Colorado Movement Lab
dance education | movement exploration | wellness
720.336.1508
Youth Class Descriptions at CML
We are thrilled to offer labs (classes) to all dancers from the age of 1 to 18. There is a movement lab for everyone and we are always changing and adding new modalities of dance and movement.
A lab is a place to explore and experiment. CML’s movement lab is a space for dancers to both learn the traditions of movement ideas and then expand on those ideas to discover their own voice. A strong basis in different techniques and an understanding of body science gives dancers the ability to expand their own ideas of how the body can express itself and how artistry can be fully formed in movement. A lab is also a place to both teach and question traditions. It can emphasize the importance of knowing where art comes from while recognizing how traditions may need to change to meet the challenges of the current world. Colorado Movement Lab is a safe space to honor the past while emboldening the dancers of the future.
Key Words and Definitions
Somatic – Internally based understanding of movement, balance, shape, and space.
Anatomy – The science that deals with the form and structure of organic bodies; anatomical structure or organization.
Kinesiology – The study of the movement of the body.
Motif – A recurring or dominant element; a theme.
Dance Together is an engaging and fun toddler dance class designed for children between the ages of 1-2 years, where they participate alongside a parent or guardian. This dance class offers a unique opportunity for both children and their caregivers to bond, explore movement, and develop essential motor skills in a supportive and creative environment.The class is carefully structured to cater to the developmental needs and abilities of toddlers. It focuses on simple, age-appropriate movements that encourage coordination, balance, and rhythm.
Currently offered: Saturdays 9:45-10:30am
For 3 & 4 year olds, this level focuses on joy, exploration, imagination, and play, all while learning true technical skills and vocabulary of Dance. In the future, CML will offer a fun, inventive class called Somatics, where dancers will use their imaginations to explore their inner selves – a great opportunity for learning that also makes dancing a dynamic and joyful experience.
Oftentimes, the world perceives the art of Ballet as restrictive, exacting, and stifled. CML believes, though, that Ballet can be a creative, freeing, and enlightening art form, where the artist’s body can continue to explore an ever-expanding sense of boundary-pushing. We also believe that Ballet can be taught in a healthful, accommodating way, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory.
With a strong basis in English, French, and Italian syllabi, CML’s Ballet Lab will also span many styles of ballet. It will teach traditional classical ballet foundations, as well as explore the changing demands for dancers in this current age. Classes will focus on developing strength, stamina, classical technique, and the individual artistic expression of the dancers. These classes will be geared toward the appropriate level and the developmental stages of each group. A particular focus will be paid to understanding the body and injury risk reduction.
Currently offered: Monday at 4:30-5:15pm & Saturdays at 9-9:45am
This inventive class invites dancers to use their imaginations to explore their inner selves, fostering a deeper connection between mind and body. Through Somatics, participants will engage in exercises that heighten awareness of their physical sensations and movements, promoting a holistic understanding of how their bodies move and interact with their surroundings.
Key benefits include:
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Inner Awareness: Gain insights into movement patterns, improving balance and coordination.
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Creativity: Explore new ways of moving.
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Mind-Body Connection: Harmonize mental and physical processes.
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Joy in Movement: Experience dance as a joyful and liberating activity.
Starting at 5 years old, young dancers will begin the development of important foundational skills. Taught through curiosity and joy, these skills will lay the groundwork for their future physical understanding of dance, helping to build strong, dynamic dancers of the future. In addition to imaginative exercises that build both strength and performative skills, dancers in Ballet will work with two hands on the barre and learn critical skills in the center while moving across the floor. In Somatics (a class which CML will offer for this level in the future), dancers will use their wild imaginations to move and learn about their inner selves – which is super FUN, makes dance dynamic, and lays the groundwork for Jazz and Modern dance!
Oftentimes, the world perceives the art of Ballet as restrictive, exacting, and stifled. CML believes, though, that Ballet can be a creative, freeing, and enlightening art form, where the artist’s body can continue to explore an ever-expanding sense of boundary-pushing. We also believe that Ballet can be taught in a healthful, accommodating way, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory.
