlists will include classical, contemporary, and pop music. 

KJ is also actively challenging and evaluating gender within the ballet form. What steps feel “masculine?” “Feminine?” How can everyone in the room feel the range of gender expression within the vocabulary? KJ is curious about gender and gendered expression through the range of balletic “states” inside of the form. This class permissions personal gendered explorations.

For folks wanting a contemporary take on a ballet class and love the rigor and physicality of ballet, come and check out this class offering! You will use your muscles; you will sweat. 

Please note that this is not a class geared towards absolute beginners. The class is suggested for students with 2+ years of ballet training.