About Jana & Abby

A B O U T  J A N A

Jana's childhood ballet life and adult ballet life are like night and day. She started ballet classes at age 8 because she loved tutus and pointe shoes and was constantly dancing to classical music in her living room. Though she danced through age 16, she never felt like she had the strength to keep up with her ballet classmates. She attended some summer workshops, but always felt intimidated by the technique of others. Despite her frustrations, she always loved ballet. After a break from dancing, she came back to the barre at age 21 with a fresh perspective: no expectations to meet. She fell in love with ballet again when she could come to class and just focus on having fun. But things got even better when she met Abby. Abby helped Jana take that passion for dancing and added strength & technique. She had so many "light bulb" moments during that time, that she couldn't believe how much she was capable of! For most people, ballet is something they are better at when they are younger. For Jana, dancing as an adult has the bonus of maturity. The maturity to ask questions, gladly take corrections, accept your limitations, and to push yourself. Because of this, she wants to let other adults know that your good dancing years don't have to end. We can adjust as our bodies age, but we are still capable of so much - and it feels so good!

A B O U T  A B B Y

Abby grew up dancing from the age of 8. She spent many summers at intensives, and began preprofessional training at age 15. At 17, she joined a professional ballet company for a season before leaving to dance at college. During college, she took a hiatus from ballet to focus on academics, and during this time explored many others forms of dance such as belly dancing, hip hop, flamenco, and ballroom. After being called back to ballet, she worked to try to regain strength and technique while becoming more interested in teaching. She has participated in several teacher training seminars, seeking to address the "why's," "how's," and "when's" behind ballet technique. Whether it's with 3 year olds, teenagers, or adults, she is most happy when she is helping people reach their full potential in the studio, or in the online Ballerinas By Night community.

Hear more about each of our dance lives in this video: