Ballet Dance Classes
Dance classes offered at Plie, Pump, and Palette are offered all through the year on weeknights, and Saturdays. Taught by instructor, Debra Wexler, classes in classical ballet, liturgical dance, character, pointe, and ethnic dance are offered. Private classes and coaching are also available. Pre ballet and creative movement are taught to children ages 3 to 4. Classes for the pre-professional student are offered for students aspiring to a professional career. A yearly spring performance includes all students, giving them the opportunity to perform on stage.
Registration fee $10 per child, $5 for each additional child in family.
One class a week: $20 ($15 for a 45-minute class.)
Two classes a week: $15
Three classes a week: $12
Four or more classes per week: $10
Click here for schedule.
Registration fee $10 per child, $5 for each additional child in family.
One class a week: $20 ($15 for a 45-minute class.)
Two classes a week: $15
Three classes a week: $12
Four or more classes per week: $10
Click here for schedule.
Beginner Ballet
Beginner ballet classes can start as early as 3 and 4 years of age. Small children are not equipped to handle the structure, technique, or discipline of a formal ballet class. They are capable of moving their bodies to music and learning simple positions, ballet terms, and stretching muscles that will eventually be used in ballet training. The class is designed to instill some important and useful tools for further training, and everyday advantages. They learn how to count music, move to the music, coordinate simple choreography to music, and practice good posture and body alignment. They learn how to use imagery, props and body language to communicate. They learn coordination with both barre and floor work. They learn to focus, observe, and follow directions as well as waiting their turn. They get to dance in the annual spring performance on a proper stage. This gives them an opportunity to get up in front of an audience and participate in a big production. All of this is taught with fun activities and instruction. Beginners stay in this level for 2-3 years, but progress through this stage by moving up to from a Beginner 1 - 3.
Intermediate Ballet
By the age of 7 or 8, the young student progresses to 4 levels of intermediate training. The class is more focused on formal structure: barre work, stretching and floor work. More emphasis is put into learning technique, placement, and putting together combinations of steps. Musicality is stressed more, as well as differentiating tempo. Students learn to work in small groups by moving across the floor, and choreographing their own simple dance combinations. This makes them aware and capable of the process of creating dance as well as learning it. Character dance is usually introduced at this level. Character dance is an important aspect of ballet training, and is based on folk dance. There is specific technique used to teach this type of dance, and it can only be understood if the student has had a few years of ballet training. Pointe work [dancing on the toes in special shoes], starts at about 11 years of age, or when the teacher feels sufficient body strength has been developed.
Advanced Ballet
An advanced level begins by the time a student is around 13 or 14 and has increased her dance classes to a minimum of 4 classes per week. It is important to understand that there is no way a student can successfully progress to an advanced level if the foundation has not been set in previous years. The amount of material to learn at this stage and get into the muscle memory and brain is considerable. She should add modern dance and jazz techniques to her class study to become a well rounded dancer, and be able to compete at the college or professional level. Performing is important both in a group and as a soloist. Summer dance intensive programs are also important to experience.
Debra Van Cure Wexler
Debra began her early training in Buffalo, New York from Cynthia Whiteway, Maris Battaglia, and the Buffalo Ballet Center. Being in close proximity to New York City, she was able to study at all of the major ballet schools in NYC, during summer intensives from the age of 11 to 15. She received numerous scholarships from the Joffrey Ballet, School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theater and Harkness Ballet. She held a Ford Foundation scholarship from the School of American Ballet for two years.
Attending as a scholarship student to the Buffalo Ballet Center, one of the nation's first performing arts schools, she studied under Kathleen Crofton, Frank Bourman and David Gayle. She began performing with the Center's affiliated company, the Niagara Frontier Ballet at the age of 14. As one of the benefits of attending the Buffalo Ballet Center and enrolled in the Campus School at State Teacher's University of NY, she was able to take college courses for high school credits. This enabled her to complete her education and graduate early.
