Get To Know DWC Ambassador Abby Jayne DeAngelo
Join us for an inspiring interview with our esteemed DWC Ambassador, Abby Jayne DeAngelo! 💫 Abby Jayne's journey in the world of ballet began under the guidance of the renowned Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) in her hometown of Carlisle, PA. With a passion for sharing her love of ballet with the next generation of dancers, Abby Jayne founded Adage Ballet Academy in Seattle, WA in March 2021.
pronunciation: Ab-bee Jay-n Dee-An-jello | pronouns: she/her
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager
Join us for an inspiring interview with our esteemed DWC Ambassador, Abby Jayne DeAngelo! 💫 Abby Jayne's journey in the world of ballet began under the guidance of the renowned Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) in her hometown of Carlisle, PA. With a passion for sharing her love of ballet with the next generation of dancers, Abby Jayne founded Adage Ballet Academy in Seattle, WA in March 2021. Her extensive teaching experience includes instructing Levels 1-7 at CPYB, leading virtual classes with Ballet Together, and guest teaching at Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh. Abby Jayne's professional ballet career has taken her from Carlisle to the stage of Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB), where she began as a Professional Division Student and was later promoted to Apprentice and Corps de Ballet member. Her favorite roles with PNB include Marzipan and Columbine in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Step Sister in Kent Stowell’s Cinderella, and Eva Stone's F O I L. As a choreographer, Abby Jayne has premiered original works for CPYB’s First Steps Program and PNB’s virtual Next Step, showcasing her artistic versatility. Join us as Abby Jayne shares her personal mission of balanced, joy-filled ballet technique and training both on and off the stage. Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired by her passion and dedication to the art of dance! #DWC #DanceAmbassador #AbbyJayneDeAngelo #BalletJourney #BalletEducation
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All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Journey & Identity Through Dance
Pride month is upon us and what better way to celebrate pride than to highlight queer dancers in the Seattle community! We got the opportunity to speak with local teacher and dancer Annie St. Marie about their experience with the dance and LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to learn more about Annie’s dancing journey and their identity in the dance world!
An Interview with Dancer & Teacher Annie St. Marie
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager and Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Pride month is upon us and what better way to celebrate pride than to highlight queer dancers in the Seattle community! We got the opportunity to speak with local teacher and dancer Annie St. Marie about their experience with the dance and LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to learn more about Annie’s dancing journey and their identity in the dance world!
Annie started dancing when they were 4 years old. Their first experience with dance was at a local community center in Seattle and then moved to the American Dance Institute in Greenwood. They share that their neighbor across the street also danced there and went on to audition for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Annie says that they thought to themself “If they can, why can’t I!” and auditioned there as well. They initially got into PNB and danced there from ages 8 to 17. Annie trained very extensively in various different styles of ballet and Horton technique and shares that it was a great experience.
After consideration from their family, they decided to stop training at PNB when they were 17 and continued doing musical theater that they had done all throughout high school. Then when Annie was a senior they decided that they wanted to keep dancing and applied to Cornish College of the Arts. After not attending initially after their senior year, they did Cornish’s three year program and graduated in 2018. Since graduating, Annie has been teaching at various studios, performing and taking classes as much as they can.
Annie uses he/she/they pronouns and shares that they identify as non-binary which can affect the way they are seen in the dance world. They share that people can assume their gender or pronouns being she/her or that they present feminine which they share isn’t great. Now that they have found places where they are accepted they share that it is better, but growing up in the ballet world, there are lots of specific gender roles. Females are supposed to curtsey and males are supposed to bow and Annie tries in their classes to eliminate those gender roles as much as they can.
Annie shares that they have lots of things coming up for them in the next few months! Annie currently teaches a ballet/contemporary class at Westlake Dance Center in Shoreline every Saturday. They will also be teaching some master classes throughout the summer and just performed at the Seattle International Dance festival with Coalescence Dance Company. In September they are performing in a show called A Night In Paris which is taking place in Leavenworth. Lastly, in the fall they will be teaching some adult intermediate ballet classes and modern classes at eXit Space.
We are so happy that we had the opportunity to speak with Annie! Be sure to follow them on Instagram here and check out the rest of their interview on YouTube!
Sources:
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Dancing Beyond the Binary: A Conversation with Ashton Edwards
Ashton Edwards, originally from Flint, Michigan, has studied dance since the age of four years old at the Flint School of Performing Arts. Ashton has attended summer ballet intensives on full scholarships at The Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, Houston Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2018, Ashton represented Flint in the NAACP’s National Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition in San Antonio, Texas, against over 250 students of all high school grades all over the country. In the Performing Arts, Ballet dance category, Ashton came in 3rd place, winning a bronze medal. Ashton is currently a Professional Division student at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Dancing Beyond the Binary: A Conversation with Ashton Edwards
Ashton Edwards, originally from Flint, Michigan, has studied dance since the age of four years old at the Flint School of Performing Arts. Ashton has attended summer ballet intensives on full scholarships at The Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, Houston Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2018, Ashton represented Flint in the NAACP’s National Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition in San Antonio, Texas, against over 250 students of all high school grades all over the country. In the Performing Arts, Ballet dance category, Ashton came in 3rd place, winning a bronze medal. Ashton is currently a Professional Division student at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Why do you love to dance?
I love to dance because I can’t survive without it. I love to dance, because I make people happy, and that makes me happier than I could ever be. I like to dance, because it feels natural. The uncomfortable feels right. It’s indescribable the feeling I have when I’m dancing.
It’s a connection to the depths of our soul. I grew up religious, and in church we talked about our soul and how it’s connected to heaven… but I didn’t really understand until I started dancing and getting lost in the movement. What you are as a being, and not just as skin and bones--that’s why I like to dance, because I feel the most myself. It’s a gift I give to myself.
Why do you think dance is necessary? For yourself, but also for our community and our culture?
