I AM Modern Magazine for Moms

conversations with the artistic director from the highly accredited conservatory

What is a conservatory versus a dance school or a studio? The word conserve means to preserve. We are protecting the ballet tradition. We study all aspects of the art.

How young should dancers begin instruction? We have students who start with us at 3 ½ and go all the way through highschool. We have the luxury of time to teach and reinforce the traditions of a 300 year old art. We don’t consider them to be dancers, they are children.

You employ the Vaganova method with a Montessori approach to teach ballet. What does that mean? They work hand in hand. Both methods allow each child to learn at his or her pace. It is a long process but it leads the student to success and therefore discipline.

Conservatory Ballet produces more professional ballerinas than any other preprofessional dance academy in the greater Washington area. Why is this? We pay attention to all students and give them the opportunity to learn equally. The students end up choosing for themselves. The most important aspect is passion and a desire to learn, wanting to understand and perform.

Have you had any recent star students who have truly excelled? It all depends how you describe star quality. We have had students who were qualified to audition for prestigious and internationally renowned companies and schools. If we send five students to an open audition all five would be chosen and the feedback that each studentgets is that the school wants to keep them for the full school year. And in several instances these students would wait until they graduate and revisit the opportunities. Currently we have a student in St.Petersburg at the Vaganova Institute. As much as we would like to say we are responsible, this is a decision students and their families make.

You teach ballet as a discipline, art form and physical activity for children. Can the students apply what they learn to outside the dance/ studio life to say a classroom? It is not that difficult to transpose one discipline to another. For example, the 8 year olds in classes memorize many ballets, many steps and the music of the ballet. The memorization process certainly applies to school as well as following directions is certainly conducive to any kind of learning.

What is your best advice for someone who aspires to a successful entrepreneur? Don’t think too much about it just do it and be passionate.

Your favorite ballet. La Bayadere.

Your favorite dancer. My son Jared Redick, a dancer with Boston Ballet.

Who/what inspires you? The students inspire me. Their warmth, their earnestness, their honesty and their willingness to try anything and love everybody.

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