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.
- Two age groups · 6–9 & 10–14
- Tuesdays · 4:30–5:30 PM (ages 6–9) & 5:30–6:30 PM (ages 10–14)
- Sept 1 – Dec 8 · 15 classes
- $300 prepay or monthly plan
- 14 dancers max per class
The right group for every dancer.
Classes are split by age so every dancer works at their own level — building real technique with peers at the same stage of development.
Younger · Ages 6–9
This class is paced for younger beginners — playful and structured in equal measure. Dancers learn ballet fundamentals through barre work, positions, and simple combinations, then bring it to life with lyrical movement set to music. Both styles, one hour a week, building toward the December showcase.
Older · Ages 10–14
Older dancers move faster and dig deeper. This class covers ballet technique with more demanding combinations and stronger attention to form, plus lyrical — where precision becomes expression and performance. By December both tracks take the stage at the winter showcase.
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: $100, billed in OctoberThe Winter Showcase
Classes wrap on Tuesday, December 8, and the following Sunday every dancer takes the floor. Each student performs two numbers — their ballet and their lyrical — alongside performances from our adult students and instructors. Drinks and snacks are provided, and families receive photos and video of the show afterward. 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.
Pay by the Month · $320 total
Billed automatically at the start of each month, priced by the number of class weeks in that month:
| September | 5 classes | $105 |
| October | 4 classes | $85 |
| November | 4 classes | $85 |
| December | 2 classes + showcase | $45 |
Season Prepay · $300
Pay the full fall session (September 1 – December 8, all 15 classes) 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 every month of the plan, or pays $240 on the season prepay. Applies across all DCC kids classes.
Costume & showcase fee
Billed in October for every dancer. Covers your child's costume, the showcase production, refreshments, and the photos and video your family receives after the show.
Class is limited to 14 dancers so every child gets real attention. Because the curriculum builds week to week, enrollment closes after the second week of classes on September 8. 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 spot for fall.
The class builds from the first week, so everyone starts the season together on Tuesday, September 1. Spots fill on a first-come basis and enrollment closes September 8.
Dance Center Chicago · 3868 N. Lincoln Ave., 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60613
dance@dancecenterchicago.com · Steps from the Western Brown Line