Jazz Classes
SCPAC offers Jazz dance classes in Caloundra following the COMDANCE (formerly Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing – CSTD) syllabus.
COMDANCE is one of the great international Dance Societies proudly serving Dance since 1933, providing examinations in all major dance disciplines from Primary to Teacher qualifications.
Jazz dance classes and lessons combine the technical aspects of Classical but is more dynamic in its movements and music.
SCPAC enjoys a 100 percent examination pass rate in Jazz, with the majority of students gaining top marks.
SCPAC students have had outstanding success with Jazz in Solo, Duo, Trio and group sections in eisteddfods throughout Queensland.
Sunshine Coast
Jazz Classes
Ages 2+
Introduction to Dance
Our Introduction to dance program classes includes a variety of dance styles including Jazz, Ballet and Tap.
Ages 5 to 6
Primary Jazz
Students will transition from Introduction to Dance, into a formal Jazz class setting where their foundation and technique will be nurtured and evolved following the COMDANCE syllabus.
Primary students focus on the foundational Jazz steps: Marches, Skips, Knee Bops, Hips and Turn & Clap.
Age 7
Grade 1 Jazz
Having completed their Primary Jazz years, students will move on and transition to the next grade.
Grade 1 expands on the foundational jazz steps, including kicks, skip & clap, knee bops, turn technique and routine choreography.
Age 9
Grade 2 Jazz
Continuation of the COMDANCE jazz curriculum and exams. Grade 2 jazz extends on the Grade 1 syllabus by picking up the pace and incorporating more difficult co-ordination steps, such as the chasse turn and pivot steps.
Age 10
Grade 3 Jazz
Continuation of the COMDANCE jazz curriculum and exams. Grade 3 jazz has a big focus on turn technique, incorporating faster chasse turns, chasse turn with elevation, and the double pirouette.
Age 11
Grade 4 Jazz
Continuation of the COMDANCE jazz curriculum and exams. Grade 4 jazz has a demand for flexibility. Within this grade, SCPAC students focus on improving their flexibility with the more difficult Floor Exercise, Split Exercise and Routine. Kicks are introduced a la second & derriere, chasse turns develop into leaps, and split leaps and triple pirouettes are introduced. The difficulty in choreography vastly increases within this grade also.
Age 12
Grade 5 Jazz
Continuation of the COMDANCE jazz curriculum and exams. Grade 5 jazz is the year we begin to see the SCPAC students own style start to develop. With more stylised choreography and the introduction of the lyrical dance style, students learn to express themselves a little more.
Technical requirements increase, including attitude leaps and pirouettes prepared from a pas de bouree.
Grade 5 also introduces students to the Lyrical genre.
This is also the year the theoretical aspect of examinations come in to play.
Age 13
Grade 6 Jazz
Continuation of the COMDANCE jazz curriculum and exams. In Grade 6 students see an increase in difficulty in the multiple kick combinations, chasse turns are developed with arm movements and speed, fouettes are introduced, and continuous pirouettes make an appearance.
SCPAC Students are also introduced to the contemporary dance style.
Age 14
Grade 7 Jazz
Continuation of the COMDANCE jazz curriculum and exams. In Grade 7 students learn the leg hold, chaines, piques, second split leaps and axel turns. This grade focuses on expanding the technical ability primarily.
Age 15
Grade 8 Jazz
Grade 8 is the first of the ‘Pre-requisite years’. Students with the goal of becoming a Modern Jazz Teacher in the future, must complete both Grade 8 & 9 before they are eligible to sit their Teachers Certificate and/or Teachers Diploma.
Grade 8 is a big jump from Grade 7. Students are introduced to illusions, Sarah Jane’s and Russian Jetes. The choreography is a huge step up from previous years, and the syllabus demands students develop their own style within both the Jazz & Contemporary aspects of the exam.
Age 16
Grade 9 Jazz
Grade 9 demands excellence. This grade requires the highest calibre of technical ability, and intricate choreography so students are able to demonstrate their best selves in preparation for the teachers exams.
Students demonstrate Jazz, Lyrical and Contemporary, and are required to improvise within the exam, to all of these styles. Grade 9 is the final Jazz Exam, and a massive achievement for all who complete it.
After holding their Grade 9 certification for 12 months, students are eligible to sit their Teachers Certificate Exam.