Because, not everything can be said with words. I can tell you I’m sad, but I think there’s deeper communication, just as humans as we connect soul to soul. Dance is one of the few languages that we all do, with natural body language.
That is dance, that is movement, that is art, and it’s so necessary, because we take our natural humanity and we put it on the stage, to observe, and reflect, and take a moment and connect as humans again. And I think that’s really special. We need to take time and reflect and look back and experience humanity on the stage as REALness, and like real people, real time.
We all can make a face, and frown, and you know, release our shoulders and just sit there--but, we never take time to appreciate it or declare “this art”, declare “this” as art. But we put it on the stage, and we take time, and we appreciate it, and I think that’s why dance is necessary--because we take the time to reflect on life and natural human processes and emotions… on a deeper level. Because we take this natural slouch and frown and we take it deeper. That’s why I think it’s necessary for us as humans.
What do you think is missing from the dance world as a whole right now?
Oh, *laughing* we’re so far behind. I talk about how it’s reflecting humanity, but especially specifically in ballet we’re so far behind in how equal we all are. I think specifically in ballet companies there is this fantasy of perfection. Everything is binary, everything looks a certain way--but that’s not real, that’s not realistic. That’s not art or humanity. That’s a constructed idea of what “perfect” is.
I think ballet could go so much deeper than that. It could explore gender roles, and race and so much more. Like the Agon pas de deux traditionally is always cast with a black man and a white woman… and I’m just like “No! There’s so much more that could happen there!” We need to stop making it about tradition. Art isn’t controlled. We need to take the control off of art and dance, and make it human.
Ballet is like a fantasy! We have Sugar Plum and Dew Drop, and they’re magical beings. Why isn’t a magical being also a man sometimes? Or why isn’t she black? Who’s fantasy is it? Why is it this one white man’s fantasy; that Sugar Plum is this beautiful white lady the only version being represented? That’s not humanity’s fantasy.
When I was growing up and I saw a black Clara, I wanted to be the black Clara. That was my fantasy. For all the Latinx girls in the audience, all the Trans women in the audience--when is their fantasy represented on the stage? I think that’s what it’s missing. Everyone’s life, everyone’s representation.
What are you hoping to bring into the dance world as you are stepping into the professional world?
Hopefully some representation for someone--for people like me, who don’t really know where they fit in - who just exist as a human. Hopefully I can be the representation that I didn’t see, that I fantasized about. The guy who did the work just as good as the girls, and who had the opportunity to perform it.
I wish I saw an incredible man en pointe, doing a [traditionally female] role, and it feels normal. Hopefully I can teach people and tell people and show people that it should be--and it is.
Hopefully, I’m not just helping younger kids and audiences, but also the directors. [I want] directors to see me, and see what’s possible. I hope it opens their mind for the next person. Hopefully it’s not just the young minds, but ballet’s current audience. Hopefully we can change those minds too.
How has your queer identity influenced your dancing/training?
I was 4 years old when my mom told me not to be gay. I realized, “oh wait, everyone thinks this. Everyone around me homophobic.” Especially in my small town.
Who are these people to just steal someone’s innocence and someone’s joy in life? I feel like that’s the deepest evil, to take someone’s happiness, someone’s innocence, someone’s carelessness. I feel like someone stole a chunk of my life from me, and now I just can’t waste any more time, and I need to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else.
And that’s what I hope I can do with dancing. Hopefully I can show all the little girls and boys and little people that anything is possible and you don’t have to limit yourself. Because why? For who? Why am I not happy--for what person? I think not.
It’s hard--training en pointe, taking extra classes at the end of my day. I’m doing more than everyone else. It’s really tough--but who else is going to do it? Who else is going to make it easier for someone else?
Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary. It’s just life, and people are different. My Agon shouldn’t look like anyone else’s because we are different humans with different experiences and different lives. Why am I so crazy to want to do those roles? I’m good at them *laughing* I’m not going to lie! I can do the work. So it’s a little different, a little more masculine, I look a little “new” and unfamiliar--but so does everyone else! We’re all different humans. Not only do we need to accept the work, we need to accept the body and the person.
Living My Truth Out Loud: Embracing Human Expression
“Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary,” said Ashton Edwards, former Dancewear Center (DWC) Ambassador, in an interview for the DWC Blog. Ashton is a dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, and an exquisite one. I’ve been following them on Instagram since they partnered with the DWC ambassador program in 2020. They inspire me and give me hope because when I was growing up, queer dancers were invisible.
By Brittni Bryan, Former DWC Ambassador
“Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary”
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“Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary,” said Ashton Edwards, former Dancewear Center (DWC) Ambassador, in an interview for the DWC Blog. Ashton is a dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, and an exquisite one. I’ve been following them on Instagram since they partnered with the DWC Ambassador program in 2020. They inspire me and give me hope because when I was growing up, queer dancers were invisible.
In 2009, the year I graduated high school, Nigel Lythgoe of So You Think You Can Dance infamously and harshly critiqued a pair of same-sex ballroom auditionees saying, “I think you’d probably alienate a lot of our audience. We’ve always had the guys dance together on the show, but they’ve never really done it in each other’s arm’s before. I’m certainly one of those people that really like to see guys be guys and girls be girls on stage,” Nigel said. I watched the episode when it originally aired, sitting in my first girlfriend’s basement bedroom. We weren’t dating yet. Neither of us were out yet, and in fact, I hadn’t even realized I was in love with her yet. But, I remember watching that episode with her and I remember being upset. That was the representation I got: a pair of ballroom dancers condemned for their sexuality on national television— their technique and talent mostly ignored. The focus was on the binary of traditional partnering pairs and how this pairing was abnormal in comparison.