With a strong basis in English, French, and Italian syllabi, CML’s Ballet Lab will also span many styles of ballet. It will teach traditional classical ballet foundations, as well as explore the changing demands for dancers in this current age. Classes will focus on developing strength, stamina, classical technique, and the individual artistic expression of the dancers. These classes will be geared toward the appropriate level and the developmental stages of each group. A particular focus will be paid to understanding the body and injury risk reduction.
Currently offered: Mondays at 5:15-6:15pm and Saturdays at 11:30am-12:30pm
This inventive class invites dancers to use their imaginations to explore their inner selves, fostering a deeper connection between mind and body. Through Somatics, participants will engage in exercises that heighten awareness of their physical sensations and movements, promoting a holistic understanding of how their bodies move and interact with their surroundings.
Key benefits include:
Inner Awareness: Gain insights into movement patterns, improving balance and coordination.
Creativity: Explore new ways of moving.
Mind-Body Connection: Harmonize mental and physical processes.
Joy in Movement: Experience dance as a joyful and liberating activity. Comment end
This intermediate level serves to progress young dancers on their journey with dance by providing increased detail and rigor – again…all with a sense of curiosity and discovery. Dancers will begin to learn more and more about their anatomy and the science of movement. They will gain strength and increased movement capacity, and we hope to engage their inner Dance Geek!
Ballet Lab
Oftentimes, the world perceives the art of Ballet as restrictive, exacting, and stifled. CML believes, though, that Ballet can be a creative, freeing, and enlightening art form, where the artist’s body can continue to explore an ever-expanding sense of boundary-pushing. We also believe that Ballet can be taught in a healthful, accommodating way, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory.
With a strong basis in English, French, and Italian syllabi, CML’s Ballet Lab will also span many styles of ballet. It will teach traditional classical ballet foundations, as well as explore the changing demands for dancers in this current age. Classes will focus on developing strength, stamina, classical technique, and the individual artistic expression of the dancers. These classes will be geared toward the appropriate level and the developmental stages of each group. A particular focus will be paid to understanding the body and injury risk reduction.
Currently offered: Monday at 6:15-7:15pm, Thursday at 4:30-5:3pm, and Saturday at 10:30am-11:30am
Somatics is the internally based understanding of movement, balance, shape, and space. Jazz, like the music for which it was named, is very rhythmic, performative, and externally focused. By combining these two ideas, this Lab will prepare young dancers for their eventual expansion into the study of multiple techniques, as well as introduce them to the fundamental concepts of Jazz dance and the fun of creating a full, developed use and physical understanding of the body and all its abilities.
Fast Track is a level created for beginning dancers ages 9 and up who are starting dance for the first time, or returning to it after a long break. This expedited dance experience allows older beginners to learn the basics very quickly and eventually be immersed in the intermediate levels at CML. This class is carefully structured to build a strong foundation in different movement forms through meticulous attention to detail and individualized attention.
Ballet Lab
Oftentimes, the world perceives the art of Ballet as restrictive, exacting, and stifled. CML believes, though, that Ballet can be a creative, freeing, and enlightening art form, where the artist’s body can continue to explore an ever-expanding sense of boundary-pushing. We also believe that Ballet can be taught in a healthful, accommodating way, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory.
With a strong basis in English, French, and Italian syllabi, CML’s Ballet Lab will also span many styles of ballet. It will teach traditional classical ballet foundations, as well as explore the changing demands for dancers in this current age. Classes will focus on developing strength, stamina, classical technique, and the individual artistic expression of the dancers. These classes will be geared toward the appropriate level and the developmental stages of each group. A particular focus will be paid to understanding the body and injury risk reduction.
Currently offered: Thursday at 4:30-5:3pm and and Saturday at 10:30am-11:30am
An Intermediate level, dancers will be further challenged in Level D with rigor and dynamic shifts. Increasing physical strength and overall technical consistency will be a focus, in addition to learning more and more about anatomy and kinesiology. We will also start to refine details and performance quality.
Core Classes are currently offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Oftentimes, the world perceives the art of Ballet as restrictive, exacting, and stifled. CML believes, though, that Ballet can be a creative, freeing, and enlightening art form, where the artist’s body can continue to explore an ever-expanding sense of boundary-pushing. We also believe that Ballet can be taught in a healthful, accommodating way, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory.
