The Studio

TJ’s has been in business since 2006, and has been at its current location in Bowmanville since November of 2007. We are proud to boast 2 large sprung dance floors, with excellent acoustics and sound. One floor has been specifically designed for, and is the only floor used for tap dancing classes.

TJ’s Dance Troop welcomes dancers of all ages, from 2½ to Adult. Our studio prides itself on accommodating all age groups for all forms of dance. No experience is necessary, and we welcome new dancers of all ages. It is possible to start dancing at any age, regardless of whether you’ve ever danced before!

Scroll down or select a dance type for more information:
Acro | Lyrical | Tap | Jazz | Ballet | Hip-Hop | Musical Theatre

Below is a list of some of the classes TJ’s offers and a brief description of each form of dance.

Acro dance is a style of dance that combines classical dance technique with precision acrobatic elements. It is defined by its athletic character and its unique choreography, which seamlessly blends dance and acrobatics, and its use of acrobatics in a dance context. It is a popular dance style in amateur competitive dance as well as in professional dance theater, such as Cirque du Soleil. Acro dance is referred to simply as acro by dancers and dance professionals.

Acro is an especially challenging dance style for dancers as it requires them to be trained in both dance and acrobatic skills. Acro dancers must be in excellent physical condition as well because acro is a physically demanding activity.

Lyrical dance is a fusion of ballet and jazz dance techniques. It challenges choreographers and dancers to use motion to interpret music and express emotion. A lyrical dancer's movements attempt to show the meaning of the music. Lyrical jazz is a very passionate and emotional dance style. It portrays certain emotions such as love, and tells a story through every movement made.

Lyrical dance has a relatively recent history and a genesis based on the coming together of ballet with rock/folk/pop/alternative music and a variety of jazz dance styles and modern dance. It is mainly performed to music with lyrics, and the song's lyrics are a driving force and key inspiration for the movement. Choreography is often emotional, gripping, and exquisitely delicate, all at the same time.
Lyrical dance gained its name not because the lyrics of a song are indeed sometimes highlighted over the rhythm, but because of the meaning of the word lyrical: having a poetic, expressive quality; musical; characterized by or expressing spontaneous, direct feeling; expressing deep personal emotions or observation; highly rhapsodic or enthusiastic. Lyrical dance is expressive, subtle and dynamic, expressing emotions through movement. It is a combination of intricate, highly technical, and pedestrian/naturalistic moves. Lyrical dance is often choreographed to a song about freedom, of releasing a sad emotion, or of overcoming obstacles, but can be choreographed to any human emotion-related song. Depending on the given song and choreography, a lyrical piece may or may not be graceful, but will always be expressive and unpredictable, particularly in comparison to ballet and other jazz pieces which may have a more presentational quality.

Tap dance was developed in the United States during the nineteenth century, and is popular nowadays in many parts of the world. The name comes from the tapping sound made when the small metal plates on the dancer's shoes touch a hard floor. This lively, rhythmic tapping makes the performer not just a dancer, but also a percussive musician.

The Encyclopedia Britannica definition for tap dance is: A style of American theatrical dance using precise rhythmical patterns of foot movement and audible foot tapping. It is derived from the traditional clog dance of northern England, the jigs and reels of Ireland and Scotland, and possibly the rhythmic foot stamping of African dances. Popular in 19th-century minstrel shows, versions such as "buck-and-wing" (danced vigorously in wooden-soled shoes) and "soft-shoe" (shoes) developed as separate techniques; by 1925 they had merged, and metal taps were attached to shoe heels and toes to produce a more pronounced sound. The dance was also popular in variety shows and early musicals.

Jazz dance is an umbrella term that can refer to several related dance styles. All of them are connected via common roots, namely tap, ballet, jazz music, and African-American rhythms and dance.
Jazz dance originated from the African American vernacular dance of the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. Until the middle of 1950s, the term "jazz dance" often referred to tap dance, because tap dancing (set to jazz music) was the main performance dance of the era. During the later jazz age, popular forms of jazz dance were the Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Charleston, Jitterbug, Boogie Woogie, Swing dancing and the related Lindy Hop.

After the 1950s, jazz dance evolved on Broadway into a new, smooth style taught today and known as Modern Jazz, while tap dance continued to evolve on its own. The performance style was popularized by Bob Fosse’s work, such as Chicago, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, and The Pajama Game.
Today, jazz dance is present in many different venues and different forms. Jazz dance thrives in dance schools and remains an essential part of musical theater choreography; it is sometimes interwoven with other dance styles as appropriate for the particular show. Common jazz moves are various leaps, the toe rise, pas de bouree, pirouettes and chasses.

Ballet is a formalized form of dance with its origins in the Italian Renaissance court, further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. It is a highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. It has been influential as a form of dance globally and is taught in ballet schools around the world. Ballet dance works (ballets) are choreographed, and also include mime, acting, and are set to music (usually orchestral but occasionally vocal). It is best known in the form of classical ballet, notable for its techniques, such as pointe work, turn-out of the legs; its graceful, flowing, precise movements; and its ethereal qualities. Later developments include neoclassical ballet and contemporary ballet

Hip hop is both a cultural movement and a genre of music developed in New York City in the 1970s . Since first emerging in The Bronx and Harlem, the lifestyle of hip hop culture has today spread around the world.

The four historic "elements" of hip hop are: MCing (rapping), DJing, urban inspired art/tagging (graffiti), and b-boying (or breakdancing). The most known "extended" elements are beatboxing, hip hop fashion, and hip hop slang.

When hip hop music developed in the 1970s, it was originally based around DJs who created rhythmic beats by "scratching" a record on one turntable while looping the break (an upbeat drum and rhythm phrase of a song often found in soul and funk music) of various records on another, which was later joined by the "rapping" (a rhythmic style of chanting) of MCs.

Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole.

In the studio, musical theatre involves learning to lip-synch to music, usually from a musical play. It requires that the student take on and act out a character while lip-synching or singing the words to that song. It can involve the use of props and some very fun costuming.

Competitions:

TJ’s Dance Troop enters several competitions each year. We are proud to say that our students have done very well at competitions. As well as individual awards, our studio’s numbers have frequently placed First or Second overall in their category, and have won numerous choreography awards. Not only do our competitive program students compete, but some of our recreational classes also choose to compete. Competitions can be great fun, and we encourage any student who is interested to do so!