Our Classical Ballet Program has been developed in order to expose the student to the best of the renowned ballet disciplines. Incorporating these ballet techniques into the classroom instruction provides the dancer with the proper placement, alignment and fundamental technique necessary to develop and grow artistically. Students in our ballet program have the opportunity to perform alongside professional dancers with Dance Del Bello, a not-for-profit performing arts company in residence at PDI.
Pre Ballet: Ages 7 to 8.
Ballet I: Ages 8 and up.
Ballet II through V
Modern: Modern dance is a creative, expressive style of dance focusing on balance, center, and extension. At Pennsylvania Dance Institute we combine many techniques including Graham, Limon, and Horton.
Figure Skaters The Pennsylvania Dance Institute offers supplemental ballet classes to figure skaters who require the refinement, artistry and core strengthening that ballet provides.
Open Class Policy The Pennsylvania Dance Institute extends an Open Class Policy for PDI alumni, college dance majors, pre-professionals with advanced training & professional dancers for $15 per class. If you are new to the studio please call first.
Children’s Dance Program
This program was designed after the Joffrey Ballet School (located in New York City) Children’s Dance Program. Training within this program prepares young dancers’ muscles and develops the coordination necessary for beginning ballet. They do a non-weight bearing floor barre, followed by creative movement with an emphasis on developing musical and motor skills. The young dancers are then excited and motivated about dancing and well prepared for entry into the Ballet I class. This also prepares a young dancer for technique classes in Jazz or Tap at the age of 8.
Mommy & Me: Ages 2 and 3
Bodies on the Move: Ages 2 and 3
Creative Movement: Ages 3 to 4.
Young Children’s Dance: Ages 4 to 5. Children’s Dance:Ages 6 to 7. Pre-Ballet: Ages 7 to 8.
Contemporary Dance Program
Jazz * Tap * Hip-Hop* Modern* Ages 8 through Adult
Hip Hop: Hip Hop is all about learning the latest moves to current, popular music. These one-hour classes are high energy and include stretching, strengthening, and combinations. Students will focus on rhythm and style and having fun J.
Jazz: Jazz technique develops strength, flexibility, coordination, and the controlled movement of each part of the body. These one-hour classes include a warm-up of stretching & isolations, center floor technique, and progressions and combinations. The style of jazz classes at Pennsylvania Dance Institute incorporate both the traditional (or Broadway) style and a more funk-style jazz to popular music. Tap: Tap is a syncopated, stylized form of movement, which develops coordination, rhythm, speed and balance. These one-hour classes include barre, center and across the floor work, as well as combinations, stressing footwork and flexibility of the knees and ankles.
Teen/Adult Ballet: : This class provides students with the fundamental technique for all dance movements by teaching placement, form, ‘center’ strength, balance, control, and grace. It is highly recommended that all students at Pennsylvania Dance Institute take ballet as it is the foundation for all styles of dance.
Modern: Modern dance is a creative, expressive style of dance focusing on balance, center, and extension. At Pennsylvania Dance Institute we combine many techniques including Graham, Limon, and Horton.
Adult Dance Program
In this program adult dancers are offered classes in Ballet, Modern and Jazz. Cheryl Pento directs this successful program, sharing her extensive background as a dancer and choreographer, which allows the adult student to recapture their love of movement.
Pre Ballet: Ages 7 to 8.
Figure Skaters 
This program was designed after the Joffrey Ballet School (located in New York City) Children’s Dance Program. Training within this program prepares young dancers’ muscles and develops the coordination necessary for beginning ballet. They do a non-weight bearing floor barre, followed by creative movement with an emphasis on developing musical and motor skills. The young dancers are then excited and motivated about dancing and well prepared for entry into the Ballet I class. This also prepares a young dancer for technique classes in Jazz or Tap at the age of 8.
Hip Hop: Hip Hop is all about learning the latest moves to current, popular music. These one-hour classes are high energy and include stretching, strengthening, and combinations. Students will focus on rhythm and style and having fun J.
Tap: Tap is a syncopated, stylized form of movement, which develops coordination, rhythm, speed and balance. These one-hour classes include barre, center and across the floor work, as well as combinations, stressing footwork and flexibility of the knees and ankles.