Berkeley City Ballet’s Pre-Ballet classes start at age 2.5. Our youngest ballet students students learn about music, movement, and ballet through exercises and activities that are designed to cultivate student coordination, as well as rhythmic and creative abilities. Dancers explore movement, develop gross motor skills, coordination, and learn preliminary ballet technique.
Session Dates 2025-26
Session 1 August 18-October 26
Session 2 October 27-January 25
Session 3 January 26-April 5
Session 4 April 6-June 14
Session 5A June 15-July 12 (4 weeks)
Session 5B July 13-August 9 (4 weeks)
CLASS SCHEDULE
2025-26 Session 2 (10 weeks)
October 27-January 25
| Class | Tuition | Class Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Dance with Me Ages 2.5-4 with a Parent/Guardian | $175 per session $15 registration fee | Saturday 11:15am-12:00pm |
| Pre-Ballet 4-5 Ages 4-5 | $175 per session $15 registration fee | Tuesday 3:45-4:30pm |
| Pre-Ballet 6-7 Ages 6-7 | $235 per session $15 registration fee | Thursday 3:30-4:30pm Saturday 10:15-11:15am |
ENROLLMENT IS OPEN!
2025-26 Session 3 (10 weeks)
January 26-April 5
| Class | Tuition | Class Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Dance with Me Ages 2.5-4 with a Parent/Guardian | $175 per session $15 registration fee | Saturday 11:15am-12:00pm |
| Pre-Ballet 4-5 Ages 4-5 | $175 per session $15 registration fee | Tuesday 3:45-4:30pm |
| Pre-Ballet 6-7 Ages 6-7 | $235 per session $15 registration fee | Tuesday 5:30-6:30pm Thursday 3:30-4:30pm Saturday 10:15-11:15am |
CLASSES
Dancers attend one class per week. BCB allows unlimited make-up classes within a session. Schedule a make-up class by sending us at email at info@berkeleycityballet.org.
Dance with Me is a young dancer’s first exposure to ballet and classical music! For ages 2.5-4, this class explores music and movement with fun and familiar phrases and songs for our littlest dancers. This class requires that a parent or guardian participates in the class alongside their dancer. The adult in class will help to guide their dancer through the class, so be ready to dance! Adults may wear whatever they feel comfortable in, ballet shoes are not required.
Pre-Ballet 4-5 continues the introduction to ballet with warming up our bodies with stretches, moving onto ballet exercises like plies and tendus, going across the floor with marches and skips, and ending with free dance! In this class, dancers begin to learn ballet class etiquette, how to move across the floor in the class, and the begin building the foundations of ballet technique. There’s still lots of fun imagery incorporated, like hopping like a bunny, flying like a butterfly, and leaping across ponds.
Pre-Ballet 6-7 is the final step before entering Ballet 1. In this class, dancers prepare to join Ballet 1 in the Pre-Professional Program by continuing to learn ballet class etiquette and building coordination with more complicated steps. We also begin to focus on holding ballet posture and using our arms and legs together while dancing, While classes may become a bit more serious, we foster creativity with free dance at the end of each class!
MAKE-UP CLASSES
BCB offers unlimited make-up classes with a session. Dancers may make-up any missed classes in the same level or a level below. To schedule a make-up class, please email us at info@berkeleycityballet.org.
VISITORS DAY
On the final class of each session, families are invited into the studio for the final 15 minutes of the class to observe their little dancers in action! This gives our youngest dancers an opportunity to perform for their families before going on the big stage.
UNIFORM
Students are expected to wear their uniform for every ballet class. If a students forgets their ballet shoes, BCB has a basket of hand-me-down shoes that students are welcome to borrow from.
Uniform items can be purchased at Bay Area Dancewear in Berkeley. Mention that your dancer is a student at BCB at checkout to support BCB in their studio partnership program!
Girls
Any light pink leotard (no attached skirts), pink or flesh colored tights, and pink or flesh colored ballet shoes. Ballet warm-ups, such as a wrap sweater and leg warmers are optional.
Boys
Any white form fitting t-shirt, black leggings/mens’ tights, and black ballet shoes.
All long hair should be pulled back neatly into a ponytail or bun. Shorter hair should be pulled back out of your face with a headband or hair clips.