Open Class Levels
Dancers are placed in appropriate Open Class Levels based on their mastery of the SMASH curriculum.
Level 1
Ages 6-8
Level 1 is for 6 year olds that are turning 7 during the season (First Graders), or dancers that are 7-8 with no previous dance experience.
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Dancers are expected to complete one full year of Level 1 – with good attendance and adequate classroom focus ability – in order to be prepared for Level 2A.
We recommend Level 1 dancers take a minimum of one Ballet and one Jazz class per week.
Additional Class Offerings:
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Hip Hop 1
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Dance Acro 1
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Fall SMASH Crew
SMASH Max Training Plan for Level 1:
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Ballet once a week
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Jazz once a week
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At least one additional class per week (Hip Hop, Acro or additional Ballet or Jazz)
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Fall SMASH Crew
Level 2A
Ages 7+
SMASH Placement Approval
Level 2A is for 7 year olds+ (Second Graders and beyond) who have completed one year of Level 1, or have been approved for Level 2A by a teacher.
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Dancers are expected to complete one full year of Level 2A – with good attendance and adequate classroom focus ability – in order to be prepared for Level 2B.
We recommend Level 2A dancers take a minimum of one Ballet and one Jazz class per week.
Additional Class Offerings:
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Hip Hop 1
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Dance Acro 1 *placement in Dance Acro 2+ by teacher placement
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Fall SMASH Crew
SMASH Max Training Plan for Level 2A:
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Ballet once a week
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Jazz once a week
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At least two additional classes per week (Hip Hop, Acro or additional Ballet or Jazz)
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Fall SMASH Crew
Level 2B+
Ages 8+
SMASH Placement Approval
Level 2B is for 8 year olds+ (Third Graders and beyond) who have completed Level 2A, and/or have been approved for Level 2B by SMASH.
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Dancers are expected to complete at least one full year of Level 2B – with good attendance and adequate classroom focus ability – in order to be prepared for Level 3.
There are several important benchmarks in strength, coordination and technical ability that are important for progression into Level 3. It is possible that dancers will be recommended to continue working in Level 2B for a second year.
We recommend Level 2B dancers take a minimum of one Ballet and one Jazz class per week.
Additional Class Offerings:
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Contemporary 2B *must be concurrently enrolled in at least one ballet or jazz class per week
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Hip Hop 1
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Dance Acro 1 *placement in Dance Acro 2+ by teacher placement
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Fall SMASH Crew
SMASH Max Training Plan for Level 2B:
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Ballet twice a week
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Jazz twice a week
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At least one additional class per week (Contemporary, Hip Hop, Acro or additional Ballet or Jazz)
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Fall SMASH Crew
Tween & Teen 1/2
Ages 9+
Tween & Teen 1/2 is for 9 year olds+ with 0-1 years dance experience.
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Dancers are expected to complete at least two full years of Tween & Teen 1/2 – with good attendance and adequate classroom focus ability – in order to be prepared for Level 3.
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There are several important benchmarks in strength, coordination and technical ability that are important for progression into Level 3. It is possible that dancers will be recommended to continue working in Tween & Teen 1/2 for additional time
We require Tween & Teen 1/2 dancers to take the Tween & Teen Ballet and Jazz class each week.
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Dancers that are interested in progressing at a quicker pace should consider taking more ballet and jazz classes each week. Dancers will need to be evaluated by the teachers in order to determine the appropriate additional classes to join (Level 1, Level 2A, Level 2B).
Additional Class Offerings:
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Contemporary 2B *must be concurrently enrolled in Tween & Teen Ballet and Jazz
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Hip Hop 2
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Dance Acro 1 *placement in Dance Acro 2+ by teacher placement
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Fall SMASH Crew
SMASH Max Training Plan for Tween & Teen ½:
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Ballet once a week
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Jazz once a week
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Contemporary once a week
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At least two additional class per week (Hip Hop, Acro or additional Ballet or Jazz)
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Fall SMASH Crew
Level 3
Ages 9+
SMASH Placement Approval
Level 3 is for 9 year olds+ (Fourth Graders and beyond) who have completed Level 2B, and/or have been approved for Level 3 by SMASH.
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Dancers are expected to complete at least two full years of Level 3 – with good attendance and adequate classroom focus ability – in order to be prepared for Level 4. It is possible that dancers will be recommended to continue working in Level 3 for additional time.
We strongly recommend Level 3 dancers take a minimum of one Ballet and one Jazz class per week, and we strongly suggest taking an additional day of Ballet and/or Jazz.
Additional Class Offerings:
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Contemporary 3 *must be concurrently enrolled in at least one ballet or jazz class per week
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Broadway 3/4 *must be concurrently enrolled in at least one ballet or jazz class per week
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Hip Hop 2 *placement in Hip Hop 3+ by teacher placement
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Dance Acro 1 *placement in Dance Acro 2+ by teacher placement
SMASH Max Training Plan for Level 3:
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Ballet twice a week
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Jazz twice a week
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Contemporary once a week
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At least two additional class per week (Broadway, Hip Hop, Acro or additional Ballet or Jazz)
Level 4
SMASH Placement Approval
Level 4 is for strong intermediate dancers who have completed Level 3, and/or have been approved for Level 4 by SMASH.
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Dancers are expected to complete at least two full years of Level 4 – with good attendance and adequate classroom focus ability – in order to be prepared for progression into Pro Track Alignment classes. It is possible that dancers will be recommended to continue working in Level 4 for additional time.
We strongly recommend (bordering on requiring!) Level 4 dancers take a minimum of two Ballet and two Jazz classes per week.
Additional Class Offerings:
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Contemporary 4 *must be concurrently enrolled in at least one ballet or jazz class per week
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Broadway 3/4 *must be concurrently enrolled in at least one ballet or jazz class per week
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Hip Hop 2 *placement in Hip Hop 3+ by teacher placement
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Dance Acro 1 *placement in Dance Acro 2+ by teacher placement
SMASH Max Training Plan for Level 4:
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Ballet twice a week
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Jazz twice a week
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Contemporary once a week
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At least two additional class per week (Broadway, Hip Hop, Acro or additional Ballet or Jazz)
Beyond Level 4: Pro Track Alignment
SMASH Placement Approval
Once students are ready for advanced skills and training, including pointe work, if desired, we offer continued progression via our Pro Track Alignment. This is an option for Open Class dancers who have strongly mastered the Level 4 curriculum in both Ballet and Jazz and do not wish to join the Pro Track program.
What is required?
Dancers participating in Pro Track Alignment are required to take ballet twice a week, jazz twice a week, and contemporary once a week throughout the regular school season.
How does it work?
Once a dancer has been recommended by both their Level 4 Ballet and Jazz teachers for progression into Pro Track Alignment, the dancer will be evaluated in order to determine which of the Pro Track Learning Groups will best align with the dancer’s current technical level. The dancer will then join the Pro Track classes with that group for the year.