Cleveland City Dance has some students starting their dance education as early as 3. Some dancers continue taking classes into their 80s. See class level descriptions for further information.

For students under 9 years of age, no audition is required. For dancers without previous experience please contact the studio at 216-295-2222 for assistance in registering for the appropriate classes. Trial classes may be taken throughout the year for placement each year. Auditions may be held during the summer for dancers with previous experience ages 9 and older wishing to enroll for the start of the academic season. All registration is online with a link at the top of our website.

Early exposure to dance helps children develop confidence, good posture, listening skills, coordination, strength, and balance while also growing lifelong friendships. Structured dance develops personal, physical, emotional, and social lessons. This includes coordination, strength, gross motor skills, poise, and posture while also improving cognitive skills, critical thinking, focus, rhythm, and creativity beneficial for academics.

Through dance education, one learns life lessons including discipline, focus on listening and thinking, and having the ability, confidence, and initiative to complete a task.

Classes also help build confidence, self-esteem, etiquette, social skills, and discipline that will be carried throughout many aspects of life. All the hard work and practice culminates in the end-of-year presentations to give all students a sense of accomplishment and pride. Students are not required to participate in the annual May show.

See Ten Reasons to Take Ballet

No, we offer teen/adult classes so all our students can enjoy a comfortable dance environment and learn dance techniques at their pace. We offer teen/adult beginning ballet, adult beginning ballet, adult ballet I, II, and III, teen/adult tap, teen/adult jazz, teen/adult modern, and teen/adult hip-hop. Teens and adults should consult their instructors for recommendations on additional class options as well as when the appropriate time would be to move up a level.  Some classes do have pre-requisites such as being at a Ballet II for Pointe and Ballet II Modern II.

You may drop into a class for $25, however, if the class is at its capacity for students, you will not be allowed to take the class on that day. You are required to register in advance online by clicking on the Register Button and should call ahead (216) 295-2222 for a drop-in class to confirm the class availability. We only allow two drop-ins for the year. We ask you to enroll for consistency in training so you can progress. A class card is also an option for adult students past the beginner levels.

Yes, we do our best to attempt to fill the desired class requests, but this is also influenced by the availability of studio times and having the appropriate teacher(s) available.

Yes, if you are an intermediate level (Level II at Cleveland City Dance) to an advanced dancer.  It frequently includes area professional dancers and visiting artists.  The teachers prepare a class to warm up all participants and challenge the professionals.  For intermediate students, this is a rewarding way to challenge oneself and be inspired by observing professional dancers in the class.

Yes, classes at CCD vary in sizes from 6-20 students.  This varies upon the age of the students and the size of the classroom. Some of our younger children’s classes also have an assistant.  We limit classes to ensure students receive personal attention and do not feel overwhelmed in a crowd. 

Modern dance emphasizes the exploration of our most basic movement impulses, such as breathing, walking, running, hopping, and leaping. Students will develop the means for individual expression and seek inner motivation for movement. Through floor work exercises and movements across the floor, students will improve flexibility and strength in the hips and core muscles while exploring rhythmic, spatial, and performance challenges. Students may begin in Children’s Modern at age 7.

Jazz and modern dance have their roots in ballet. Ballet is the base for all classical theater performance styles of dance which incorporate the language, movements, and technical steps. This can enhance a person’s performance including how one carries oneself on stage and build more strength.

Jazz helps to enhance your upper body and arms coordination and movement, which is essential for balance and finesse. Jazz technique is also used in theater choreography, and concert stage performance as seen in music videos and award shows.

Please call us to schedule a trial/evaluation class for dancers with previous experience, ages 9 and older. We can assist you with proper placement through a conversation with you prior to your arrival at the studio. A student’s age and experience are always helpful guides.  If you have previous experience and do not make it to a trial/evaluation class prior to the start of a session, your first class will be an evaluation class so we can place you where you will be both comfortable and challenged. If you have prior experience and it is your first time at the studio, we will recommend taking a placement class that is lower for a variety of reasons.  You may be unfamiliar with a teacher’s style. Classes may be harder than what you are accustomed to, and you might want to acclimate yourself to new surroundings. Other studios’ syllabuses are not identical to CCD nor are the class-level names the same.  

If you have not danced in many years, you will want to reintroduce your body and muscles slowly. Please consult us regarding the appropriate level for your evaluation.

These classes are for our younger students and introduce them to music, dance, basic ballet vocabulary, and classroom etiquette while continuing to grow their imaginations.  A student should enroll in a class based on the student’s age by September 1st of the academic school year.  Preschool ballet is for ages 3-5; while pre-ballet is for ages 5-7; and beginning ballet is for ages 6-9.  Students stay on the same level for one to two full academic years, based on their gross motor skills development, focus, and maturity.