In December of 2012, Washington state became one of the first three states in the US to legally recognize gay marriage through popular vote. I was living in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood at the time, finishing up my bachelor’s degree at Seattle University. I still wasn’t fully out, but my roommate and I walked to the Pike/Pine corridor where people celebrated this long fought for human right on the streets, the excitement frenzied and palpable. The next year, I started dancing for a local production company on Capitol Hill. It was a queer-run dinner theater that primarily found success in hosting 21st birthdays and bachelorette parties. I danced there on and off for four years. During that time, gay marriage was federally legalized in the United States. At some point, I choreographed a “romantic” lyrical/contemporary routine for myself and one of our male dancers. We needed an understudy but none of our other male dancers could execute the technique, so I suggested one of the other girls should understudy. Our owner and director, a gay man, agreed, saying it would be okay for a female to understudy the male part because it would be artistic, not sexual or romantic. But what if it was sexual and romantic, and why couldn’t it be? Just a few years later, the male-presenting dancer I originally partnered with began her transition from a male-presenting body to a female-presenting body. The whole time, I had been dancing with a woman anyway.
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It was not until 2019 that I saw anything in the dance world that validated my sexuality. Kiara Felder, 29, of Les Grands Ballet and formerly a principal with Atlanta Ballet, was interviewed by Dance Magazine for an article on Pride and dance. In a section called, “Could I Be a Ballet Dancer and Be a Lesbian”, Felder discusses the fractured relationship between her sexuality and her professional dance career. She describes how she stayed in the closet at the beginning of her career, “worried that she'd lose her scholarship at PNB [our very own Pacific Northwest Ballet] if the administration found out she was gay”. As she continued her career and moved to Atlanta, she found her community amongst some of the gay male dancers. However, she still struggled to find other queer women in dance. Her struggle, my struggle, and probably the struggle of many young, queer, female dancers, revolved around representation. Felder said, “Without representation, I started to feel this pressure and fear. "Could I be a ballet dancer and be lesbian?". Lesbian stereotypes focus on the masculinity of gay women: softball players, basketball players, soccer players, etc. Athletic gay women are stereotypically found in male-dominated sports, not in the feminine world of ballet. Except that we are. We’re here, and the outdated, binaried beliefs in dance are keeping us in the closet.
This brings us full circle back to Ashton in 2021. Ashton is breaking gender boundaries in the very same ballet company that Felder was afraid to come out in. They are the first biologically male dancer to study en pointe with Pacific Northwest Ballet and train in traditionally female roles. And they are only eighteen! Ashton is just at the beginning of their career, and I cannot wait to see how the dance community evolves as queer dancers continue to find themselves mirrored in dancers like Ashton or Kiara Felder or Alonso Guzman or Travis Wall or Ashley Yergens or Emma Portner or Nick Lazzarini or James Whiteside or Kyle Abraham or Mollee Gray and her partner Jeka Jane.
I finally came out in 2016, but sometimes I still feel uncomfortable being openly queer today. But then I see Ashton, living their truth out loud in one of the best ballet companies on the West Coast, and I see how much things have changed since I was eighteen. I’m excited to continue to see dance embrace non-binaried castings and non-binaried expressions because Ashton is right, human expression is not inherently binaried. We’ve just made it that way.
So, what can we do to help society accept dance as a non-binaried art form?
One way we can help is by normalizing same-sex partnering and supporting artists who choreograph duets between partners of the same sex, particularly ones with themes of intimacy or romance. Examples include Lauren Lovette’s pas de deux between Preston Chamberlee and Taylor Stanley in the ballet “Not Our Fate,” Justin Peck’s same sex pairing in “The Times Are Racing,” and Joshua Beamish’s work in “Saudade”. When audiences only see romantic duets performed between a man and a woman, it perpetuates the dominant idea that heterosexual love is the only kind of love acceptable to see onstage and offstage. Additionally, when queer dancers only see heterosexuality portrayed onstage, it can make them feel underrepresented and like their experiences aren’t worth depicting. But artists have the opportunity to help change this by creating work that challenges the norm. Choreographers in particular, can help by actively choreographing duets that aren’t performed by man-woman pairings to challenge the norm of heterosexual romance in dance.
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In dance classes, we can aid in normalizing the use of non-binaried language in our teaching. Oftentimes, teachers use language that defaults to heterosexuality as the “norm”. However, this is damaging because when people assume the sexuality of someone they are denying the existence of other identities, reinforcing the normalized identity as the “correct” way to identify, and erasing the ability for young people to see alternate identities as valid. People often assume someone is straight until they “come out”, but this is not the case. We can challenge ourselves to not assume the sexuality of others by being more inclusive with our language. For example, in 2014, I started saying “guy or girl” to describe the idea of being flirtatious in jazz styling instead of just “guy”. Seemingly small changes like this can help many of us start to retrain our brains to think in ways that aren’t dominated by heterosexuality.
So, when you see artists in your community creating works that confront heteronormativity, support them in any way you can, whether that be buying tickets to their shows, sharing their work with others, or finding ways to collaborate. If you are an artist, particularly a heterosexual artist, challenge yourself to create work that promotes diverse identities in an effort to continue to break down the barriers of society’s obsession with the gender binary and allow for a deeper exploration into the human experience through art.
Teaching Artist Kirsten Cooper On Tackling Technical Dance Challenges
Kirsten’s favorite thing about dance, she shares, is the connections people make through this art form are something that she finds to be the best thing about the dance world. “Through my teaching, I’ve seen people from different economical lives come and dance together and I think that that is just amazing,” she shares. She also shares that the connection through an emotional basis and a common love of dance is something that is very important to keep going. The relationships that she has made through people that she has taught are something that is very important to her and sets an example for the connection that dance can make through people.
A Conversation About Opening Dance for All Ages
Phonetic pronunciation: Kir-sten Coo-per | Pronouns: she/her
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Nigel Cooper Photography
Freelance teacher Kirsten Cooper is no stranger to the dance world. From dancing in her hometown in Spokane, Washington to dancing professionally in Los Angeles, California, there is no doubt about the amount of experience that she holds. Read on to learn more about Kirsten’s dance journey and her work with Westlake Dance Center!