With a strong basis in English, French, and Italian syllabi, CML’s Ballet Lab will also span many styles of ballet. It will teach traditional classical ballet foundations, as well as explore the changing demands for dancers in this current age. Classes will focus on developing strength, stamina, classical technique, and the individual artistic expression of the dancers. These classes will be geared toward the appropriate level and the developmental stages of each group. A particular focus will be paid to understanding the body and injury risk reduction.
Like the musical form for which it is named, Jazz dance uses the complexities of rhythmic syncopation and translates it into isolated movement of the torso and limbs and a focus on locomotion. Jazz technique emphasizes and develops body alignment, coordination, strength, flexibility, rhythm, and Jazz dance vocabulary, as well as increased stamina, control, musicality and dynamics. There are many styles of Jazz dance, but all include a focus on performativity and response to popular and vernacular styles of music and movement.
CML’s Modern Dance Lab is designed to build a technique balanced by correct alignment, strength, flexibility, coordination, and musicality. Using elements from Nikolais/Louis, Graham, Limón, Bartenieff & Hawkins techniques, dancers explore the inner connections (breath, core to distal, head to tail, top to bottom, homo-lateral, and cross-lateral) and somatic understanding that is necessary for freedom and ease in creative, outward expression. Creativity and full three-dimensional movement is encouraged in modern dancers on every level. Through playful interaction with gravity, dancers study the dynamics of energy that are the support and motivation for all movement.
Ballet Technique: Under the Microscope is offered for Level D dancers. This Lab allows dancers to take a deep dive into their technique and “geek out” about dance, anatomy, and how the body moves. In this class, we will examine the details of technique, alignment, and expression. Dancers will be coached in a healthful way to develop precision and exploration in their dancing.
CML’s Level E is our first advanced level. Dancers will remain in Level E for a minimum of two years.
In Ballet classes, dancers may train in Pre-Pointe or Beginning Pointe, as determined by the Artistic Director and based on the dancer’s goals. Pre-Pointe is a methodical practice where we use detailed strength and technical training to prepare a body for the rigors of pointe training. As deemed appropriate, dancers will wear Pre-Pointe shoes to gain safe experience and strengthening in shoes that are very much like pointe shoes…but not quite.
For Ballet dancers who progress to Beginning Pointe, Director Julia Wilkinson Manley will guide the dancers through a thorough fitting process with our dear friends at Boulder Body Wear. Dancers will train in a methodical way to build a physiological understanding of the body working as a whole in Pointe work while progressing to more complex exercises at the barre.
Requirements: All Pointe classes must follow a Ballet Lab to ensure the dancers are safely warmed up and prepared. Dancers must take a minimum of three Ballet Lab classes and three Pointe classes per week (Pre-Pointe only requires two Pre-Pointe classes and three Ballet Lab classes)
Core Classes are currently offered Monday through Saturday.
Oftentimes, the world perceives the art of Ballet as restrictive, exacting, and stifled. CML believes, though, that Ballet can be a creative, freeing, and enlightening art form, where the artist’s body can continue to explore an ever-expanding sense of boundary-pushing. We also believe that Ballet can be taught in a healthful, accommodating way, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory.
With a strong basis in English, French, and Italian syllabi, CML’s Ballet Lab will also span many styles of ballet. It will teach traditional classical ballet foundations, as well as explore the changing demands for dancers in this current age. Classes will focus on developing strength, stamina, classical technique, and the individual artistic expression of the dancers. These classes will be geared toward the appropriate level and the developmental stages of each group. A particular focus will be paid to understanding the body and injury risk reduction.
Our composition class is divided into two sections over the year. The first section is a combination of lecture and directed improvisation, followed by supported creation of short compositions through the use of body, motif, phrase, and rhythmic structure. The second section of this class includes the use of compositions and phrasings, as well as the use of music, theme, staging, and technical aspects, to create a piece of choreography. We will work together to design and produce a performance made up of student works. Understanding the depth and terminology of this art form will help you to understand dances, whether or not you want to appreciate, perform, or create your own. Throughout this class we learn to view, understand, communicate, and create.
