Class Information
The Sullivan School offers classes for tiny tots (4-5 years) and beginner through championship-level students. See below for class descriptions. The class schedule has two semesters: Fall and Spring and follows the Newton Public School calendar, including weather-related closings.
OFFICE HOURS: 8:00 – 9:00 AM or 12-2;00 PM Wednesdays at 617-254-6870 or e-mail csullivanjig@hotmail.com with questions or to register.
Class Expections
- Socks: White for girls, black for boys. Each child should wear the shoes/socks they wear in competition.
- Hair must be pulled back.
- Ghillies: If a child cannot tie their shoes, they should weat black ballet shows. If they want to wear ghillies, they must wear elastic ties. We have they availble in class to sew to fit.
- Bring a prefilled water bottle to leave in cubby. Water bottles not allowed in dance studio.
- No food, drink, or street shoes allowed in dance studio.
- Dancers will change shoes outside dance studio and put street shoes and any personal belongings in cubbies.
Class Descriptions
Tiny Tots:
Does your little one have that hop-skip-jump energy? We are expanding our Tiny Tot program. Our Tiny Tots classes for 4-5 year-olds introduce children to the joy of Irish dance in a fun and nurturing environment. We end each class with a traditional ceili dance with parents.
Beginner:
This class is for children with little dance background. The focus is on balance, core strengthening, and basic steps. Students begin to explore the different rhythms of Irish dance and experience dancing in groups such as the 4-hand reel.
Advanced Beginner:
This class continues the development of skills learned in Beginner I. Students at this level compete at feisanna in light shoe, and are introduced to hard shoe dances in fast speeds at 92/138.
Novice:
These students develop skills in hard shoe dances such as the heavy jig and hornpipe. They are building a repertoire of steps in each category. They focus on competing at feisanna in hard and light shoe dances, are introduced to traditional sets such as St. Patrick’s Day, and begin to dance in double time rhythms in slower speed hard shoe at 73/113.
Prizewinner/Preliminary Championship/Open Championship:
These students have been learning Irish dance for 5-10 years and work toward competitive goals. In competition, they move though the levels of prizewinner into preliminary, and then into the open championship level. They can dance for 2 hours at a time, doing 3 or more steps repetitively.