Kirsten Cooper has always been a freelance teacher. She has been teaching in the Pacific Northwest for many years now after moving to Seattle following being a professional in Los Angeles. She shares that she mostly teaches jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and theater dance. Kirsten has taught at numerous different suburban studios, but she does the majority of her teaching at Westlake Dance Center where she runs the pre-professional program. She also teaches at the summer intensive at Pacific Northwest Ballet focusing on jazz, and she expresses how much she loves teaching ballerinas. She also shares that she loves to travel as much as she can, sharing that she’s journeyed to Texas, Montana, California, and Bulgaria to teach dance. Kirsten also just finished her Barre Eclipse License where she can now teach barre during her conditioning classes.
When asked about what sparked her passion for teaching, Kirsten shares that growing up in Spokane, she always loved dance. She expresses that she never got serious about it until she reached high school when her dance teacher opened her own studio. “She opened her own studio when I was a senior in high school, so then I was just there all the time” Kirsten shares. When she was at her studio, there was a variety of mixed-age groups that were in her classes. She shares that that is something that made her feel comfortable in the suburban environment and showed her that classes with different age groups were possible.
Going into college, Kirsten attended Pacific Lutheran University for about a year and a half and realized that she wanted to dance in Los Angeles. Once she arrived, she started taking dance classes for about a year and finally landed an agent. She began assisting Rhonda Miller with teaching, helping out in different jobs, and teaching at L.A. DanceForce. She shares that this experience taught her how to teach and run effective rehearsals and sparked her passion for teaching. Assisting also allowed her to create more art in the dance world which is something that she loves.
Photo by Nigel Cooper Photography
Moving on to Kirsten’s favorite thing about dance, she shares that the connections people make through this art form are something that she finds to be the best thing about the dance world. “Through my teaching, I’ve seen people from different social-economic backgrounds come and dance together and I think that that is just amazing,” she shares. She also shares that the connection through an emotional basis and a common love of dance is something that is very important to capitalize on in the dance community. The relationships that she has made through people that she has taught are something that is very important to her and sets an example for the connection that dance can make through people.
“My former dancers are some of my closest friends,” Kirsten shares.
One of the biggest struggles that Kirsten experienced when starting to dance is that she simply started training later. While Kirsten excelled at performing onstage, she struggled with more technical elements of dance, such as lacking turnout in her hips. She expresses that getting over the hump of needing to look and be a certain way was a big struggle for her. She conveys that some advice she would give dancers is simply to ensure that they are taking care of themselves. Physical therapy and nourishment are something that she believes are very important in the dance world. Kirsten also says that the aspect of social media in dance can be harmful to dancers but also have some good impacts too. Therefore, she thinks that recognizing the technical challenges of dancing and using social media can put dancers in the right direction to dance safely.
When asked about what she wants to see change in the dance world, Kirsten shares that talking about dance competitions in a healthy way is something that could potentially make a positive impact. There are many unhealthy ways that competitions and conventions are thrown onto dancers at younger ages, and Kirsten acknowledges that aspect. She believes that introducing conventions and competitions in healthy ways is something that needs to happen so dancers can reap their benefits. A way that she thinks the industry could move towards this change is emphasizing improvement instead of constant recognition. “It is nice to be recognized but [that] cannot be the only focus,” Kirsten says of class feedback, sharing that she likes asking her students how they feel about a skill they’ve learned before any kind of outcome from her, as the teacher, is revealed.
Photo by Nigel Cooper Photography
Coming up this summer, Kirsten is still teaching open classes at Westlake Dance Center and she will be doing all five weeks of the summer intensive program at Pacific Northwest Ballet. For Kirsten’s pre-professional program, she is taking auditions this summer for slots in classes and more information will be up with posters soon. She is also doing a workshop with Broadway dancer Mary Ann Lamb at the end of summer/early fall and typically in the fall, she has workshops with Jaci Royal as well. She shares that anyone that wants to come to these workshops is more than welcome and that they are open to everyone!
For more information about upcoming events with Kirsten, be sure to check out her socials!
About the Author
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Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Whim W’Him’s Olivier Wevers on Equitable Treatment in Dance
One of Whim W’Him’s most important values is putting “people first always,” something that is not always upheld in the dance world. That’s why Olivier shares that ensuring his dancers are well-paid has always been a priority of his. “They are artists…They are highly skilled professionals and they should be paid for that,” he stresses. He started Whim W’Him with the intention of “changing the landscape of how dancers are often abused and exploited,” particularly when it comes to being under-compensated for their work.
A Seattle-Based Director on Eliminating Exploitation in the Dance Scene
Name pronunciation: Ol-i-vee-eh W-eh-vers | Pronouns: he/him
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Stefano Altamura
Artists are often left out of larger conversations about equitable treatment and fair pay for workers. Even so, artists are skilled professionals as other laborers are, deserving of comprehensive treatment from companies that are able to secure the funds they need to operate effectively. Whim W’Him Founder and Artistic Director Olivier Wevers is a strong advocate for eliminating exploitative practices in the dance scene, principles he is practicing at the Seattle-based dance company itself. Read on to learn more about Olivier’s dance journey and about Whim W’Him’s mission and plans for its 2022-2023 season. And when purchasing tickets for one of Whim W’Him’s 22-23 shows, use code DWC20 for 20% off your ticket purchase!
Olivier expressed interest in dancing around age six. He can recall arriving at his first dance class wearing thick red wool tights, and immediately feeling out of place. “I actually cried and sat on the piano,” Olivier recalls, laughing. His parents told him that if he cried again, he wouldn’t be coming back to dance class. “I guess I didn’t,” Olivier says.
