AYDT NORTH

Register for Fall Dance Classes / Inscríbete para las clases de baile de otoño

AYDT North is proud to offer Pre-Ballet, Ballet, Intro Tap, Tap and Hip Hop dance classes taught by experienced dance education professionals. Spectacular Holiday and Spring performances for ages 3 and up and confidence, skill building fun for everyone!

AYDT North se enorgullece de ofrecer clases de danza de Pre-Ballet, Ballet, Tap Intro, Tap y Hip Hop impartidas por profesionales experimentados en educación de danza. ¡Espectaculares presentaciones de vacaciones y primavera para mayores de 3 años y diversión para todos mientras desarrollan confianza y habilidades!

AYDT NORTH

Register for Dance Classes this Fall

Register for Fall Dance Classes / Inscríbete para las clases de baile de otoño

American Youth Dance Theater is proud to offer Ballet, Tap, Broadway Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary dance classes with programs tailored to all ages from 18 months to 18 years taught by experienced dance education professionals. Spectacular Holiday and Spring performances for ages 3 and up and confidence, skill building fun for everyone!

American Youth Dance Theater se enorgullece de ofrecer clases de ballet, tap, jazz de Broadway, hip hop y danza contemporánea con programas adaptados a todas las edades, desde los 18 meses hasta los 18 años, impartidos por profesionales experimentados en la enseñanza de la danza. ¡Espectaculares presentaciones navideñas y de primavera para niños de 3 años en adelante y diversión para desarrollar la confianza y las habilidades para todos!

Welcome to AYDT North!

Located within the NOMAA studios of the historic United Palace Theatre, American Youth Dance Theater has been offering dance classes to children in the Northern Manhattan and Bronx area since 2021.

Ubicado dentro de los estudios NOMAA del histórico United Palace Theatre, American Youth Dance Theatre ofrece danza a niños en el área del norte de Manhattan y el Bronx desde 2021.

Classes this Fall

This Fall, American Youth Dance Theater on the UES offers a variety of dance classes for children, from ballet and tap to hip hop and modern. Scroll down to explore our diverse class offerings and find the perfect fit for your child!

Este otoño, el American Youth Dance Theater en la UES ofrece una variedad de clases de baile para niños, desde ballet y tap hasta hip hop y danza moderna. ¡Desplácese hacia abajo para explorar nuestras diversas ofertas de clases y encuentre la opción perfecta para su hijo!

Ballet

A strong foundation of classical ballet technique for children in grades Pre-K 3 through High School, featuring the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum. Classes available for all levels, beginner through pre-professional.

Una sólida base de técnica de ballet clásico para niños desde Pre-K 3 hasta la escuela secundaria, con el plan de estudios de formación nacional de AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE®. Clases disponibles para todos los niveles, desde principiantes hasta pre-profesionales.

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Ballet Classes

American Youth Dance Theater is proud to include the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, taught by ABT® Affiliate & ABT® NTC Fellow Teachers in levels of distinction from Pre-Primary through Level 7 & Partnering.

Students are trained at the highest national standards and through yearly exams teachers and students are able to evaluate their progression within a structured curriculum. AYDT’s goal is to promote learning in a positive, developmentally sound environment while building on the principles of ballet technique for students of all levels, recreational through pre-professional.

AYDT offers high-quality ballet education with small class sizes for personalized attention. Our experienced instructors prioritize technique, alignment, and safety while respecting each student’s individual physicality.

Wide Variety of Children’s Ballet Classes

Our ballet classes start with Dance with Me for toddlers, ages 2.5 to 3, with a parent or caregiver, and go up to Advanced Ballet for teens, with all levels in between. For full program details, please see our Description of Classes below.

Attentive, Caring and Inspiring

AYDT’s goal is to promote learning in a positive and caring environment. Our teaching philosophy builds on the principles of ballet technique for students of all levels, recreational through pre-professional. Ballet classes at AYDT focus on high quality, physically and developmentally sound instruction. Class sizes are taught by highly experienced dance education professionals with a motivational and caring approach. Class sizes are kept small to ensure lots of individual attention. We place strong emphasis on technique, proper alignment and safety.

