My vision as a teacher is to offer each student a holistic experience of dance, nurturing a relationship with it that she or he can carry with them throughout their life, as a medium through which to connect with their own joy, inner strength, and personal expression.
Unlike a traditional “dance school”, in which the mechanics of one particular dance form comprise the exclusive content of each class, White Lotus Ballet instruction expose students to a variety of dimensions on their journey in relation to dance. Admittedly, this is not the best formula for achieving the proficiency of skill required for a professional or competitive career in the field of dance, for that takes very extensive training and practice in the technical aspects themselves. However, for those with that aim, White Lotus Ballet will greatly compliment the rigors of their training, and for the rest who simply want to take a ballet class for the fun and love it, this experience will bestow treasures to cherish even long beyond their tutu-donning days!
Here are some of the features you can find in that experience, along with reasons why they are presented:
Basic Ballet Technique: I offer caring, individualized instruction which utilizes the form and structure of ballet training, fused with other systems of dance, to support the development of self discipline, sharp memory, sustained focus, commitment, and the pursuit of personal excellence. I teach technique in order that the student may encounter a standard set of movements that the human body is generally capable of, and to discover his/her capacity to direct the body through the mind. In this way, the technical training establishes a fundamental set of tools which the student/dancer can use, expand, or modify in their own self expression through dance.
Yoga: The more one is conscious of and connected with the inner self, the better one is able to express oneself outwardly through the movements of the body. I therefore incorporate elements of yoga at the foundation of instruction, as it raises self awareness. It also heightens concentration, enhances flexibility, and promotes overall wellness of body, mind, and spirit.
World Dance: Ethnic dances are included in the educational experience as well. Dance is a universal language with a multitude of dialects, each rich with cultural history. Exploration of various forms of world dance invites appreciation of the unity and diversity of mankind, as well as that which transcends national and bodily designations. It also opens a door of learning complimentary to academic education in geography and related social studies.
Contemporary Style: Jazz and other elements of contemporary dance find their way into the mix too, as they facilitate additional dimensions of freedom of expression through movement.
Dance History: Learning about the role that dance has played throughout history, in various times, cultures, and faiths, can broaden one’s scope of how dancing relates to oneself and can be utilized beneficially in one’s own life and community. It also gives a sense of being connected to something much bigger than oneself.
The Classics: Learning about the great classical ballets and the music, composers, and choreographers associated with them, is fun, enriching, and puts what one is learning in a context which provides material to translate into one’s own self expression through dance.
Creative Expression & Collaborative Choreography: Students are encouraged, with ample opportunity, to personally create and communicate their dancing freely. This sometimes extends beyond the dancing to the creation of simple stories, sets, costumes, programs, and other aspects of performance production. Collaborating with other students in that process fosters respect and cooperation.
Multi-Age/Level Classroom: The diversity of ages and levels supports the learning experience by the opportunity to take inspiration from those more advanced and mature, and to reinforce what has been learned by sharing it in an assisting manner with those younger or less developed. The placement of a student in a particular class is based primarily upon the group dynamic created by the combination of personalities, as well as the accommodation of specific scheduling considerations of each student. Within a suitable environment created by the mood amongst the small handful of students in the classroom, I offer personal instruction to each individual according to their respective needs and level. I seek to nurture an attitude of respect and kindness toward oneself and others. Competition and the harshness of judgment are not encouraged.
Performance Opportunity: Students at White Lotus Ballet are offered a studio and stage experience aimed at promoting self confidence. The measure of success of performance is not the perfection with which the steps are executed, but the level of effort and progress made by the dancers in proportion to their individual and collective capacity, and the happiness and satisfaction each dancer experiences within.
Unlike a traditional “dance school”, in which the mechanics of one particular dance form comprise the exclusive content of each class, White Lotus Ballet instruction expose students to a variety of dimensions on their journey in relation to dance. Admittedly, this is not the best formula for achieving the proficiency of skill required for a professional or competitive career in the field of dance, for that takes very extensive training and practice in the technical aspects themselves. However, for those with that aim, White Lotus Ballet will greatly compliment the rigors of their training, and for the rest who simply want to take a ballet class for the fun and love it, this experience will bestow treasures to cherish even long beyond their tutu-donning days!
Here are some of the features you can find in that experience, along with reasons why they are presented:
Basic Ballet Technique: I offer caring, individualized instruction which utilizes the form and structure of ballet training, fused with other systems of dance, to support the development of self discipline, sharp memory, sustained focus, commitment, and the pursuit of personal excellence. I teach technique in order that the student may encounter a standard set of movements that the human body is generally capable of, and to discover his/her capacity to direct the body through the mind. In this way, the technical training establishes a fundamental set of tools which the student/dancer can use, expand, or modify in their own self expression through dance.
Yoga: The more one is conscious of and connected with the inner self, the better one is able to express oneself outwardly through the movements of the body. I therefore incorporate elements of yoga at the foundation of instruction, as it raises self awareness. It also heightens concentration, enhances flexibility, and promotes overall wellness of body, mind, and spirit.
World Dance: Ethnic dances are included in the educational experience as well. Dance is a universal language with a multitude of dialects, each rich with cultural history. Exploration of various forms of world dance invites appreciation of the unity and diversity of mankind, as well as that which transcends national and bodily designations. It also opens a door of learning complimentary to academic education in geography and related social studies.
Contemporary Style: Jazz and other elements of contemporary dance find their way into the mix too, as they facilitate additional dimensions of freedom of expression through movement.
Dance History: Learning about the role that dance has played throughout history, in various times, cultures, and faiths, can broaden one’s scope of how dancing relates to oneself and can be utilized beneficially in one’s own life and community. It also gives a sense of being connected to something much bigger than oneself.
The Classics: Learning about the great classical ballets and the music, composers, and choreographers associated with them, is fun, enriching, and puts what one is learning in a context which provides material to translate into one’s own self expression through dance.
Creative Expression & Collaborative Choreography: Students are encouraged, with ample opportunity, to personally create and communicate their dancing freely. This sometimes extends beyond the dancing to the creation of simple stories, sets, costumes, programs, and other aspects of performance production. Collaborating with other students in that process fosters respect and cooperation.
Multi-Age/Level Classroom: The diversity of ages and levels supports the learning experience by the opportunity to take inspiration from those more advanced and mature, and to reinforce what has been learned by sharing it in an assisting manner with those younger or less developed. The placement of a student in a particular class is based primarily upon the group dynamic created by the combination of personalities, as well as the accommodation of specific scheduling considerations of each student. Within a suitable environment created by the mood amongst the small handful of students in the classroom, I offer personal instruction to each individual according to their respective needs and level. I seek to nurture an attitude of respect and kindness toward oneself and others. Competition and the harshness of judgment are not encouraged.
Performance Opportunity: Students at White Lotus Ballet are offered a studio and stage experience aimed at promoting self confidence. The measure of success of performance is not the perfection with which the steps are executed, but the level of effort and progress made by the dancers in proportion to their individual and collective capacity, and the happiness and satisfaction each dancer experiences within.