
What a year it has been. One year ago all of my in person classes were being canceled. To be honest it was a very scary time. Like so many dance studios and many other businesses our fate was uncertain and there were many questions to be answered. How long was this shut down going to last? If it lasts until the summer or the next school year could I survive? Is there another way to make ends meet until then?
We have all had to go through many changes this past year. Whether you have children learning online or you are working online yourself, finding yourself at home more often, wearing a mask everywhere you go we are all hoping this will soon pass and life will return to normal.
It has been difficult however the silver lining for me is I have enjoyed spending more time at home with my family. We have had more relaxed family dinners, more movie nights and less time rushing off to various activities.
This year has been one of reinvention for many of us. Since I don’t have a typical dance studio I did reach out to all the community centers and schools that I work with to let them all know that I am up for anything. It was great that most of my partners wanted to also keep activities going for their communities so we got creative. I offered many dance and theater classes online in my basement studio, and when the weather permitted we danced and put on shows outside! I am grateful that my classes did pick up in the summer and I have been able to teach and offer classes to myself and my instructors going.
Offering my preschool ballet program, Wish Upon a Ballet™, online has been a dream of mine for many years. Now that businesses have had to reinvent themselves it is a perfect time to put this dream into high gear! In my spare time I have written books based on the ballet stories I love to use in my classes as well as original songs to go along with each story. Now, since my class load has been a bit less this year I have had more time to devote to this program. My preschool ballet books are now on Amazon and I have many videos already on my online school website, wish-upon-a-ballet.coachzippy.com.
The online Wish Upon a Ballet school is meant for students ages 3-8 however students a bit older or younger can also enjoy the stories and basic ballet steps, jumps and creative activities. I can’t wait for young dancers to read and dance along with me!
Soon each story will have its own class! My Snow Queen class is almost complete. Just finishing up recording my songs and then we will be set to go. Carnival of the Animals is on deck!
My dream to bring Wish Upon a Ballet™ to a larger audience is another silver lining for my business during this time. I am convinced that creativity is not just good for children but it is good for all of us. To create something special keeps us going and gives us hope. I encourage you to find your creativity whether it is singing, dancing, painting, cooking or diy projects around your home. And if you have little ones at home I would love for you to get creative with me!