Acrobatic training teaches flexibility, balance, strength, muscle control, and above all, discipline and concentration. With careful, quality instruction, a dancer will gain more flexibility and upper body strength. It is an excellent way to learn spatial awareness, an important element in partnering and ensemble work. Acro dance is safe, challenging, and takes a certain amount of flexibility and agility to perform. Acrobatic movements can include handstands, hand balances, flips, handsprings, and cartwheels! DanceFusion is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Studio.

Tap 6-9yrs +

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Students will learn tap terminology, technique, and steps like shuffles, flaps, time steps, cramp rolls and more, by doing a combination of centre exercises and movements across the floor. Tap will help to develop confidence, mental concentration, physical coordination, and musicality.

Forged in the oppressive landscape of slavery and indentured immigration in 19th century America, tap has evolved over the years into an energetic and truly musical dance form. Tap, as a dance style, is percussive and rhythmically complex, and has movement that celebrates the marriage of motion and sound. This liberating dance style can stretch backward and forwards in time, evoking rhymes from before the birth of jazz music.

While the exact origin point of tap dance is often in dispute, most scholars agree that the conditions behind its development lies in the merging of West African dances and the clog dances and jigs of Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. Where these groups came into contact to create modern-day tap has generally been focused into two very different geographical areas: The antebellum American South, and urban immigrant northern neighborhoods like Five Points in Manhattan.

Autumn Term: Sept 26th- Dec 13th * NOTE -THIS CLASS STARTS A WEEK LATER!

Cost $223 +GST

Tap 10-13yrs +

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Students will learn tap terminology, technique, and steps like shuffles, flaps, time steps, cramp rolls and more, by doing a combination of centre exercises and movements across the floor. Tap will help to develop confidence, mental concentration, physical coordination, and musicality.

Forged in the oppressive landscape of slavery and indentured immigration in 19th century America, tap has evolved over the years into an energetic and truly musical dance form. Tap, as a dance style, is percussive and rhythmically complex, and has movement that celebrates the marriage of motion and sound. This liberating dance style can stretch backward and forwards in time, evoking rhymes from before the birth of jazz music.

While the exact origin point of tap dance is often in dispute, most scholars agree that the conditions behind its development lies in the merging of West African dances and the clog dances and jigs of Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. Where these groups came into contact to create modern-day tap has generally been focused into two very different geographical areas: The antebellum American South, and urban immigrant northern neighborhoods like Five Points in Manhattan.

Autumn Term: Sept 26th- Dec 13th * NOTE -THIS CLASS STARTS A WEEK LATER!

Cost $236 +GST

Tap 14yrs +

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Students will learn tap terminology, technique, and steps like shuffles, flaps, time steps, cramp rolls and more, by doing a combination of centre exercises and movements across the floor. Tap will help to develop confidence, mental concentration, physical coordination, and musicality.

Forged in the oppressive landscape of slavery and indentured immigration in 19th century America, tap has evolved over the years into an energetic and truly musical dance form. Tap, as a dance style, is percussive and rhythmically complex, and has movement that celebrates the marriage of motion and sound. This liberating dance style can stretch backward and forwards in time, evoking rhymes from before the birth of jazz music.

While the exact origin point of tap dance is often in dispute, most scholars agree that the conditions behind its development lies in the merging of West African dances and the clog dances and jigs of Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. Where these groups came into contact to create modern-day tap has generally been focused into two very different geographical areas: The antebellum American South, and urban immigrant northern neighborhoods like Five Points in Manhattan.

Autumn Term: Sept 26th- Dec 13th

* NOTE -THIS CLASS STARTS A WEEK LATER!

Cost $236 +GST

Acro ages 3-5yrs

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Acrobatic training teaches flexibility, balance, strength, muscle control, discipline, concentration, creativity, and expression to music. At this age, we introduce bridge, cartwheels, handstands, headstands, and rolls, along with dance terminology and musicality. As students get older, acrobatic movements can include hand balances, walkovers, and cartwheel variations.

This dance class will provide the potential for personal expression and coordination skill-building. One of the goals is to communicate through movement and use imagery and games to have fun while creating the building blocks for future movement development. This class also uses traditional exercises to familiarize students with dance vocabulary, musicality, and choreography.

DanceFusion is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Studio.

Class is held at Studio Alive in uphill Nelson.

Autumn term: Sept 26th-Dec 12th, 2025.

*NOTE FRIDAY CLASSES START ONE WEEK LATER THAN OTHER CLASSES!

The fee is $108 + GST.

For info on how to register with our new platform, refer to the short video tutorial at the top of the Schedule Page.

Lyrical Acro-Dance 9-12yrs

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Lyrical dance is an expressive form of dance that blends various styles. It challenges choreographers and dancers to use movement to interpret music and express emotion. A lyrical dancer’s movements attempt to show the meaning/mood of the music. It is all built on a foundation of technique that includes turns, kicks, and jumps and is set to uplifting current music.
This open-level class will cater to a variety of previous dance experience. Dancers will develop coordination, musicality, and artistry.

Acrobatic training teaches flexibility, balance, strength, discipline, and concentration. Through safe and progressive training, a dancer will gain more flexibility and strength to achieve skills. The goal is to incorporate acro skills into a dance routine, therefore blending artistry with athleticism.
OPEN LEVEL: For this level, dancers do not need prior experience, as a variety of skills and progressions will be introduced to safely accommodate their current level.
DanceFusion is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Studio.