No trial/evaluation class is required.

You can take a class of the same level which you missed.  For example: If you missed your Beginning Ballet class you may take another Beginning Ballet on another day or a Beginning Jazz, Beginning Modern… please speak with your teacher for recommendations and call the front office for availability. A makeup class can also be taken virtually.

We hold annual auditions in the spring. The dancers need to be an intermediate ballet level and at least 10 years of age. The dancers need to be an intermediate ballet level and at least ten years of age. The company has an apprentice level for those not at the intermediate level but interested in dancing more to build strength and self-confidence and to have other performing opportunities throughout the year.

Please visit the City Ballet of Cleveland for more information.

Yes, we do offer private classes especially for students wishing to catch up to their peers’ level or wishing to have private coaching/training for a special performance or audition. Teachers will set their fee, which includes the cost for using the studio space.  Hourly prices start at $65 and go up to $100.  Semi-privates are an additional $10 per student. 

Privates are based on studio and teacher availability.

The dress code allows students to feel a sense of community, while being an individual in a team. This allows for fewer distractions so students can focus on their technique and stand out for their artistry and personality through their dancing. This discipline of dressing the part will help dancers feel like dancers.

Students are showing their teacher respect. If dressed in appropriately it shows you are not ready or prepared for class.

You have two options.  

• The south parking lot off Drexmore Rd. is available for free. We have a back entrance with a purple awning so you can come directly in versus walking around to the front via Dave’s. 
• The front entrance on the square does have metered parking, only quarters can be used.

Yes! We offer scholarship forms for young men and children ages 7-18. Fill out our forms below!

Scholarship Program for Young Men

Scholarship Program for Children 7-18

We hold annual auditions in the Spring.  The dancers need to be an intermediate ballet level and at least ten years of age.  The company has an apprentice level for those not at the intermediate level but interested in dancing more to build strength and self-confidence and to have other performing opportunity throughout the year. Please visit the City Ballet of Cleveland website under Events.

We have three sessions at CCD.

• Academic School year (September through May). Early registration begins in May. Current students pre-roll during the Spring prior to the upcoming Fall academic school year have early bird registration in April. 
• Summer session (June and July-August). Early registration begins in March.
• CCD holds evaluations for new students via a trial class during all sessions for class placement. You do want to register early as many classes fill to capacity before the start of the session.
• All registration is online with a link at the top of our website.

They are currently enrolled in Boys’ ballet, jazz, modern, tap and hip-hop. See 10 Reasons Why All Boys Should Dance.

It is not uncommon to have a few boys in dance classes. If you are concerned about your son being the only boy, sometimes it helps to have them ask a friend to join them to try the class together. We offer a boys’ only ballet classes on Fridays for ages 7-16 during the school year and in the summer we also offer a boys’ only camp.
Ballet originally began as a masculine art incorporating skills from fencing. Ballet skills and muscular development can be very supportive of sports. Dance also offers boys a sense of accomplishment, so they stand out from the crowd. Ballet is more difficult than competitive sports. The strength that is utilized must be concealed to appear effortless. Dance enables boys to increase their coordination and athletic strength for sports. For example: in basketball, the leg strength generated from dance offers greater power to jump higher to reach the basketball hoop. The agility from petite allegro (fast footwork) increases the speed required in all sports, especially to change one’s direction on the field.

Some courses for the younger classes are age specific. (Adults are not allowed to take children’s classes for ages 3-12.) Others will have a variety of ages based on physical preparedness and mental maturity. We place students so they will be able to continually work on the basics as well as challenge themselves. If a student is placed in a level that is too advanced, they run the risk of injury as well as frustration, nor will they be strong enough for the strenuous nature of the level.

We do not offer a free trial class. There is a trial rate fee of $25. For some young
students, it takes 4–8 classes to become acclimated to the studio environment, feel the progression of a class, and make new friends.

We offer Open House classes with limited free classes. Contact the studio for open house updates.

Yes, we do have a waiting list option for classes. If classes do not have four registered students, one week prior to the semester then the class will be canceled.  Four people need to be registered for the entire semester for a class to begin.  This enables Cleveland City Dance to guarantee the teacher a class. In 2020, we began offering live streaming for all classes so you may train at home as well.

Please tell us what sort of class(es) you are seeking.  We can start a waiting list and see if we have a teacher and a convenient studio time available.  The class will begin once we have at least four people registered.