As we enter into a new year of dance in Woodstock 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 VK!
Born and raised in Woodstock, ON, Nicole began dancing at the age of 4. She continued dancing throughout her childhood and teen years primarily in Ballet, Acrobatics and Tap. Nicole soon realized her love for dance could take her into her career. Nicole graduated York University with a BA Dance and Concurrent Education Nicole in 2016.
She has performed at the National Ballet School, Kawanis festivals and was also part of Momentum Dance Toronto where she practiced and performed for two years. Nicole continues to participate in local performance groups such as The Community Players of New Hamburg where she participates in local theatre and dance.
Nicole is now on to her second year as an Elementary School Teacher in Waterloo and this is her fifth year teaching at Footprints Dance Center in Woodstock. Nicole is excited to be back in the studio, sharing her love of dance and movement to her students.
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 I was a munchkin ballerina. My mom put me in ballet at the local church. When she told me that she danced when she was little too-I wanted to be just like her! My mom continued to take me to dance classes and brought me to different dance shows in Ontario. I loved seeing the pretty costumes, the smiling faces and the beautiful music.
Q) What do you feel is the biggest lesson you learned from growing up as a dancer?
A) The most prominent thing I learned growing up as a dancer is how to problem solve. If you are dancing in a group, a duet or by yourself you need to be okay with making mistakes, keeping a smile on your face and learning how to make something beautiful happen anyways. You can not just leave the stage and re-start. You cannot simply stop and wait to remember your next move. As a dancer you gain the mental strength to solve problems in an instant.
Q) What is your background in dance/childhood education? What did you learn from this experience that you apply in the studio?
A) I grew up mostly taking ballet. I took R.A.D examinations from Primary to getting my Advanced 1. I continued my dance education through University in dance science and education. The biggest thing I learned in these experiences is that dance never gets old – it never gets boring. There is never a point where you have learned it all, where you mastered everything. This is so exciting because I can teach students at Footprints to learn from the past but also be their own innovators in movement.
Q) What is your favourite part of teaching dance?
A) My favorite part of teaching dance is seeing kids reach their goals. I always ask my students at the begging of the year “what do you want to learn?” Once a dancer recognizes that they conquered that goal, they get this huge smile and I just get so excited for them!!
Q) Why did you choose Footprints Dance Centre?
A) I chose Footprints Dance center for a couple reasons. I like Footprints for their incredible ambition to see success is not just the students but the teachers as well. We all set goals and support each other to do our best. Finally, I really love the positive atmosphere at Footprints. Footprints makes anyone and everyone feel like they are home.
Q) What do you want your students to have learned by the end of the year?
A) By the end of the year I want my students to learn that we are all different. Do not strive for perfection by try to be your best self.
Q) What are you most looking forward to this year?
A) This year I am excited to meet new students and learn from them.
