Teaches online
Teaches all skill levels
Age: 5+
Speaks English
Teaching since 1985
Ballet Teacher & Choreographer Certification
About Gigi O.
5.0
(3)
Hello and welcome. My name is Gigi. I have been teaching dance, dance fitness, and meditation for 30 years. I love the personal relationship with each student as together we bring forth skill, style, self confidence, expression, well being, and peace. My primary dance training was received from the Mid Hudson Ballet Company, with teaching certification from Music in Motion, Inc. My meditation training is rooted in 7 years of monastic life and 30 years of integrating the principles and practices into my being. I am a very compassionate, friendly, intuitive person who teaches with warmth, sensitivity, patience, and attention to detail. I look forward to bringing all of the above into sessions with you to help fulfill your personal goals and interests.
My relationship with dance began at the age of 3, when my mother enrolled me in my first ballet class with the hope that it would help me gain the confidence to come out from my hiding place behind her back. Not only did it encourage me to overcome my excessively painful shyness, but it grew an everlasting love and shelter for me. I went on to receive the foundation of my training at Estelle & Alfonso Performing Arts and the Russian Ballet School of the Mid-Hudson Ballet Company. During my adolescent years, I became a teacher at the school and a performing member of the company. I also received the honor of performing in Harlequinade with the New York City Ballet, studying at the Craft of Choreography Conference on scholarship, and attending a variety of ballet, jazz, and modern dance classes by notable teachers in multiple schools and venues in the northeast.
In my adult years, I've enjoyed performing on many occasions, especially as a guest artist with Dog-Eared Dancers and in choreographic partnership with Anna Mayta of Anna Mayta Dance Fusion. I'm grateful to have expanded my modern dance and teaching experience with Laurie Sepe Marder, and to have studied Kuchipudi Classical Indian Dance with Kantham Chatlapalli, as well as ancient and modern Hula with Kumu June Tanoue. Under the mentorship of Barbara Thuesen, I received my certification in ballet teaching and choreography from Music in Motion, Inc. I was then accepted into the dance department at the West Australia Academy of Performing Arts, but chose to remain close to home and open White Lotus Ballet in 2004 instead.
Since then, I have had the ongoing pleasure of teaching dance to dozens of children and adults in my space, as well as at preschools, daycare centers, yoga studios, and special events. My teaching style and content continue to evolve with the gathering of insight, compassion, and experience.
In addition to traditional dance, that evolution has also expanded to include teaching meditation and healing dance. I am a very devotional soul and a natural intuitive empathic healer. So, i find all the gifts, talents, inspiration, and wisdom I receive come together in a variety of forms and ways I teach to touch the heart and desired interest of each student. Again, I look forward to creating lessons that fulfill you in that way.
Instructor details
Location:
Teaches Online
Teaching Hours
Monday
1 PM-4 PM
Tuesday
12 PM-4 PM
Wednesday
12 PM-4 PM
Thursday
12 PM-4 PM
Friday
12 PM-4 PM
Saturday
8 AM-11 AM
Sunday
8 AM-11 AM
Times are shown in your local timezone (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Pricing
30 minutes
$67
45 minutes
$100
60 minutes
$134
90 minutes
$200
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5.0
3 Reviews
M.E.
Teacher's studio
I took dance lessons from Gigi with a focus on self expression and working through issues that I was holding onto on any particular day. I am 60+ years old and never danced before. Where my typical perspective of myself standing in front of a mirror is not positive, I somehow was transformed into seeing beauty. Gigi is a beautiful person, very patient , non judging. Her goal was for me to meet my goal, even when it changed from week to week. Sometimes we worked on dance technique, other times using movement to work through feelings. I loved it.
Posted Jul 19, 2019
Anna Mayta
Student's home
Working with Gigi during a challenging time in my life was an amazing experience, her empathy, her nurturing quality made my experience truly lovely. She finds inspiration for movement therapeutic work by what the students needs are. After my classes with Gigi I feel spiritually rejuvenated.
Posted Jun 17, 2019
Dave
Online
Wonderful and captivating teacher of meditation.
Posted Jun 9, 2019
Experience
Owner/Dance & Meditation Teacher/Empathic Healer/Intuitive
Oct, 2012 - PresentWhite Lotus Grace
Owner/Instructor/Artistic Director
Sep, 2004 - PresentWhite Lotus Ballet
Dance Teacher/Assistant Director
Sep, 2001 - Sep, 2003Millbrook Dance Academy
Dance Teacher
Sep, 1987 - Jun, 1988Millbrook Dance Academy
Ballet Teacher
Sep, 1985 - Jan, 1987Estelle & Alfonso's Performing Arts
Education
Ballet Teacher & Choreographer Certification
Jun, 2003 - Jul, 2003Music in Motion, Inc.
Certifications
Ballet Teacher & Choreographer Certification
Jul, 2003Music in Motion, Inc.
Languages
English
Native Proficiency
Instructor details
Location:
Teaches Online
Teaching Hours
Monday
1 PM-4 PM
Tuesday
12 PM-4 PM
Wednesday
12 PM-4 PM
Thursday
12 PM-4 PM
Friday
12 PM-4 PM
Saturday
8 AM-11 AM
Sunday
8 AM-11 AM
Times are shown in your local timezone (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Pricing
30 minutes
$67
45 minutes
$100
60 minutes
$134
90 minutes
$200
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