Acro (a.k.a. acro dance or acrobatic dance) is a cutting-edge style of dance that has gained popularity over the last while as international audiences and dancers alike become familiar with its presence at competitions, as well as on stage in productions like Cirque du Soleil. Acro dance Ottawa combines unique choreography, classical dance, and distinctive acrobatic elements. You may find Acro dance looks similar to the floor apparatus of Women’s Artistic Gymnastics; however, it has several differences, in both approach and execution. We work primarily on strength, flexibility, and acrobatic elements in our Acro Dance Classes in Ottawa, so we highly encourage all dancers taking an Acro class to also take one or more classes in other dance disciplines. This will make it easier for dancers to understand the Acro technique and also help develop their artistry and basic dance skills. All of our Acro classes in Ottawa are based on the Acrobatic Arts syllabus and taught by Certified Acrobatic Arts teachers.
NOTE: THE ONLY CLASS THAT WE OFFER RECREATIONALLY THAT IS NOT ALWAYS ORGANIZED BY AGE IS ACRO. DUE TO THE NATURE OF ACROBATICS, WE HAVE SOME LEVEL-BASED CLASSES AND SOME AGE-BASED CLASSES. BELOW IS THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR ACRO LEVELS:
Students will learn the fundamentals of Acro, including skills such as forward rolls, handstands, cartwheels, and bridges. At this level, building up strength, flexibility, and the teaching of proper alignment are prioritized to prepare dancers for more advanced tricks later on.
Students must already consistently perform a clean handstand, cartwheel, and bridge for this class. Strength and flexibility exercises get more challenging in Acro 2, and students begin to expand on their basic Acro foundation. Examples of skills that are worked on at this level are front and back walkovers, hand-balancing drills, and one-handed cartwheels.
Students must be comfortable performing either the front or back walkovers, confidently hold a handstand against a wall for at least 30 seconds, and perform several cartwheel variations. At this level, students are working on more advanced limbering and balancing. Tumbling also gets more advanced in Acro 3, with dancers working towards aerials and handsprings.
At this level, dancers must show exemplary strength and flexibility, be comfortable performing several walkover variations (front and back), hold a controlled handstand, and be comfortable doing either side aerials or back handsprings. At this level, dancers work at an advanced level of limbering, balancing and tumbling, and connecting advanced skills in a sequence.
This class is for Pre-Teen Acro dancers with little or some experience. In this class, dancers will learn foundational Acro skills and work both together and at their own pace to develop strength, flexibility, and various Acro tricks.
This class is for teenagers who want to learn Acro Dance in Ottawa and build on the skills they have already learned in a positive and encouraging environment with other teenagers. In this class, dancers work on the fundamentals of Acro but are given many options for their training. They are encouraged to work at an appropriate pace for their skill set.
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