As we enter into a new year of dance at Footprints we are excited to begin introducing our staff to you. Each one of our dance teachers have done a little Q&A to help you get to know them better. In this blog post you will meet Miss Nicole C!
Born and raised in the small town of Ayr, Ontario, Nicole began her dancing career at the age of 3 in Paris, Ontario. Across the years, Nicole travelled wherever her love for dance took her, from Burlington to Kitchener and ended her competitive career where she started, in Paris, Ontario. Over the years, Nicole gained experience and completed exams both in Russian and RAD Ballet. Nicole has also trained under the professional hand of Miss Paula Morgan of L.A. Miss Paula has her own technique which consists of three levels and Nicole has been training and working with this technique since the age of 10. Nicole has attended many workshops and training classes to improve her passion for dance and along with that she has travelled to New York City and taken classes at Steps on Broadway and has also traveled with Carnival Cruise Lines and performed with them. Nicole has also performed with the Toronto Raptors at half time and is looking forward to similar opportunities in the near future. Currently, Nicole gives her teaching time to CORE Dance Project in Paris, Ontario. In 2015, Nicole received the Young Choreographers Award from Shine Dance Competition receiving a score of 95 in the senior category. Nicole’s students have competed at both Shine and Bedazzled Finals, achieving scores of 93 and higher.
Check out Miss Lainy’s Q&A with Miss Nicole below to learn a bit more about her passion for dance!
Q) How did you become interested in dance?
A) I became interested in dance when my mom and dad enrolled me in my first class in downtown Ayr at the age of 3 years old. I started off taking tap and jazz and was definitely the most clumsy kid in class. My first dance recital showed off how well I could tie my tap shoes since I had kicked my shoe off at the beginning of the dance and for the rest of the dance sat on stage trying to tie it. I guess you could say I was always entertaining on stage!
Q) What do you feel is the biggest lesson you learned from growing up as a dancer?
A) My biggest lesson I learned dancing was how to respect those who knew more than I did and how to soak up all the information I could. My dance teacher was very strict and we were always taught to respect our teachers no matter what. We were to say “thank-you” for all the corrections were given and even called her ma’am! Although she was strict, we all loved her so much and she made us not only better dancers but better, more respectful, and more educated people.
Q) What is your background in dance/childhood education? What did you learn from this experience that you apply in the studio?
A) I have been dancing since the age of 3 and have completed numerous courses such as Paula Morgan Certification and ADAPT Junior Level Course. I have taken and attended numerous workshops in which I have been selected as a standout dancer and an assistant to numerous choreographers throughout my career. I have danced at Steps on Broadway in New York City and have performed on the notorious Carnival Cruise Lines. What I have learned from being so privileged to have all these opportunities was that there is always more to learn. I bring this into the studio by taking the words of wisdom given to me and giving them to my students. I want my students to remember that you never know everything and there is so much to learn in this amazing world of dance. We also must never take for granted the amazing gift we have and must stay humble and appreciate what we have. I always strive to show my students that even as a teacher I’m still learning everyday and that our gift of dance is a precious thing we should not take for granted.
Q) What is your favourite part of teaching dance?
A) My favourite part of teaching dance is getting to know that I made a difference in a child’s life and getting to work with that child. Growing up my dance teacher was like my second mom, I loved her and she pushed me and encouraged me to be the best I can be. I hope that my students feel comfortable in confiding in me, feel encouraged by me and most importantly, feel supported by me. I love getting to hear about all the high school drama and being the one that kids put their trust in. It is so important for us dance teachers to not only teach dance, but act as a positive outlet for the children in which we mentor.
Q) Why did you choose Footprints Dance Centre?
A) I chose Footprints Dance Centre because of its “small-town” vibe. Not that Woodstock is small by any means, but Miss Lainy has created a studio in which everyone feels welcomed, comfortable, and included. This is something that in larger studios is often lost in translation as competition between dancers, parents and even teachers starts to emerge. Footprints Dance Centre gives everyone a home and has welcomed me with open arms, which I am so lucky and so grateful for!
Q) What do you want your students to have learned by the end of the year?
A) By the end of the year, I’d like my students to have learned more about themselves than anything else. I love to get students to improvise, even in ballet, as I believe it teaches students who they are as a person and a dancer. Dance was my outlet through everything I went through and I want students to learn that everyone goes through things, but dance can be used to ease those things. I want my students to start to develop stunning technique, learn new steps, excel in competition and recital, and most importantly feel confident and comfortable in their own skin. Whether you take 25 hours of dancing a week or 1 hour, those hours should be the most special hours that you live that week and I want my students to feel that way and learn more about who they are.
Q) What are you most looking forward to this year?
A) There are numerous things I’m looking forward to this year. Number one is getting to meet all my students and teach that first, awkward class! I’m excited to teach new, fresh faces and be faced with challenges that I’ve never had to deal with as a teacher yet. I’m looking forward to new successes and I’m also looking forward to failures as we all learn from our failures. I’m excited to be “the new teacher” and (hopefully!) have all my students look forward to coming to my class every week. I’m looking forward to creating relationships with new people. And most importantly I’m looking forward to being a mentor and teaching what I love most, DANCE!
We can’t wait for you to meet Miss Nicole in the studio!