Focus on Individual Ability

Our ballet classes are available based on individual student’s goals and levels of ability. Skill levels range from recreational to pre-professional. We are also happy to offer a place for older beginners to begin their ballet studies in our Open Level Ballet program.

Develop Confidence Through Performance

Our younger students are showcased in our annual Junior Division Holiday and Spring Recitals. Students in elementary through high school have the opportunity to perform in our annual Nutcracker. This performance is danced entirely by children and teens, as well as our Senior Division Spring Recital.

Recent Spring Recital performances include selections from Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Giselle, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Gaiete Parisienne, La Fille Mal Gardee, La Bayadere and Raymonda.

ABT® Qualified Faculty

Our senior faculty is certified in the ABT® National Training Curriculum, which is taught throughout the program.

Description of Classes


Pre-Ballet 1: Nursery School/Pre-K 3 (must be at least 3 ½ years old by September).

Pre-Ballet 2: Pre-K 4.

Pre-Ballet 3: Kindergarten.

Ballet 1A: 1st and 2nd grades.

Ballet 1B: 2nd and 3rd grades.

Ballet 2: 3rd and 4th grades.

Open Level Ballet 3: Open to students in grades 4 and up wishing to take ballet recreationally or as an additional class to complement their training in another dance style. This class is a 2-year program.

Open Level Ballet 4: Open to students in grades 6 and up who have completed 2 years of Open Level Ballet 3 or equivalent. Older beginners are welcome but may need to take a few private lessons to catch up.

NOTE FOR ALL PROGRAMS: Foundational Level classes are based on age and are open to beginners as well as students who have had some previous training. New students, please contact us for placement. All of our classes are open to girls and boys. We have special classes just for boys in Hip Hop programs.

*Placement for higher-level classes is by teacher recommendation or audition.

Tap Classes

Tap

Classical tap steps, rhythm and technique for grades Pre-K 4 through High School. Classes available for all levels, beginner through pre-professional.

Pasos de tap clásico, ritmo y técnica para los grados Pre-K 4 hasta la escuela secundaria. Clases disponibles para todos los niveles, desde principiantes hasta pre-profesionales.

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Tap Classes

Fun and Confidence Building!

AYDT’s tap program focuses on learning classical tap steps, rhythm and technique. The class consists of a warm-up, stretching, and building a vocabulary of steps and combinations. All students have the opportunity to perform in our Holiday and Spring Recitals. Tap students are strongly encouraged to also take a weekly ballet or Broadway class to complement their training.

The benefits of our Tap classes include increasing conditioning, strength, musicality, flexibility and coordination.

Exciting Performance Opportunities

Our younger students are showcased in our annual Junior Division Holiday and Spring Recitals and students in elementary through high school have the opportunity to perform in our annual Senior Division Holiday and Spring Recitals.

Focus on individual Ability

Different Tap classes are available based on individual student’s goals and levels of ability. We are also happy to offer a place for older beginners to begin their tap dance studies in our Open Level Tap program.

IMPORTANT: Tap students are strongly encouraged to also take a weekly Ballet or Broadway Jazz class to complement their training.

Foundation-level classes are based on age and are open to beginners as well as students who have had some previous tap training. See our Description of Classes below or Contact Us for more information.

Description of Classes


Tap 1A: Beginning level tap instruction for students in grades 1 – 3.

Tap 1B: Advanced beginner level for grades 3 – 6.

Open Level Tap: Open to older beginner/intermediate students in grades 5 and up.

Tap 2*: Grades 4-7. Placement is by faculty recommendation or audition only.

Tap 3*: Grades 4-8. Placement is by faculty recommendation or audition only.

Intermediate Tap*: Upper-level students, grades 6 & up, placement is by faculty recommendation or audition only. This is a 2-3 year program.

Advanced/Intermediate Tap*: Upper-level students, grades 7-12, placement is by faculty recommendation or audition only. This level requires a second weekly class in either Ballet, Broadway, or Hip Hop.

