Dance Classes for Every Age & Stage
Academy of Dance Arts teaches ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, modern and lyrical in Brown Deer, WI — organized by age so you can find the right class in a minute. Start at 2 with Dancer & Me, grow through our gemstone levels, or join as an adult.
Dancer & Me
Dancer & Me is a 30-minute grown-up-and-me class for 2- and 3-year-olds in Brown Deer, WI. Toddlers explore music, rhythm and movement alongside a parent or caregiver — no experience, no pressure, just first steps and big smiles.
Each week your little one learns to listen, follow simple directions, move to the beat and share space with new friends — the building blocks for every class that follows. Grown-ups join in, so the class is as much about connection as it is about dance.
Offered Tuesday evening and Saturday morning, so it fits around nap schedules and work days.
Creative Dance I & II
Creative Dance is ADA's preschool dance program for ages 3–5. Creative Dance I (ages 3–4) blends creative movement with pre-ballet; Creative Dance II (ages 4–5) adds pre-ballet and tap starting in January — a joyful, structured introduction to real dance.
Classes are 45 minutes and taught by instructors who specialize in our youngest dancers. Dancers learn coordination, balance, imagination and how to be part of a class — while having a wonderful time.
Creative Dance II dancers add tap shoes in January, so by spring they're ready to step into Elementary Ballet & Tap the following fall.
Elementary I, II & III
Elementary is where real technique training begins at Academy of Dance Arts. Elementary I (ages 5–6) and II (ages 6–7) are ballet and tap combination classes; Elementary III (ages 7–9) adds jazz — all taught in an encouraging setting by credentialed instructors.
Dancers learn proper ballet positions and vocabulary, clean tap sounds and, in Elementary III, the jazz fundamentals that lead into our gemstone levels. Classes run 60–75 minutes so there's time to warm up, learn and dance.
Elementary dancers perform in the June recital at the Germantown Performing Arts Center — for many families, the first stage moment they'll never forget.
Beginner Classes
Never danced before, or only a year in? ADA's Beginner classes welcome dancers ages 6–12 who are new to dance, with ballet/tap/jazz combo, hip-hop, hip-hop/jazz, lyrical and modern/contemporary options — so an 8-, 9- or 10-year-old can start without feeling behind.
Beginner classes move at a first-year pace and are grouped by age, not by level, so your dancer trains with peers. After a year (or when their teacher recommends it) dancers move into the Pearl & Ruby or Amber & Amethyst levels.
Hip-hop is a great first class for kids who love to move but aren't sure about ballet — we offer it for ages 6–9, 7–10 and 9–12.
Pearl & Ruby
Pearl and Ruby are the first of ADA's gemstone levels — for dancers ages 7–10 who are ready to build real skills. Dancers take separate ballet, jazz/tap and hip-hop classes, learning the technique, musicality and discipline that carry them up the ladder.
At this level dancers begin training in individual styles rather than combos, and many add a second or third class per week. Ballet is the foundation; jazz, tap and hip-hop build strength, rhythm and range.
Pearl & Ruby dancers who love performing may be invited to audition for the Micro Mini and Mini companies of the ADA Dance Company.
Amber & Amethyst
Amber and Amethyst are ADA's junior-intermediate levels for dancers ages 11–13. Dancers train in ballet, tap/jazz, contemporary and hip-hop, developing stronger technique and artistry — and, for those on the ballet track, preparing for pointe.
This is where dancers start to find their voice: cleaner lines, bigger movement, more expressive contemporary work. Most Amber & Amethyst dancers take two or more classes a week, with ballet at the center.
Dancers at this level may also audition for the Junior companies (jazz, contemporary, hip-hop) of the ADA Dance Company.
Emerald
Emerald is ADA's intermediate-advanced level for dancers ages 12–14 who have solid training behind them. Emerald dancers take ballet, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop, deepening technique, performance quality and expression.
Emerald is a bridge level: dancers refine what they've built and begin approaching material with the maturity of our advanced dancers. Pointe I/II is available to Emerald dancers on the recommendation of their ballet teacher.
Emerald dancers are eligible to audition for the Intermediate companies of the ADA Dance Company.
Sapphire & Onyx
Sapphire and Onyx are ADA's most advanced levels, for teen dancers ages 15 and up. Training includes advanced ballet with the option of pointe, advanced jazz, contemporary, tap and hip-hop, plus leadership on stage — the pre-professional end of a path that began at age 2.
Advanced dancers train with our most experienced faculty, including university-trained and professionally credentialed instructors. Classes are 60–75 minutes and rigorous, but the studio's encouraging culture doesn't change at the top.
Sapphire & Onyx dancers make up the Teen and Senior companies of the ADA Dance Company, which train several nights a week in technique, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop.
Adult Classes
Yes — Academy of Dance Arts teaches adults. Our adult dance classes in Brown Deer are beginner/intermediate-friendly evening classes in ballet/contemporary and hip-hop & jazz. Dance for fitness, artistry and joy — whether you're starting fresh or coming back after years away.
Adult classes run on weekday evenings (currently Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30–8:30 pm) and follow the same monthly tuition as our youth classes. Parents of ADA dancers are especially welcome — you already know the way to the studio.
Eight styles, one training ladder
Ballet is the foundation, and everything else builds on it. Dancers can focus on one style or train across several — most of our older students do.
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Ballet
The foundation of everything. Classical technique, vocabulary and musicality from Creative Dance pre-ballet through advanced Sapphire & Onyx ballet.
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Pointe
Pointe I/II and II/III for dancers whose ballet teacher recommends them — one of the few studios on Milwaukee's north side offering a full pointe track.
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Tap
Rhythm, clarity and speed. Tap runs from Creative Dance II (starting in January) through Advanced Tap for our upper levels.
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Jazz
Strength, style and performance energy. Jazz is taught at every gemstone level and anchors several ADA Dance Company teams.
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Hip-Hop
High-energy, age-appropriate hip-hop for ages 6 through adult — from first Beginner Hip-Hop classes to the Senior Hip-Hop Company.
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Contemporary & Modern
Expressive, grounded movement taught by faculty who trained in it at the university level. Beginner Modern/Contemporary starts at age 8.
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Lyrical
Where ballet technique meets storytelling. Beginner Lyrical (ages 8–11), Lyrical Level 1/2 and Lyrical/Contemporary for ages 11–15.
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Jumps, Turns & Tricks
Technique-focused classes for ADA Dance Company members: cleaner turns, bigger jumps, safer tricks.
The ADA Dance Company
Our competition program — Micro Mini through Senior companies in jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and technique — for dancers who want to train harder, perform more and grow as a team.
Ready to Join the ADA Dance Family?
Find your dancer's class, sign up for a free trial, or register today — we'd love to meet you.