At age 17, Debra was asked to join the Joffrey II Ballet in New York City. She learned much of the repertoire, and worked with Robert Joffrey, Gerald Arpino, Sally Brayley Bliss and many other choreographers. Following a serious knee injury that forced her to stop dancing for eight months, Debra then joined the scholarship program at American Ballet Theater in NYC. She then was accepted into the Maryland Ballet in Baltimore, where she worked her way up from corps de ballet, soloist, then principle dancer for the next 10 years. Under the direction of Kathleen Crofton, and then Petrus Bosman, she performed with this company in the Central Park's New York Dance Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music and toured in the US. Her more memorable roles included Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Schubert Fantasy created on her, Sugar Plum Fairy and SNow Queen in the Nutcracker, Kenneth McMillan's Concerto pas de deux, Sun Dances, Three Dances to Japanese Music, Feast of Ashes by Alvin Ailey, Monotones I and II, Raymonda, Swan Lake and Napoli, and the lead remale role in the world premiere of Eqqus, the ballet to name just a few.
After Maryland Ballet folded, Debra began a family and a teaching career. After having three children, she taught at The Maryland Ballet school and the Baltimore School for the ARts. Her husband was transferred to Memphis, Tennessee in 1986, and Debra became ballet mistress for the prior Tennessee Ballet Company. She then became the director of her own school, Germantown Academy of Ballet then later, Cordova Academy of Ballet and has taught children and pre-professionals for the last 26 years. She was co-director for the Memphis local children's participation in the Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker for two years. She has received the outstanding teacher's award form the Governo's School three times.
In 2009, Debra, her son in law, David Pentecost, and her daughter in law, Mami Wexler, opened the doors to located in Germantown, TN. This unique studio offers and art, dance and fitness program to all ages.
Attending as a scholarship student to the Buffalo Ballet Center, one of the nation's first performing arts schools, she studied under Kathleen Crofton, Frank Bourman and David Gayle. She began performing with the Center's affiliated company, the Niagara Frontier Ballet at the age of 14. As one of the benefits of attending the Buffalo Ballet Center and enrolled in the Campus School at State Teacher's University of NY, she was able to take college courses for high school credits. This enabled her to complete her education and graduate early.
At age 17, Debra was asked to join the Joffrey II Ballet in New York City. She learned much of the repertoire, and worked with Robert Joffrey, Gerald Arpino, Sally Brayley Bliss and many other choreographers. Following a serious knee injury that forced her to stop dancing for eight months, Debra then joined the scholarship program at American Ballet Theater in NYC. She then was accepted into the Maryland Ballet in Baltimore, where she worked her way up from corps de ballet, soloist, then principle dancer for the next 10 years. Under the direction of Kathleen Crofton, and then Petrus Bosman, she performed with this company in the Central Park's New York Dance Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music and toured in the US. Her more memorable roles included Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Schubert Fantasy created on her, Sugar Plum Fairy and SNow Queen in the Nutcracker, Kenneth McMillan's Concerto pas de deux, Sun Dances, Three Dances to Japanese Music, Feast of Ashes by Alvin Ailey, Monotones I and II, Raymonda, Swan Lake and Napoli, and the lead remale role in the world premiere of Eqqus, the ballet to name just a few.
After Maryland Ballet folded, Debra began a family and a teaching career. After having three children, she taught at The Maryland Ballet school and the Baltimore School for the ARts. Her husband was transferred to Memphis, Tennessee in 1986, and Debra became ballet mistress for the prior Tennessee Ballet Company. She then became the director of her own school, Germantown Academy of Ballet then later, Cordova Academy of Ballet and has taught children and pre-professionals for the last 26 years. She was co-director for the Memphis local children's participation in the Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker for two years. She has received the outstanding teacher's award form the Governo's School three times.
In 2009, Debra, her son in law, David Pentecost, and her daughter in law, Mami Wexler, opened the doors to located in Germantown, TN. This unique studio offers and art, dance and fitness program to all ages.