Advanced Tap*: Upper-level students, grades 9-12, placement is by faculty recommendation or audition only. This level requires a second weekly class in either Ballet, Broadway or Hip Hop.

NOTE FOR ALL PROGRAMS: Foundational Level classes are based on age and are open to beginners as well as students who have had some previous training. New students, please contact us for placement. All of our classes are open to girls and boys. We have special classes just for boys in our Hip Hop program.

*Placement is higher-level classes is by teacher recommendation or audition.

Hip Hop

A fun, fitness-conditioning workout to popular music. Classes available at all levels for students in Pre-K 4 through High School, beginner through pre-professional. All music and movement is age appropriate.

Un divertido entrenamiento de acondicionamiento físico con música popular. Clases disponibles en todos los niveles para estudiantes desde Pre-K 4 hasta la escuela secundaria, desde principiantes hasta pre-profesionales. Toda la música y los movimientos son apropiados para la edad.

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Hip Hop

High Energy and Fun!

We’re delighted to offer a special Hip Hop/Breakdance program just for boys at American Youth Dance Theater. High energy dance to popular music, this class is a great strength-building and cardio workout that includes warm-up, stretching and building a vocabulary of steps and combinations.

We also accept boys into our co-ed classes, and although the ratio of boys to girls is rarely equal in any dance class, our instructors do their best to welcome boys into the classes and make them feel like they fit right in. Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop and Broadway are often recommended for boys because they are more fast-paced, high-energy and relatively gender-neutral dance styles.

Confidence Through Performance

Our recitals offer fun, self-esteem enhancing opportunities. Boys’ dance classes are showcased in our annual Senior Division Holiday and Spring Recitals.

Focus on individual Ability

Different Hip Hop classes are available based on individual student’s goals and levels of ability. We are pleased to offer class options for older beginners as well. See our Description of Classes below or Contact Us for more information.

IMPORTANT: Hip Hop students are strongly encouraged to also take a weekly Ballet, Tap or Broadway Jazz class to complement their training.

Description of Classes


Hip Hop Intro: Pre-K4 & Kindergarten. Must be at least 4 years old by September.

Hip Hop 1: Open to students in grades 1 & 2.

Hip Hop 2: Open to students in grades 3 & 4.

Hip Hop 3: Open to students in grades 5 – 7.

Open Level Hip Hop 4: Open to students in grades 7-9, no prior training required.

Open Level Hip Hop 5: Open to students in grades 10-12, no prior training required.

Hip Hop 4*: Open to students in grades 7 – 9.

Hip Hop 5*: Open to students in grades 10 – 12.

Intermediate Hip Hop*: For serious and committed upper level students who have achieved high levels of technique, style, and musicality. Placement is by faculty recommendation only. This level requires two classes a week. Additional class may be in any discipline.

Boys’ Hip Hop Breakdance 1/2 & ¾: Two levels of high energy dance, taught by a male teacher, for boys ages 6-10 (Level 1/2) and 11 through teens (Level 3/4).

NOTE FOR ALL PROGRAMS: Foundational Level classes are based on age and are open to beginners as well as students who have had some previous training. New students, please contact us for placement. All of our classes are open to girls and boys. We have special classes just for boys in our Hip Hop program.

*Placement is higher-level classes is by teacher recommendation or audition.

Why AYDT? / ¿Por qué AYDT?

American Youth Dance Theater is a non-corporate, private dance school for children ages 18 months through 18 years. AYDT’s teaching philosophy promotes learning in a positive, developmentally sound environment, guided by caring dance education professionals. Classes at our professionally equipped school are kept small to allow lots of individual attention. We believe that each student who is willing to learn should reach their highest potential and feel pride in their accomplishments.

American Youth Dance Theater es una escuela de danza privada y no corporativa para niños de 18 meses a 18 años. La filosofía de enseñanza de AYDT promueve el aprendizaje en un entorno positivo y adecuado para el desarrollo, guiado por profesionales de la educación en danza que se preocupan. Las clases en nuestra escuela, equipada profesionalmente, se mantienen pequeñas para permitir mucha atención individual. Creemos que cada estudiante que esté dispuesto a aprender debe alcanzar su máximo potencial y sentirse orgulloso de sus logros.

