Casco Bay Movers was founded as a studio for adults to provide a safe and supportive place for all who wanted to discover the joy of dance. We strive to create welcoming spaces and share high-quality professional training for adult movers of all experience levels. Descriptions of the classes and levels can be found below. If you are unsure where to begin your dance journey at CBM, call us at 207.871.1013 or email us at [email protected]. We are happy to help!

Ballet: Classes focus on proper body placement, alignment, barre,  center floor work, and across-the-floor combinations. What to wear: any comfortable dance or athletic wear that allows for a free range of movement with ballet shoes or socks.

Contemporary Forms: Classes will include floor work, improvisation, and versatility of body lines and dynamic movements. What to wear: any comfortable dance or athletic wear that allows for a free range of movement. Layers work well as you’ll be sliding and rolling on the floor.

Hip Hop: Hip hop classes are fun, upbeat, and focused on personal style and expression. The movement style blends hip hop’s foundation: poppin’, lockin’, breakin’, and housing combined with more contemporary styles. What to wear: Any comfortable dance or athletic wear that allows for a free range of movement and sneakers designated for indoor use only.  

Modern Jazz: Modern Jazz fuses the groundedness of modern dance with the grooves, joy and rhythm of jazz dance. Each class begins with somatic practices to tune into your dancing body before progressing to standing center work and longer dancey phrases. What to wear: Any comfortable dance or athletic wear that allows for a free range of movement. Layers work well for any floorwork, and jazz shoes or socks are welcome but not required.

Tap: Tap is an exciting rhythmic exercise and dance form with African-American and Irish roots. Tap is an original American art form that offers a variety of styles and techniques.  Beginner-level classes stress the basics of tap and build into Broadway-style combinations. Intermediate and advanced level classes progress appropriately with more challenging material seen in the traditional Rhythm Tap style of the great masters Honi Coles, Leon Collins, and Lady Dianne Walker. What to wear: any comfortable dance or athletic wear that allows for a free range of movement and properly fitting tap shoes. Oxford style is preferred. 

Levels: The below descriptions are guidelines, and each student will progress at their own pace.

Absolute Beginner: These classes are designed for students new to the dance form. Fundamentals will be taught at a pace that allows for a greater connection to the dance vocabulary and body awareness.

Beginner: Geared to dancers with little to no experience. Most students stick with beginner-level classes for 2-5 years before moving to beginner/intermediate or slow intermediate.  Students returning to dance after a long hiatus or rehabbing an injury may prefer this level.

Advanced Beginner: The beginner-level curriculum is presented at a quicker pace, allowing for more time to explore qualities of movement. A strong knowledge of basic vocabulary in the form is assumed.

Slow Intermediate:  Geared to dancers with five or more years of consistent training in the dance form.

Intermediate – Intermediate/Advanced: Appropriate for dancers with eight or more years of consistent training in the dance form.