Contemporary Dance Lab will explore movement and artistry through established dance disciplines, individual movement patterns, and structured improvisations. By utilizing the concepts of dynamics, successional movement, and fluid center, dancers will find a movement vocabulary that allows them to express their unique artistic voices while honoring their dedication to aesthetics. By blending dance styles and personal movement intonations, dancers will be able to discover the beauty in the unusual and the joy of the now.
Like the musical form for which it is named, Jazz dance uses the complexities of rhythmic syncopation and translates it into isolated movement of the torso and limbs and a focus on locomotion. Jazz technique emphasizes and develops body alignment, coordination, strength, flexibility, rhythm, and Jazz dance vocabulary, as well as increased stamina, control, musicality and dynamics. There are many styles of Jazz dance, but all include a focus on performativity and response to popular and vernacular styles of music and movement.
CML’s Modern Dance Lab is designed to build a technique balanced by correct alignment, strength, flexibility, coordination, and musicality. Using elements from Nikolais/Louis, Graham, Limón, Bartenieff & Hawkins techniques, dancers explore the inner connections (breath, core to distal, head to tail, top to bottom, homo-lateral, and cross-lateral) and somatic understanding that is necessary for freedom and ease in creative, outward expression. Creativity and full three-dimensional movement is encouraged in modern dancers on every level. Through playful interaction with gravity, dancers study the dynamics of energy that are the support and motivation for all movement.
Dance, and any activity that requires high energy and detailed use of the body, is a high-risk profession by nature. We cannot prevent injury, but we can do our best to stay safe by learning about the body, the terminology, and the how, what, and why of motion. Injury risk reduction is an important skill for everyone at every level. This class contains lecture and movement experiments to help dancers work in a healthy and productive way. Anatomy, physiology, & kinesiology terminology will deepen your somatic understanding and help you to communicate with medical professionals effectively.
Pointe Lab at CML continues the dancers’ Ballet foundation with strength, technique building, and an understanding of the body and injury risk reduction. CML’s Artistic Team and Faculty will carefully place dancers in Pointe levels, all with a focus on kinesthetic appropriateness, full-body awareness, and foundational strength. Dancers will begin with Pre-Pointe classes to cultivate a detailed understanding of how the body works and healthful habits to reduce injury risk. Beginning Pointe is when full pointe shoes are introduced. Dancers will continue to build a physiological understanding of the body working as a whole in Pointe work while methodically progressing to more complex exercises at the barre. As the dancers’ Pointe journey continues, they will continue building stamina and strength to allow freedom, expression, and risk-taking in the same healthful, accommodating environment, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory. Requirements: All Pointe classes must follow a Ballet Lab to ensure the dancers are safely warmed up and prepared. Dancers must take a minimum of three Ballet Lab classes and three Pointe classes per week (Pre-Pointe only requires two Pre-Pointe classes and three Ballet Lab classes)
Variations Lab is offered for CML dancers in Levels D, E, and F. In this class, dancers learn variations and repertoire from historical classical ballets. These variations allow the dancers to work on performance quality, characterization, acting, application of technique, and attention to detail. Dancers will receive coaching from CML faculty, which emphasizes goal setting and growth. Variations and Repertoire Labs will have the opportunity to perform variations at the Winter Gathering performances and our end of year Festival of Dance. Dancers in Level F and G may have the opportunity to participate in the Denver Ballet Guild Young Dancers Competition.
Core Classes are currently offered Monday through Saturday.
Oftentimes, the world perceives the art of Ballet as restrictive, exacting, and stifled. CML believes, though, that Ballet can be a creative, freeing, and enlightening art form, where the artist’s body can continue to explore an ever-expanding sense of boundary-pushing. We also believe that Ballet can be taught in a healthful, accommodating way, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory.
With a strong basis in English, French, and Italian syllabi, CML’s Ballet Lab will also span many styles of ballet. It will teach traditional classical ballet foundations, as well as explore the changing demands for dancers in this current age. Classes will focus on developing strength, stamina, classical technique, and the individual artistic expression of the dancers. These classes will be geared toward the appropriate level and the developmental stages of each group. A particular focus will be paid to understanding the body and injury risk reduction.