American Youth Dance Theater is proud to include the American Ballet Theater® National Training Curriculum. This breakthrough 8 level program combines high quality artistic training with the basics of dancer health and child development. The ABT® National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet training to dance students of all ages and skill levels.

FAQ

Our dance program is designed to suit the needs of children who love to dance as a hobby as well as the professionally-oriented student. During the early years of training classes are focused on developing proper dance technique, in a motivational, fun and creative atmosphere. As students get older we offer a variety of classes, some geared towards students seeking pre-professional training and others developed for students interested in continuing with dance for recreation and fitness.

Our youngest class is First Steps, and introduction to movement for babies and toddlers 18-26 months accompanied by a parent or caregiver, followed by Dance with Me, for ages 2.25-3 (Not just for Moms – Dad’s, grandparents or caregivers are also welcome!). Our early childhood classes are lots of fun for both the child and accompanying adult. We do request that the adult bringing the child to class be prepared to give the child their undivided attention throughout the class. We need your help for the class to be successful and enjoyable for all! Separation classes begin with our Tiny Tots class for ages 3-4 followed by three levels of Pre-ballet for students in Nursery School through Kindergarten.

Yes, we do have boys in our program! In 2014 we started a special Boys’ Hip Hop/Breakdance program just for boys. We also accept boys into our co-ed classes, and although the ratio of boys to girls is rarely equal in any dance class, our instructors do their best to welcome boys into the classes and make them feel like they fit right in. Tap, Hip Hop and Broadway are often recommended for boys because they are more fast-paced, high-energy and relatively gender-neutral dance styles.

All of our teachers are professionally trained dancers with extensive teaching experience.

No, we are a traditional dance school where dance is taught through technique classes, rehearsals and performances. We prefer to teach dance as an art form, rather than a competitive sport.

Class placement is typically by age and experience. Up until a certain level, beginners can join a class of similar aged children with little or no difficulty. Depending on the dance style, classes switch from age-based to skill-based somewhere between school grades 3-5, but we always offer entry level classes in all dance styles for older beginners so nobody is left out.

Please read the Description of Classes by clicking ‘View Class and Register’ for the class you’re interested in; the appropriate ages and grades for each class are listed. If you feel your child falls between levels or are still unsure about which class would be best for your child, then please call our office (212) 717-5419.

Any age is a wonderful time to learn dance and we pride ourselves on having classes for children and teens at all levels, even for older beginners. Please read the Description of Classes by clicking ‘View Class and Register’ for the class you’re interested in to read about the different programs offered. If you are still unsure about which class would be best for your child, then please call our office (212) 717-5419.

Attendance: Because the Fall and Spring Semesters culminate in dance recitals (ages 3.5 and up), attendance is important. Students may not miss more than 3 classes in the Fall semester or 4 in the Spring semester. Please contact us regards our attendance policy.

Students who miss more than the allowed number of classes are not allowed to participate in the recitals. Our calendar is loosely based on the NYC public school calendar. If your child goes to a private school, there is a good chance that some of his/her school vacations will conflict with our class schedule. If you generally go out of town during private school vacations, and your child also misses a few classes due to illness or other reasons, it is highly possible that they will miss more than the allowed number of absences for recital participation, and may need to do a private lesson to catch up or may be excluded from recital participation altogether if the absences exceed a certain number.

Please take a good look at our Attendance Policy and Calendar, to carefully consider whether you can realistically commit, before deciding to register for classes at AYDT. This is not the kind of program where you can register for a class and just show up whenever you want to. We want to make sure that children who register for our program actually learn the course material, and this can only happen if they are in class consistently.

Make-up classes: Your child is welcome to participate in up to 3 make-up dance classes during the Fall semester and 4 in the Spring, 2 for 9-week Dance with Me sessions, and one during the 4-5 week summer sessions. Absences are not deducted from the tuition, but can be made up before the end of the semester. Classes that fall on a school holiday may also be made up. Please view our complete Attendance Policy for more information on scheduling make-up classes.

