Ballet Lessons for Chicago, IL

Hello Dancers- I have been in love with Ballet since I was a small child. I was fortunate enough to dance with NYC Ballet and study with many great Ballet Masters. Danced in many ballets- my favorite ballet is Coppelia. However, my ballet career was cut short due to an unexpected illness-MS. However, once a ballerina or any form of a dancer You are Always a dancer!!! So I began teaching ballet for the past 17 years to all levels and all ages. I truly believe in the foundation of Ballet- The discipline, the body alignment and awareness is essential for everything in life. I teach in various dance studios in the Twin Cities and gyms. I also started teaching “Barre” Class but in my own Balletic Fashion to keep up with the kids-HA! Because this is what I always say-ask anyone-Everything Starts with Ballet and its FUN to be more flexible than all your friends!!!!! Hope to dance with you soon-Miss Maria

Basic beginning/ intermediate body positive ballet class! Always wanted to learn? Now is your chance. In this beginning or intermediate ballet class we will work on positions, alignment, stretching, combinations. Everyone can dance ballet!

With an emphasis on strong foundations and musicality I would love to help anyone become a more well rounded dancer. Whether you're just starting out or want to polish a few problem areas I'm here to help!

In my class the focus will be to tailor the movement to your specific needs whilst sharing with you all my knowledge to help you grow and achieve your goals. We will work on your technique as well as your artistry. A beautiful dancer doesn't only have a strong technique but the ability to embody a character and convey a story through movements. All my classes are open to all levels, if you are a beginner dancer we will take the time to go in details through every moves, if you are more advanced I will challenge your technique and artistry but most importantly we will have fun sharing our common passion for dance. I teach all my classes at my home dance studio with high speed internet and with a professional mic for you to be able to hear me clearly over the music.

My teaching is based on my background of both the Chechetti Method and The French Method. I have the unique ability to be able to share as a professional ballet dancer what it takes to get to the highest level. I teach all levels, and all ages. I have been teaching in schools all over Southern Calfiornia and Mexico for the past 15 years, and I am the artistic director of the San Diego Ballet Summer Intensive. My classes include: * Barre work, * Floor barre, * Stretching/strengething, * Body conditioning, * Center work, * Pointe work, * Variations. I make sure in my lessons to share everything I have learned over my 30 years of dancing both in training and professionally. I specialize in finding exactly what each dancer needs to improve. I know that everyone has different needs and I mold my lessons with that in mind. Each dancer gets a personalized lesson, no two are the same. I also love to help with building confidence in each dancer. Ballet is an important art, and my goal is to help pass it on to anyone who wants to learn.

Beginning Ballet is great fundamental disciplines for any new dancer. I help explain very complicated steps and movement with easy to understand demonstrations, music theory, and counting. I also focus on barre, pantomime, dance health, flexibility, stretching, toning, and conditioning. Perfect course for musical theatre artists.

I have been teaching dance for over 10 years. In that time I have found that, regardless of what style you are learning, everything is made of a few fundamental principals and components specific to that style. There are only so many ways you can move your feet and body. By understanding these principals & components, you can then put them together in any order with different style to create different dances. By laying the proper foundation, students have an easier time following choreography, learning to apply their own style, and even keeping up with a class. Once a dancer has a foundation to work up on, I introduce new concepts in layers to help dances feel better and develop a nicer aesthetic.

Focusing on adult ballet learners, but open to working with all ages. Learn ballet technique and beginner variations. These lessons are appropriate for basic and beginner students, or students who know how to dance a different style, but want to learn ballet basics.