Kids Ballet & Lyrical at the barre.
Classical technique and expressive movement for young dancers — taught in a real studio with full ballet barres and mirrored walls, at Chicago's neighborhood dance studio since 2003. One hour a week, building to a December showcase on our floor.
- Ages 6–9 · No experience needed
- Saturdays · 1 hour weekly
- $85/month or $320/semester
- First class free
The foundation first. Then the feeling.
Every style of dance is built on ballet — the posture, the balance, the discipline, the vocabulary. We start there, then let your dancer put it to music with lyrical, where technique turns into expression and storytelling.
Ballet
We start here on purpose. Ballet is the foundation of all dance — barre work, positions, posture, and balance taught correctly from day one. Every style your child ever learns will be built on this.
Lyrical
Once the ballet basics are in place, we add lyrical — a flowing, expressive style danced to the words and emotion of the music. This is where young dancers learn to perform, not just move. By December, your dancer will do both.
Every class builds toward something.
This isn't drop-in dance. It's a season with a beginning, real skill-building, and a stage at the end.
Ballet fundamentals
Barre work, the five positions, posture, balance, and musicality — real classical technique made joyful for young dancers. Small class, lots of encouragement. No experience needed.
Lyrical & showcase preparation
Dancers add lyrical movement and rehearse two short routines — one ballet, one lyrical — for the winter show.
Costume & showcase fee: $50, billed in OctoberThe Winter Showcase
Family and friends fill our North Center studio as every dancer performs on the same floor our professional instructors dance on. Costumes, music, applause — the real thing.
The next season
Dancers who fall in love with it continue into the winter/spring session with new music, new skills, and a spring performance goal. Ballet is a path your child can grow on for years.
A real studio, built for this.
Your child learns in Studio 1 — 750 square feet with full ballet barres, two walls of mirrors, and natural light from the windows over Lincoln Avenue.
Classes are taught by Jess, who leads our kids ballet, lyrical, and technique programs — the same teacher who guides our dancers from their first plié to the showcase stage each season.
Two ways to pay. Both simple.
Monthly Auto-Pay · $85
Four weekly classes per month, billed automatically. Month to month with no long-term commitment — cancel any time by emailing the studio by the 25th of the month, effective at month's end.
Semester Prepay · $320
Pay the full fall semester (September–December) up front and save $20 per dancer. One payment, no monthly billing, your dancer's spot locked through the showcase.
Sibling discount
Each additional child saves $15 per month — $70 monthly, or $260 on the semester prepay. Applies across all DCC kids classes.
Costume & showcase fee
Billed in October for every dancer. Covers your child's costume for the December showcase.
Free trial class
Bring your dancer to one class free, no commitment. See the studio, meet the teacher, try the barre.
Class is limited to 14 dancers so every child gets real attention. Enrollment is continuous — join any time there's an open spot, with the first month prorated. Semester prepayments are non-refundable after the second week of class except for medical reasons or relocation.
A neighborhood studio with a real dance pedigree.
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An established kids program
DCC kids have been dancing, training, and performing in seasonal showcases with their teacher Jess — this fall session welcomes brand-new beginners into a program that already works.
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A studio made for ballet
Full-length ballet barres, two walls of mirrors, and a professional dance floor — not a gym, not a multipurpose room. Kids feel like real dancers here because the room treats them like real dancers.
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A neighborhood studio
Second floor at 3868 N. Lincoln Ave., steps from the Western Brown Line. Easy for families in North Center, Lincoln Square, Roscoe Village, and Lakeview.
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A path, not just a class
A showcase every December, new skills every season, and a full studio of styles — including our Junior Ballroom Latin program — as your dancer grows.
What parents ask us.
Does my child need any dance experience?
How does billing work?
What should my child wear?
What's the difference between ballet and lyrical?
Can I watch the class?
Reserve your child's free trial class.
The fall session fills on a first-come basis. Book a trial class and see if ballet is your dancer's thing — no commitment, no pressure.
Dance Center Chicago · 3868 N. Lincoln Ave., 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60613
dance@dancecenterchicago.com · Steps from the Western Brown Line