Junior recitals (Preschool-Kindergarten): no extra rehearsals are required.

Senior recitals (Grades 1-12): There is one mandatory dress rehearsal for each class, which is held on a weekday before the recital weekend. (Students enrolled in multiple classes usually need to attend dress rehearsals on two to three separate days). All students must attend dress rehearsal in order to perform. Absolutely no exceptions are made.

Senior Division ballet classes (school grades 1-12) have 2 additional Saturday afternoon Nutcracker rehearsals which are noted on our calendar, in addition to the mandatory dress rehearsal on the performance weekend.

Yes, that is absolutely fine. We understand that sometimes other obligations come up and students are not able to commit to the recital. For any students not able to perform in the recital, we are happy to arrange an in-class performance for the child’s parents so that the student still has the opportunity to perform for his/her family.

We do kindly ask that anyone opting out of a performance for any reason, please notify AYDT no later than 4 weeks before the performance. Any student who does not give adequate notice for dropping out will be charged a $50 fee to cover payment for the extra time it will take the teacher to adjust the choreography.

Our Holiday performances are a secular, non-religious tribute to the December holidays of Christmas, Hanukah and New Years. Our Senior Division ballet students (school grades 1-12) perform The Nutcracker, and our Senior Division tap, Broadway, hip-hop and Junior division ballet (Pre-K and Kindergarten) students perform dances with Holiday or Winter themes.

We do our best to make everyone feel comfortable at this very happy time of the year; however, participation is not mandatory and anyone who feels uncomfortable with their child performing in a show that features Christmas as one of it’s themes is welcome to opt out of performance participation.

We offer 1 parent’s visiting week each year in which parents are invited into the classroom to observe class. On all other days, parents may wait for their children in our lobby or leave once the class begins and return for pick-up.

Our studios all have viewing windows in the doorway, and parents are welcome to observe classes for a few minutes in passing. We just ask that you do so discretely and do not stand in front of the glass door for the entire class as this is distracting to the students and the teachers.

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, we firmly believe that children of all ages need down-time to play and just be a kid! We do not recommend doing a different activity every day after school, even if it means not taking a dance class at our studio.

We advocate for healthy well-balanced children, and for teaching children healthy time-management skills. We have also found that over-scheduled kids are not able to continue past a certain point at our studio due to excessive overlapping of activities and commitments.

We try our best to include students with learning differences who are able to integrate in a structured group class setting with one instructor in the studio. Since each situation is different, this is handled on a case by case basis. If your child has learning differences and they would like to take dance class, feel free to contact us by phone at 212-717-5419 or email at [email protected] to discuss your child’s individual case.

We offer financial assistance to children that have an unbridled passion for dance that cannot afford to take class on a regular basis. If you are in need of assistance, please contact us to find out more..

Where are we? / Donde estamos nosotras?

Situated in the heart of Washington Heights, our dance classes are easily accessible from surrounding neighborhoods including Inwood, Moringside Heights, Hamilton Heights, Morris Heights, Highbridge, University Heights, Harlem and the Upper West Side.

Ubicado en el corazón de Washington Heights, nuestras clases son fácilmente accesibles desde los vecindarios circundantes, incluido Inwood. , Moringside Heights, Hamilton Heights, Morris Heights, Highbridge, University Heights, Harlem y Upper West Side.

American Youth Dance Theater North
NOMAA @ The United Palace Theater
4140 Broadway Second Floor
New York, NY 10033, United States
Tel: (212) 717–5419
(646) 589–8661 Para Español

NYC’s Favorite Dance School

NYC’s Favorite Dance School

We’re excited to welcome you to the AYDT family! Our classes offer a wonderful space for your child to explore dance, build confidence, and enjoy the magic of performing. Ready to join us? Register now to reserve your place.

¡Estamos emocionados de darte la bienvenida a la familia AYDT! Nuestras clases ofrecen un espacio maravilloso para que tu hijo explore la danza, construya confianza y disfrute de la magia de actuar. ¿Listo para unirte a nosotros? Regístrate ahora para reservar tu lugar.