Modern Dance

An energetic dance form suited to children with strength, control and flexibility, with a focus on kicks, leaps and turns. We find that children who excel in gymnastics or street dance are also strong in modern dance. With both Lyrical and Theatre Jazz styles, modern dance can suit a strong, dynamic dancer or a more gentle balletic dancer. Many of the dance steps have similarities to ballet steps.

Lyrical Modern

Lyrical modern dance is a fusion dance style that combines elements of modern dance, ballet, and lyrical dance. It’s expressive and emotional, focusing on storytelling through movement, often set to music with lyrics that inspire or reflect the choreography.

• Fluid and continuous motion

• Emotional gestures and facial expressions

• Strong storytelling component

• Controlled but expressive—less rigid than ballet, but more technical than contemporary freeform styles

Theatre Jazz

Modern theatre jazz is commonly seen in musicals, stage productions, and Broadway-style shows.

Choreography often shows clean lines, sharp isolations, kicks, turns, and dynamic footwork.

Classic theatre jazz work is often rooted in classic jazz techniques (like those developed by Bob Fosse, Jack Cole, or Luigi). Here in Berkshire and Henley, we take inspiration from the classes, but also adopt a more ‘new modern’ approach inspired by other dance genres.