Our composition class is divided into two sections over the year. The first section is a combination of lecture and directed improvisation, followed by supported creation of short compositions through the use of body, motif, phrase, and rhythmic structure. The second section of this class includes the use of compositions and phrasings, as well as the use of music, theme, staging, and technical aspects, to create a piece of choreography. We will work together to design and produce a performance made up of student works. Understanding the depth and terminology of this art form will help you to understand dances, whether or not you want to appreciate, perform, or create your own. Throughout this class we learn to view, understand, communicate, and create.
Contemporary Dance Lab will explore movement and artistry through established dance disciplines, individual movement patterns, and structured improvisations. By utilizing the concepts of dynamics, successional movement, and fluid center, dancers will find a movement vocabulary that allows them to express their unique artistic voices while honoring their dedication to aesthetics. By blending dance styles and personal movement intonations, dancers will be able to discover the beauty in the unusual and the joy of the now.
Like the musical form for which it is named, Jazz dance uses the complexities of rhythmic syncopation and translates it into isolated movement of the torso and limbs and a focus on locomotion. Jazz technique emphasizes and develops body alignment, coordination, strength, flexibility, rhythm, and Jazz dance vocabulary, as well as increased stamina, control, musicality and dynamics. There are many styles of Jazz dance, but all include a focus on performativity and response to popular and vernacular styles of music and movement.
CML’s Modern Dance Lab is designed to build a technique balanced by correct alignment, strength, flexibility, coordination, and musicality. Using elements from Nikolais/Louis, Graham, Limón, Bartenieff & Hawkins techniques, dancers explore the inner connections (breath, core to distal, head to tail, top to bottom, homo-lateral, and cross-lateral) and somatic understanding that is necessary for freedom and ease in creative, outward expression. Creativity and full three-dimensional movement is encouraged in modern dancers on every level. Through playful interaction with gravity, dancers study the dynamics of energy that are the support and motivation for all movement.
Dance, and any activity that requires high energy and detailed use of the body, is a high-risk profession by nature. We cannot prevent injury, but we can do our best to stay safe by learning about the body, the terminology, and the how, what, and why of motion. Injury risk reduction is an important skill for everyone at every level. This class contains lecture and movement experiments to help dancers work in a healthy and productive way. Anatomy, physiology, & kinesiology terminology will deepen your somatic understanding and help you to communicate with medical professionals effectively.
Pointe Lab at CML continues the dancers’ Ballet foundation with strength, technique building, and an understanding of the body and injury risk reduction. CML’s Artistic Team and Faculty will carefully place dancers in Pointe levels, all with a focus on kinesthetic appropriateness, full-body awareness, and foundational strength. Dancers will begin with Pre-Pointe classes to cultivate a detailed understanding of how the body works and healthful habits to reduce injury risk. Beginning Pointe is when full pointe shoes are introduced. Dancers will continue to build a physiological understanding of the body working as a whole in Pointe work while methodically progressing to more complex exercises at the barre. As the dancers’ Pointe journey continues, they will continue building stamina and strength to allow freedom, expression, and risk-taking in the same healthful, accommodating environment, where bodies of all abilities can learn to be both precise and exploratory. Requirements: All Pointe classes must follow a Ballet Lab to ensure the dancers are safely warmed up and prepared. Dancers must take a minimum of three Ballet Lab classes and three Pointe classes per week (Pre-Pointe only requires two Pre-Pointe classes and three Ballet Lab classes)
Variations Lab is offered for CML dancers in Levels D, E, and F. In this class, dancers learn variations and repertoire from historical classical ballets. These variations allow the dancers to work on performance quality, characterization, acting, application of technique, and attention to detail. Dancers will receive coaching from CML faculty, which emphasizes goal setting and growth. Variations and Repertoire Labs will have the opportunity to perform variations at the Winter Gathering performances and our end of year Festival of Dance. Dancers in Level F and G may have the opportunity to participate in the Denver Ballet Guild Young Dancers Competition.