Why I teach counts in silence first
Music hides sloppy timing. Strip it away and you find out who's actually counting…
Read →Begin where the music starts
I trained at the Ellison School of Ballet before spending three years touring with a contemporary company — the discipline of company class never really left my teaching.
My studio work blends classical technique with the physical honesty of contemporary movement. Students learn placement and turnout, but they also learn how to actually mean a gesture, not just execute it.
Outside the studio, I choreograph for school musicals and community theatre, and I still take company class twice a week — because you cannot teach what you've stopped doing yourself.
What I bring to the barre
Five beats to a full measure — technical range, counted out like a rhythm.
Classical Ballet TechniqueBarre, centre work, pointe preparation
5
Contemporary & ModernGraham & Horton-influenced movement
5
Choreography & StagingFull-length productions, blocking, spacing
5
Jazz & Musical TheatreCommercial and stage choreography
4
Injury-Aware ConditioningTurnout-safe strength and mobility work
4
Rehearsal DirectionRunning full-cast tech and dress rehearsals
4
03 · Process
How a piece gets blocked
From floor plan to full run — the same four counts, every time.
CHOREOGRAPHIC BLOCKING
A stage direction grid isn't restrictive — it's how forty dancers learn to trust the same eight counts without colliding.
- Mark the floor pattern before adding movement.
- Teach counts in silence — music comes last.
- Run full-out only once the pattern is clean.
- Perform for the back row, always.
Where I trained
2008–2012
Professional Ballet Training Programme
Ellison School of BalletCompany-track graduate2012–2015
Company Dancer, Contemporary Repertoire
Meridian Dance Company3 touring seasons2016
B.A. Dance Education
Hunter College, CUNYMagna Cum LaudeSealed & certified
RAD Registered Teacher (RTS)Royal Academy of Dance, 2017
Progressing Ballet Technique CertifiedPBT International, 2019
Dance Injury Prevention & ConditioningHarkness Center, 2021
Every production, counted
2019–Present
Head of Dance & Resident Choreographer
Brightmoor Performing Arts School
Direct the dance department across 6 grade levels; choreograph 2 full productions annually to sold-out houses.
2015–2019
Dance Instructor
Riverside Community Arts Centre
Taught ballet and jazz technique to 150+ students across all age groups; founded the pre-professional track.
2012–2015
Company Dancer
Meridian Dance Company
Performed principal and soloist roles across three national touring seasons.
Accolades along the way
Best Choreography — Regional Youth Arts Awards2024For 'Firebird Reimagined', full-cast contemporary production
Outstanding Arts Educator2022Brightmoor Performing Arts School
Featured Choreographer, City Dance Festival2020Original contemporary work, 40-dancer cast
Caught mid motion
Opening night — 'Firebird Reimagined', 2024
Barre class, pre-professional track
Tech rehearsal, full cast blocking
Company class, twice-weekly practice
Spring showcase, contemporary ensemble
Backstage, five minutes to curtain
From the studio
Blocking 40 dancers without a single collision
The stage direction grid isn't bureaucracy — it's how everyone trusts the same eight counts…
Read →The dancer who couldn't stop spotting wrong
She fell out of every turn for a year. The fix had nothing to do with her neck…
Read →Standing ovations
“My daughter's turns went from wobbly to competition-ready in one term. Isabelle notices everything.”
ParentPre-professional track“She choreographed our entire spring musical around dancers who'd never had a lesson. Every one of them looked ready.”
Theatre DirectorBrightmoor Performing Arts“Company class with Isabelle is the hardest hour of my week, and I look forward to it every time.”
Company DancerWeekly open classReady for the next production
Casting Details
NEXT INTAKE: FALL 2026 · ONE OPEN CLASS, ANY LEVEL
Current employerBrightmoor Performing Arts School
Current roleHead of Dance & Resident Choreographer
Open toHead of Dance · Resident Choreographer · Pre-professional program direction
Expected salary$62–78K
Willing to relocateYes — NYC metro, Boston, Philadelphia · relocation open for the right company
Notice period45 days
Artistic Director, Meridian Dance Company2012–2015 · Shared on request
Principal, Brightmoor Performing Arts SchoolCurrent employer · Shared on request
✦
Let's take our places
Current address228 W 71st Street, New York, NY 10023
Phone / WhatsApp+19995550123
Note for directorsCasting or hiring? One open class tells you more than any resume.