Around age fourteen, Olivier transferred from a recreational studio to a more professionally-focused one in his hometown of Brussels, Belgium. When he reached about nineteen years old, he began looking for work, moving to the United States for a summer program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Olivier landed his first job dancing with Columbia City Ballet in South Carolina for a year. He later danced at Royal Winnipeg Ballet for five years, touring around the world for six months out of the year. Olivier finished his dancing career at Pacific Northwest Ballet, where he worked for fourteen years.
Photo by Stefano Altamura
It took a while for Olivier to realize that starting a dance company is what he wanted to do. He had been gaining more choreography opportunities, diving deeper into the creation side of dance. He knew that running a dance company required a lot of hustle - administrative work, fundraising, and more - and he also realized the life of touring and traveling so often became lonely. Olivier desired to not only work with his own dancers but begin developing a vocabulary of dance that was unique. After mulling it over and having some encouragement from friends, Olivier incorporated Whim W’Him in 2009.
Today, Olivier says that Whim W’Him is all about the “creation process,” sharing that the company doesn’t like to place limits on itself by fixating on one topic or genre of focus. “There are so many types of choreographies and ways of working with bodies and I think that’s what we want to embrace,” Olivier says. “It’s really about exploring our human condition.”
One of Whim W’Him’s most important values is putting “people first always,” something that is not always upheld in the dance world. That’s why Olivier shares that ensuring his dancers are well-paid has always been a priority of his. “They are artists…They are highly skilled professionals and they should be paid for that,” he stresses. He started Whim W’Him with the intention of “changing the landscape of how dancers are abused and exploited,” particularly when it comes to being under-compensated for their work.
“The idea behind the company is to re-create a culture that is fighting the [outdated system] that is now widely adopted in this country for contemporary dancers and re-build an environment that is safe, welcoming, and supportive for everyone,” Olivier says.
Fittingly, Whim W’Him dancers are also offered opportunities to exercise creative control when it comes to the work they perform. For example, choreographers featured in Whim W’Him’s upcoming fall program were selected by dancers of the company itself, as a part of the 8th Choreographic Shindig. In a longstanding tradition, after reviewing applications, the dancers themselves have the opportunity to curate the evening performance, exercising their own creative opinions as artists.
In its 2022-2023 season, Whim W’Him is excited to showcase about ten original works across its three live programs in fall, winter, and spring. In addition, in February 2023, Whim W’Him will be collaborating with Early Music Seattle to create a brand new piece.
Photo by Stefano Altamura
In the fall, audiences can expect new creations from Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Dolly Sfeir, and Nicole von Arx on September 9-17, 2022 at Erikson Theater and on September 14, 2022 at Vashon Center for the Arts. In the winter, Whim W’Him will show work by Mike Esperanza, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Olivier Wevers from January 20-31, 2023 at the Cornish Playhouse, January 25, 2023 at Vashon Center for the Arts, and January 31, 2022 at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. Finally, in the spring, audiences will see work by Emilie Leriche, Olivier Wevers, and Rauf Yasit on May 12-20, 2023 at the Cornish Playhouse, May 17, 2023 at Vashon Center for the Arts, and May 24, 2023 at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.
All in all, in the next year, Olivier looks forward to seeing Whim W’Him continue to grow as a company and help create an environment for dancers that is “safe, diverse, [and] welcoming.” “We have a lot of change that needs to happen,” Olivier insists, citing more accessible dance education, greater support for BIPOC artists, comprehensive dance media and journalism, and of course, fair pay and eradicated exploitation as changes the dance industry needs to see. He also hopes to see more arts funding on a governmental level, particularly for smaller dance companies, where he believes much of the innovation in dance is occurring.
Become a member with Whim W’Him today or use code DWC20 for 20% off your tickets for one of Whim W’Him’s Season 22-23 shows.
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Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
How to Bend Without Breaking
My mission is to support dancers and their personal growth inside and outside of the studio to produce better performance outcomes and a more sustainable dancer long-term,” Josh says of his goal behind Flexible Mind Counseling. Through individual and group therapy sessions, Flexible Mind Counseling provides clients with “a bridge back to understanding [their] authentic needs.
Josh Spell on Normalizing Mental Health Discussions in Dance
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by AJ Ragasa
When people envision dancers, they often think of physically strong individuals who are capable of pushing their personal limits to create beautiful art. There is an assumption that they can propel through the physical and mental challenges they experience to be the best dancers they can be. While these assumptions can help instill discipline and drive in dancers, they can also help create an environment that’s unconducive to productive conversations about mental health. Through Flexible Mind Counseling, Josh Spell strives to help dancers become vulnerable about the challenges they’re facing, speak up for themselves, and cultivate a curious mind that can bend without breaking.
Josh was first exposed to dance through his grandmother’s senior dance group, the “Happy Steppers,” in which he would fill in for dancers when they were absent as a child. It was clear that Josh had a natural talent for picking up choreography and musicality so he enrolled in tap and later ballet. After a few years, it was clear to Josh that this is what he wanted to pursue. At age 16, he trained at the School of American Ballet in New York City before getting hired by Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle at 19 years old.
After a decade of dancing with PNB, Josh took a brief break and later did some freelance work, including Oklahoma! at The Fifth Avenue Theatre with Donald Byrd, while also studying interior design. He later danced with Kansas City Ballet for a couple of years as well.
Within the ballet world, Josh found himself placing restrictive rules on his mind and body to be what he thought was the best dancer he could be. This eventually manifested itself into a struggle with his body image. “I was equating my worth as a dancer [with] what my body aesthetically could present,” Josh reflects. That’s when Josh realized he needed some space from the professional dance scene for a while.
“I noticed that there were a lot of differences in the ways I viewed myself,” Josh says of his break from dance, noting that he experienced a newfound sense of self. Upon returning to dance at Kansas City Ballet, Josh noticed his perfectionism start to intensify again. He decided to speak with a therapist about some of the body image and disordered eating challenges he was facing.
