ABOUT US
PEAK ATHLETICS at ACPA, owned by Ashley Maples, is the Golden Triangle's NEWEST and most well-rounded place for athletes training in cheerleading and dance. Housed under the ultimate training facility alongside Dawghouse Gymnastics, athletes have access to top-tier instructors with equipment and spaces geared toward safe strength, agility, and flexibility training. PEAK ATHLETICS is home to SUMMIT Cheer and APEX Dance. Each segment propels athletes to reach their peak.
APEX proudly offers both competitive and performance dance company options. APEX PEAK Performance Company, under the direction of Skylar Cochran, serves the dancer who is committed to dance as a performance art. These dancers move through a carefully curated curriculum throughout the season, culminating with a final performance at the year-end recital. There are also local performance opportunities for these dancers to exhibit their artistry for the community.
APEX Dance Company, under the direction of Lyndsey Miller, serves the dancer who is committed to dance in both competitive and performance art. These dancers participate in regional and national competitions throughout the season, as well as participate in local performance events and recital.
Company members are evaluated during the month of August for placement in leveled ballet, technique, and acrobatics classes. Across many dance genres and options, dancers are provided with a list of dances from which to choose for the season. This a-la-carte system gives the dancer more ownership in deciding certain dance styles to focus on. In addition, it allows for dancers to commit to the number of group dances that work within their schedule, providing more individualized flexibility.*
Company members compete both regionally and nationally. Their training in the studio strives to develop strong foundations in ballet, tap, and jazz, combined with development in movement quality, flexibility, artistry, improvisation, and technical execution. We also place heavy emphasis in acro-dance, utilizing our competitive gymnastics facility to develop acrobatic skills.
*additional requirements are placed on those who will compete a solo, duet, or trio.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
BALLET Ballet classes are the critical foundation of all various forms of dance including jazz and lyrical. The classes focus on proper turnout, foot, arm and body placement and dance terminology. TAP Tap dancing is distinguished by percussive footwork that marks out precise rhythmic patterns on the floor. JAZZ/LYRICAL These classes are excellent for anyone who is serious about advancing their skills as a dancer. Jazz technique is based on the natural movement of the body and is designed to increase body control and coordination. Lyrical allows the dancer to learn music interpretation through sustained extensions and expressive emotion. HIP HOP Street Dance style integrating jazz technique. ACRO Acrobatic and gymnastic skills are seen frequently in competitive dance routines. These skills are important and vital towards maintaining a dancer’s physical strength and flexibility, as well as their agility, coordination, and balance. POINTE Pointe is an extension of ballet. It requires solid, consistent, and current ballet training coupled with strength in the legs and the core of the dancer's body. Instructors will select students who are conditioned for this style of dance. CONTEMPORARY Rooted in the strong but controlled legwork of ballet and modern, which stresses the movement of the torso and the compositional shapes formed by the body, Contemporary employs contract-release, floor work, fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristics, often articulating juxtaposing movement quality as a visual display of the accompanying musical selection. MUSICAL THEATER Embedded in philosophy often experienced in a theater setting, musical theater combines jazz dance style, commonly classic jazz originated by greats such as Bob Fosse and Debbie Allen, with theatrical expressions and characterizations of a specific persona, story line, or theme.