The Core Theatre offers classical ballet and modern dance emphasizing clean, detailed technique along with artistry and expression. There are different schools of thought in teaching dance. Some studios focus on specific choreography to be used expressly for performances and competitions. Students trained in this environment can be very impressive in the individual choreography, but when requested
to demonstrate true dance technique, they have no storehouse to draw from. Classical dance studios teach dance in the same way one would learn to read and write. The alphabet enables a person to spell words; words can be connected to form sentences, and sentences can be crafted to express thoughts in all levels of writing. A classical studio begins by teaching basic vocabulary and movement and builds upon skills learned. Trained in this fashion, a student has a rich treasury of movement to pull from and can be taught choreography more easily because she has a solid foundation based on proper body alignment and detailed skill execution. I adhere to this philosophy. It goes along with the saying, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”
The Core Theatre dance program is a Christian dance studio. My desire is to skillfully train up students to use the gifts that God has poured into them to honor Him. Each individual is uniquely created by God and I like to challenge each dancer to achieve her highest potential in dance and life. I believe dance is a very powerful tool to communicate the messages of salvation, hope, and the joy in the Lord, and also to display His Word through movement and expression. Our policy toward dance costumes is to glorify God with modest, yet beautiful garments. We are occasionally able to purchase pre-made costumes, but generally we custom make our dance garments to ensure that the dancers bodies are covered, including culottes or leggings when skirts are worn. We desire that our dance garments utilize beautiful fabrics and designs, but also complement the message of the song and the choreography. As we are a Christian studio, before we begin class, I pray for my students, I use Christian and classical music, and at the end of class after we bow to each other (ballet etiquette) we also bow to the Lord to honor Him and thank Him for His protection.