It was around this time that Josh began to realize that mental health is deeply connected to how dancers show up for their performances, their relationships, and themselves. However, few mental health resources were available for dancers and their specific needs. Josh earned his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington, with a heavy focus on studying eating disorders, later working at an eating disorder clinic. During the pandemic, he also stepped in as a consulting therapist at the PNB School before starting his own practice, Flexible Mind Counseling.
“We are people first and dancers second”
“My mission is to support dancers and their personal growth inside and outside of the studio to produce better performance outcomes and a more sustainable dancer long-term,” Josh says of his goal behind Flexible Mind Counseling. Through individual and group therapy sessions, Flexible Mind Counseling provides clients with “a bridge back to understanding [their] authentic needs.”
Josh shares that individual sessions are nuanced, but he generally works with dancers on being more vulnerable, releasing control, and using direct communication to voice their needs and set boundaries. He helps dancers develop a mindful attitude and identify beliefs that may prevent them from being their most authentic selves. Josh’s group sessions follow similar themes, usually centering on one topic, such as self-compassion, internal vs. external motivation, body image, self-care, or perfectionism. After a topic is presented, a group discussion emerges, in which Josh helps provide dancers with tools and knowledge to handle challenges relating to the session’s main theme. “You get to learn from other folks in the space,” Josh says of the benefits of group sessions. Group sessions can also help cultivate a studio space that feels safer and more open to sharing vulnerable thoughts and emotions.
A mental health misconception that Josh has witnessed in the dance world is the idea that mental and physical health are separate. He points out that mental and physical health can influence one another, neither exists in a vacuum. “It’s really difficult to care for your body without caring for your mind and vice versa,” he shares.
Josh also shares that there is a pervasive stigma surrounding mental health. Many people assume that if you’re struggling with your mental health, that’s a sign of weakness, which prevents people from opening up about their challenges. As with physical health, there is an assumption that dancers must push through their mental health challenges on their own. “You don’t have to do everything on your own,” Josh stresses.
Through his efforts, Josh hopes to see mental health discussions become normalized in the dance sphere, in the same way that conversations about physical health have. He thinks the road to mental health normalization will require greater visibility of mental health professionals with dance experience. It’s also important to expose dancers to preventative and regular mental health care, not just when a crisis strikes.
“We are people first and dancers second,” Josh declares.
Josh will be our special guest speaker at the next DWC Teacher’s Seminar June 26th 10:30am-11:30am at the Green Room, DWC Renton, spaces are limited so register today!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Living Your Best Life at Dance Conservatory Seattle
Whether its codified technique, body expectations, or gendered stereotypes, the dance industry has disseminated rigid values for many years. Such expectations can limit and harm talented dancers who don’t fit such cookie-cutter molds. Joshua Grant and Christopher E. Montoya are striving to knock down these barriers and foster a supportive and all-inclusive dance environment at Dance Conservatory Seattle. Under the tutelage of local talent, DCS is teaching Seattle dancers how to “live [their] best li[ves].”
A Conversation About Inclusivity with Co-Artistic Director Joshua Grant
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Marcia Davis and Angela Sterling
Whether its codified technique, body expectations, or gendered stereotypes, the dance industry has disseminated rigid values for many years. Such expectations can limit and harm talented dancers who don’t fit such cookie-cutter molds. Joshua Grant and Christopher E. Montoya are striving to knock down these barriers and foster a supportive and all-inclusive dance environment at Dance Conservatory Seattle. Under the tutelage of local talent, DCS is teaching Seattle dancers how to “live [their] best li[ves].”
Growing up in a military family, Josh spent much of his childhood moving to different states. His dance journey first began at age three in Alabama and he later trained in South Carolina and California. Eventually, Josh’s family landed in the panhandle of Florida where he received the bulk of his dance training at Northwest Florida Ballet. He also trained at The HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida before graduating high school and moving to Seattle to train at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. After one year in the Professional Division, Josh was offered a job with PNB, dancing professionally with the company for about four years. He later decided to spend some time traveling, relocating to Toronto to dance with the National Ballet of Canada for a while.
Desiring to explore a different form of dance, Josh joined Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male comic ballet company that tours globally performing parodies of classical ballets. Josh toured the world with the company, traveling to Japan, Russia, Greece, France, Australia, and more, performing in male and female roles and dancing en pointe. He later returned to PNB where he dances today as a soloist.
Chris’ dance journey took a much different form than Josh’s. Chris studied at the University of Arizona before entering the professional world, dancing with companies like David Taylor Dance Theatre, Scorpius Dance Theatre, and Center Dance Ensemble, before joining Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo where he and Josh met. Josh points out how amazing it was that he and Chris were both able to find a home at Trockadero given they’re quite different dancers, both physically and emotionally.
When Josh and Chris relocated to Seattle together, Chris completed his undergraduate degree at Cornish College of the Arts and got his MFA at the University of Washington. He worked as the ballet division head and later the school director of Spectrum Dance Theater and has taught open classes and worked as the managing director for Dance Fremont. Aside from teaching, Chris has also danced with local companies like Seattle Dance Project, Men in Dance, and Jeroba Dance.
At the start of the pandemic, when the dance scene across Seattle shut down, Josh describes feeling quickly depressed and bored. Like most all people across the city, Josh recalls spending many days walking around his house wondering what to do. After some time, Sierra Keith reached out to Chris, sharing that she was considering renting a studio space and wanted to know if he was interested in teaching private lessons to some adults she knew. While Chris was busy with other work at the time, he and Sierra passed the message along to Josh who agreed to teach, holding a class of about ten people that eventually became a class of one to two as the pandemic worsened.
Eventually, the classes cultivated some buzz, as local dancers began to compete to get one of the few spots available. Having dreamt about opening their own dance school for a long time, Josh and Chris thought that this might be the opportunity to bring their dream to fruition.