Hilary Shanklin received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). She’s had the opportunity to work with incredible teachers & choreographers from The National Ballet of Canada, Kaeja d’Dance, and Toronto Dance Theatre and choreographer Hanna Kiel of “Human Body Expressions.” Hilary’s had the honour of performing at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony, numerous works at Dance Ontario’s Dance Weekend, and on Disney channel’s “The Next Step” pilot episode. Hilary’s passions have always been in dance and movement, as well as teaching.  She has just completed her Bachelor of Education, congrats!

THIS CLASS IS HELD AT STUDIO ALIVE.

The term runs from Sept 18th – Dec 11th, 2025.

Fee is $255 + GST.

Lyrical Acro-Dance 7-9yrs Open level

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Acrobatic training teaches flexibility, balance, strength, discipline, and concentration. Dancers will learn through games, drills, and techniques to develop their skills. A dancer will gain more flexibility and strength to achieve skills through safe and progressive training.

Acrobatic movements can include cartwheels, somersaults, headstands, and bridge,  and more! The goal is to place Acro skills into a dance routine, therefore blending artistry with athleticism.
For this level dancers do not need prior experience, as there will be a variety of skills and progressions introduced to safely be able to accommodate where they are at.
Individual exercises will be given to fit their ability as students will have different needs and may be ready for more advanced skills.

DanceFusion is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Studio.

We are so excited to welcome Ava Jinjoe back to the DF teaching team. Trained in classical ballet from a young age, Ava is a dedicated instructor, bringing a unique blend of technical precision and artistic flair to class. Fostering a love for dance while nurturing each student’s potential. She has attended and been accepted to numerous dance programs from Kootenay Dance Works in Rossland where she started, to prestigious schools such as Arts Umbrella, Houston Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Jorgen. With a career marked by passion, dedication, and a profound love for the art of dance, Ava is excited to join the Dance Fusion team this winter.

THIS CLASS IS HELD AT STUDIO ALIVE.

Autumn Term runs Sep 15th – Dec.8 26th, 2025.

Fee is $255 + GST.

Acro ages 7-10yrs

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Acrobatic training teaches flexibility, balance, strength, muscle control, discipline, concentration, creativity, and expression to music. At this age, we introduce bridge, cartwheels, handstands, headstands, and rolls, along with dance terminology and musicality. As students get older, acrobatic movements can include hand balances, walkovers, and cartwheel variations.

This is not a total beginner class. It is suited for focused dancers who are ready to work hard and give it their all and have prior dance experience in both dance and acrobatics. Dancers should have these skills: Strong bridge, handstand and catwheel on one side.

This dance class will provide the potential for personal expression and coordination skill-building. One of the goals is to communicate through movement and use imagery and games to have fun while creating the building blocks for future development. This class also uses traditional exercises to familiarize students with dance vocabulary, musicality, and choreography.

DanceFusion is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Studio.

Class is held at Studio Alive in uphill Nelson.

Autumn Term: Sept 26th-Dec 12th, 2025.

*NOTE FRIDAY CLASSES START ONE WEEK LATER THAN OTHER CLASSES!

The fee is $236 + GST.

For info on how to register with our new platform, refer to the short video tutorial at the top of the Schedule Page.

Acro Intermediate 10-13yrs

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Acrobatic training teaches flexibility, balance, strength, discipline, and concentration. Through safe and progressive training, a dancer will gain more flexibility and strength to achieve skills. Dancers learn through games, drills, and techniques to develop their skills. Acrobatic movements can include handstands, somersaults, headstands, cartwheels, bridges, walkovers, and more! The goal is to incorporate acro skills into a dance routine, therefore blending artistry with athleticism.

This is an intermediate class, not a beginner/open-level class, geared toward dancers with prior dance (2+ years twice a week) For this level, dancers need to be enrolled in at least one other class a week in Contemporary, Ballet or Jazz.

Please email if you are unsure about the level.

Autumn term runs from Sept 17th- Dec 12, 2025

The cost is $255 + GST.

Skills required:

  • Go from standing down to a bridge on their own, hold bridge for at least 10 sec with heels down.
  • Working on kick over, can do it on their own, ok if leg is not super straight.
  • Do a forward roll (no heading touching the mat)
  • Handstand with good form.
  • Leg straight cartwheel on one side
  • Hold plank for 60 seconds.

We will work safely from this base of skills.

DanceFusion is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Studio.

***Please note: Punctuality and attendance is very important for this term, dancers must attend each class, with no more than two absences.

Acro Dance Intermediate 14yrs+

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Acrobatic training teaches flexibility, balance, strength, muscle control, discipline and concentration. It is an excellent way to learn spatial awareness, an important element in ensemble work.
This class is geared toward students at an intermediate level in dance (Jazz/Ballet/Contemporary) AS WELL as intermediate acro ability.

This is not an open-level or beginner class. If you are new to the studio or this class/level, please email to check about placement. If you have been in an acro class before with us, please check all the requirements before signing up.

The goal is to place Acro skills into a dance routine, blending artistry with athleticism.
To join this class, you must be enrolled in 3 other classes a week; some exceptions can be made for skilled dancers.
DanceFusion is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Studio.

Please make sure dancers can do these skills before registering for this class ( even if they have been in the class before)

  • Go from standing down to a bridge,  hold bridge for 15 seconds, heel down
  • Bridge with retirè straight leg
  • Solid cartwheel with legs straight and wide split
  • Middle splits and side splits, if not all the way down, quite close.
  • Handstand with good form and balance.
  • Bridge kick over

Acrobatic movements can include bridges, walk-overs, handstands, hand balances, somersaults, cartwheel variations and more!

The term runs from Sept 16th – Dec 9th, 2025.

The fee is $255 + GST.

For info on how to register with our new platform, refer to the short video tutorial at the top of the Schedule Page.