Josh and Chris have both experienced struggles in the dance world throughout their careers, particularly with ballet. “We understand nobody fits into that perfect mold,” Josh points out. “And so we try to approach education and dance from that lens…perfection is unattainable.”
Chris specifically grappled with the challenges of fulfilling a rigid traditionally “masculine” role in the ballet world, as well standing out as a 5’2” Hispanic man in a predominantly white, Eurocentric realm. He also struggled with eating disorders as a way to combat weight loss to fit the mold he thought he needed to.
Growing up, Josh not only faced challenges as a gay person living in the South, but recalls training under toxic teachers who would often make hurtful remarks, and even throw things at him when he would make a mistake. “I was told I wouldn’t have a career. I was told I was a terrible dancer,” Josh remembers. “I was told that I was ‘too flowery.’ I was told that I needed to be more masculine.” For a while, he carried strict teaching traditions into the classes he taught, before Chris later pointed out that it wasn’t exactly helpful. Josh looks back on his training and wishes that his teachers could have helped him become the dancer and person he was supposed to be, instead of trying to make him become something he wasn’t.
Drawing from Chris’ graduate school research and he and Josh’s experience dancing with Trockadero, the two had also become interested in why the pointe shoe was genderized in ballet. Why is it that every time a pointe shoe is put on a man, it’s for slapstick or comedy? Such thoughts are what helped spur the creation of Dance Conservatory Seattle.
Dance Conservatory Seattle strives to knock down societal barriers by working to “encourage and empower” students “to explore their individual bodies and find their unique expressive voices.” A large emphasis is placed on welcoming dancers of all backgrounds and identities to present and perform how they desire to, particularly when it comes to defying gender stereotypes. Local performers like non-binary PNB Apprentice Ashton Edwards has credited DCS, and Josh specifically, for helping them grow more and more into themself as a performer.
Photo by Marcia Davis and Angela Sterling
Josh says that DCS aims to teach people based on who they are and not who anyone else thinks they should be. While dance nearly always has a fairly rigid means of measuring technique, DCS approaches technical skills with a more open-minded outlook. Josh shares that there’s a way to provide dancers with corrections and feedback in a way that isn’t aggressive and hurtful, but that allows a person to grow. “I think that’s where we’re going to get the best dancers of the next generation,” Josh shares of this approach to teaching.
At the moment, Dance Conservatory Seattle is chiefly concerned with getting more attendees in its classes, particularly its intermediate and advanced classes for middle and high school-aged students. DCS is also holding summer camps for ages 5 through 18. Eventually, Josh hopes for Dance Conservatory Seattle to have its own unique production of The Nutcracker, featuring a balanced representation of Seattle artists and featuring roles that defy traditional gender stereotypes. “Everything that DCS represents would be in our Nutcracker,” Josh shares. DCS’ 2700 square foot studio space is also available to rent and can transform into a performance space, where its future productions will likely be held.
Moving forward, Dance Conservatory Seattle strives to continue encouraging local dancers to live their best lives by acting fearlessly and being the kind of representation dancers across the region need. “Dance is an art form and the best way to get the truest and most successful art out of somebody is to allow them to be themself,” Josh says.
Jule Dancewear’s Julia Cinquemani
Many people are drawn to dance because it is a means of self-expression, allowing individuals to share their emotions with others and have a creative outlet to relieve stress. In many ways, clothing operates similarly to dance for many people, as it communicates a lot about a person’s identity and can invoke specific emotions in viewers and wearers alike. Founder of Jule Dancewear Julia Cinquemani knows all too well that wearing clothes that don’t fit right can make a significant impact on people, particularly with dancewear. Combatting this phenomenon was the inspiration behind Jule Dancewear, as well as creating dancewear products that cater to dancers with a variety of body types. Read on to learn more about Julia’s journey to Jule Dancewear.
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
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Many people are drawn to dance because it is a means of self-expression, allowing individuals to share their emotions with others and have a creative outlet to relieve stress. In many ways, clothing operates similarly to dance for many people, as it communicates a lot about a person’s identity and can invoke specific emotions in viewers and wearers alike. Founder of Jule Dancewear Julia Cinquemani knows all too well that wearing clothes that don’t fit right can make a significant impact on people, particularly with dancewear. Combatting this phenomenon was the inspiration behind Jule Dancewear, as well as creating dancewear products that cater to dancers with a variety of body types. Read on to learn more about Julia’s journey to Jule Dancewear.
Julia grew up in Dallas, Texas where she began dancing at age four. “I was very passionate about ballet and left home at age 16 to train year-round at the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle,” she shares. Later on, Julia ended up signing her first professional contract at Los Angeles Ballet, where she danced for seven years, even earning a promotion to Soloist in 2014 and Principal Dancer in 2016. “I then joined Miami City Ballet in 2017 where I danced for four seasons,” she shares. Highlights from her time at Miami City Ballet include Aria 1 in Stravinsky’s “Violin Concerto,” Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and War Girl in “Symphonic Dances.”
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One of Julia’s favorite parts of ballet was the discipline involved with it and being able to express herself within the studio. “Part of expressing myself was how I presented myself; how I did my hair and what I wore to class,” she shares. At age 14, Julia began designing and sewing her own ballet skirts to wear to class. Eventually, she began creating and selling these skirts to her friends. Shortly after this, as the skirts gained more popularity, Julia was approached by her local dancewear store asking if she wanted to start carrying her own line of wrap skirts in the store. What started as her individual outlet of expression soon became a product for others to enjoy as well.
Jule Dancewear was established in 2011 to “reshape dancewear.” Julia’s mission is to “design and produce dancewear that offers support, conforms to all body types, is high quality, and incorporates the latest in fashion with a commitment to ‘made in the USA.’” “Support” is a crucial aspect of the products Jule Dancewear offers. Julia shares that during her teenage years, when her body began changing, she realized she needed a leotard that provided more optimal coverage and support for herself. “I hated that my ill-fitting leotards were making me self-conscious in a profession where confidence is key,” she says. This is what inspired her to incorporate the support of a sports bra in her leotards in her leotards. “As a result, we are known for reshaping the dancewear mold to support all body types,” she shares.
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In addition to stunning leotards and wrap skirts that flatter an array of body types, Jule Dancewear has become well-known for its “meshie” tights and crop tops. Intended to flatter and accentuate muscle definition, these high-quality mesh tights and crop tops make for unique, colorful, and comfortable outerwear to wear over the top of leotards. Julia shares that Jule Dancewear has “many new products” coming soon, so stay tuned for more!
Julia shares that she’s always loved the way a good outfit makes her feel. This feeling was one of the main sources of inspiration for her products. “My goal in the design process is to bridge fashion and function,” she says. Julia points out that it helps that she spends most of her days in a leotard and tights, as it allows her to seek inspiration for designing products that make her look and feel her best.
For those who are interested in starting their own business, Julia advises them “to have patience and commit to creating in a field that [they] are passionate about.” Once you realize that you can be the solution to the problems you’re facing, many doors are opened.
Where Reading and Dancing Meet
For many young students, dance education consists of verbal instruction and demonstration from a teacher. While that has proven to be an effective means of teaching, having alternative methods, such as using visual aids and storytelling, can immensely benefit students. Thus, Terrel Lefferts and her daughter Kaelyn or “Ballerina Konora” have created Once Upon a Dance, a business that creates interactive movement and dance books for children of a wide array of ages.
Terrel Lefferts on Once Upon a Dance
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
For many young students, dance education consists of verbal instruction and demonstration from a teacher. While that has proven to be an effective means of teaching, having alternative methods, such as using visual aids and storytelling, can immensely benefit students. Thus, Terrel Lefferts and her daughter Kaelyn or “Ballerina Konora” have created Once Upon a Dance, a business that creates interactive movement and dance books for children of a wide array of ages.
Growing up, Terrel trained pre-professionally at Louisville Ballet and BalletMET, dancing up to 40 hours each week. Around her freshman year of high school, she ended up dropping out of dance after concluding that she likely wouldn’t become a professional. However, she ended up returning to dance in college while majoring in engineering. “I joined ballet and modern dance classes in college and was a founding member of the dance performance group there. I rediscovered dance during grad school, as well as during my time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa,” she shares. “Dance kept coming back all the time.” As Terrell fell back in love with dance, she decided to start teaching during the evenings and on the weekends and eventually quit her main job to devote her full time to teaching. Terrel has taught all over the Eastside, including building a dance program at Redmond Parks and Recreation.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Washington state, Terrel’s daughter had been in town dancing as a professional division student at Pacific Northwest Ballet. The two decided to make some dance videos to keep kids dancing at home engaged in their learning; however, many of the videos got copyright blocked and others didn’t receive many views. Eager to reach a larger audience, the two decided they would try their hand at making books instead of videos. “There was a lot to learn - many areas outside a dance teacher’s wheelhouse,” Terrel says of creating her books.
“My advice would be to have patience, keep making small steps, and try to enjoy the journey.”
When the idea to create books struck Terrel, she says that it felt “like exactly what [she] was meant to do.” She had been teaching dance for years, was a board member for PNB, had taught English during her time with the Peace Corps, worked as a family advocate for an early learning center, and much more. “I was just like ‘Oh my gosh! All of these things I've done are totally book-related.’”
Terrel essentially taught herself everything she needed to know about creating and distributing books, such as software like Adobe InDesign, uploading books on Amazon, and more. She even found illustrators from all over the world to create the artwork in her books. The process was full of trial and error and she came up against roadblocks time and time again, like losing her Word document with the book’s story, InDesign crashing several times, and Amazon removing her books from its platform. But she pushed through it all and managed to create Once Upon a Dance.
“We created the books I wished I’d had as [a] mother to a little girl and dance teacher of young kids. My daughter would have adored these stories had they been available when she was young,” Terrel shares. She points out that when her daughter was growing up, there was a lack of movement books available that offered creative ways to teach dance steps. Terrel describes printing out images she found online of ballerinas to use as visual aids when teaching her students.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Once Upon a Dance produced 16 books and currently have more on the way. The series Dance-It-Out! Creative Movement Stories for Young Movers is designed for ages 4+ and includes stand-alone stories that feature movement suggestions and photos of Terrel’s daughter as “Ballerina Konora.” “We think of each book as a dance performance, with different formatting, layout, and illustrators, just as a different show would have new sets, costumes, and choreography.”
The series Dancing Shapes: Ballet and Body Awareness for Young Dancers for ages 6+ gives a glimpse into Ballerina Konora’s journey to becoming a professional dancer, while she leads readers through a warm-up, mini ballet lesson, and an in-depth look into the details and shapes involved in dance. “We were honored that the first Dancing Shapes book won several awards including a 2021 Independent Press Award,” Terrel shares.
The final main series, coming out in 2022, is Ballet Inspiration and Choreography Concepts for Young Dancers, which is designed for ages 8+. This series includes tips on technique and dives into more advanced dance concepts, such as choreography, posture, and even “falling” on stage.
In addition to its three main series, Once Upon a Dance carries a couple of journals, as well as Konora’s Shapes Series, which is a card collection of poses intended to be cut out from the book. Additionally, people are encouraged to look out for Once Upon a Dance audiobooks coming soon, as free companions with the books.
If Terrel were to give one piece of advice for people who want to start their own business, it would be to “celebrate the small successes.” The phrase has become Terrel’s mantra through this whole process. “Being part of Dancewear Center was cause for celebration. We are thrilled and appreciative to have a local seller, so folks have an option beyond Amazon, Target, etc.” Terrel says. “My advice would be to have patience, keep making small steps, and try to enjoy the journey.”
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