The learning goals for this class is to introduce classical ballet to the student. The student will be able to perform basic ballet movements, how the 5 positions of the feet for ballet, in addition to basic arm positions, while also learning basic ballet terminology. 

Ms. Bernadette has been in the classical ballet world for more than 40 years. She began performing professionally with the Seattle Opera as a child dancer in the production of the opera Aida where she worked with Maggie Black and Suzanne Erlon. She went on to training in dance with an emphasis on Ballet at Olympic Ballet Theater and Ewajo Dance Center in Washington State, before moving to the Washington, DC area where she attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Jones Haywood school of Ballet (The first African American School of Ballet in the USA.). She performed with the Capital Ballet Guild in Washington, DC during her high school years. Prior to graduating from high school, she was invited personally by Mr. Arthur Mitchell to attend Dance Theater of Harlem Pre-professional ballet training program in New York City, NY. During her time in New York, she also had the privilege to travel to Kalamazoo Michigan to train at the Russian Ballet Seminar being held at the University of Central Michigan. She was the first African American female to be accepted into the advance levels of training. She trained under Jurgen Schneider (former private coach of Mikhail Baryshnikov and former ballet master of American Ballet Theater (ABT)).  Ms. Bernadette has also trained under the following teachers: Ms. Doris Jones, Sandra Fortune-Green (Prima Ballerina and first African-American dancer to place at the Prix ballet competition), Peter Romero, Lloyd Whitmore, Lynn Welters, Triana Alexander, Madam Messerer, Mikhail Messerer (who affectionally would refer to Ms. Bernadette as his Black Swan), Rosella Hightower (One of the first Native American Ballerina), Louis Johnson, Keith Lee, Arthur Mitchell, Walter Raines, Bessie Schoenburg (Who the Besse awards are named after.), Mark Schneider, Nancy Schaffenberg (Former Ballet Russe baby ballerina), Meta Spaniardi, Istvan Rabovsky (Mr. Rabovsky was trained by Aggripina Vaganova), Edna Daigre, Helen Wilkens (Former Soloist with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet), John Wilkins, Eric Hampton, Theresa Fonseca and a host of other greats in the dance world. Additionally, Ms. Bernadette had the privilege to grow up knowing Ms. Janet Collins (the first African American Ballerina to dance with the Met) on a personal level. As Ms. Collins was a family friend who encourage Bernadette as a young child to dance. She has been teaching dance for more than 30 years. As she began her teaching career as an assistant preballet teacher at Dance Theatre of Harlem. She has also taught in several public and private schools including DC Public Schools, Duval (Jacksonville) Public Schools, and Chatham County Public Schools. She has taught in 2 performing arts high schools, one of which she was the Dance Department chairperson for several years. Ms. Bernadette has also taught as a Professor of Dance and Dance Lecture for Jacksonville University. Where she also taught in the PreCollege program (RAD). Additionally, she has been a Executive Director for a ballet company and has run several ballet schools. She also taught all company and advance level classes for Ballet South and was the official substitute teacher/Rehearsal master for any and all rehearsal and classes for the then Ballet Master, Serge Lavoie. Ms. Bernadette love for dance and children has led her to work with children as Teaching artist for Wolf Trap and Artsteach. Additionally, Bernadette is the author of several books including a book on “Lesson Plans Using the Vaganova Syllabus for Preballet”. She has also written and conducted workshops on “How to Use Dance As A Writing Tool” for Broward County Florida Public Schools and Cultural Arts Affairs. As a dancer, Ms. Bernadette has also danced with St Marks Dance Company, Ron Brown (Dance Theater Workshop) and she has appeared in movies as an extra and music videos as a dancer. She believes in giving back to the community and is a former member of the advisory board for the Miramar, Florida Cultural Arts Board and North Las Vegas Parks and Recreations Board. As a choreographer, she has restaged ballets such as Nutcracker, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. She has also, choreographed musicals including Aspire the Musical in Doha, Qatar. Ms. Bernadette has also choreographed original ballets. Ms. Bernadette also trained as a Pilates Instructor through the Pilates Studio under several of Joseph Pilates proteges. Her Pilates training includes clinical therapy training. In addition, Ms. Bernadette attended Everglades University where she studied Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on Ayurveda. She also is trained in Dance Medicine through Phillip Cutts Dance Medicine program. Ms. Bernadette studied Applied anatomy of the locomotor system from the Universita degli studi di Napoli Federico II. In addition to studying Musculoskeletal Primer for the Non-Orthopedist from Stanford University. She combined her love of dance, her expertises as a movement therapist, personal trainer and her education in alternative medicine together to help others with cancer and chronic illnesses through movement therapy. Ms. Bernadette also has been a train the trainer (master trainer) for movement therapy for those working with cancer victims and chronic illness. She has traveled throughout the country certifying doctors, nurses, personal trainers and other health professionals on how to work with those with cancer, lymphedema and chronic illness through movement therapy. In addition to running her own wellness clinic for movement therapy. She is the author of a book based on movement therapy entitled "Principles of Healing Through Movement". Ms. Bernadette is a certified exercise therapist, a Licensed Gyrotonic(R) Trainer and a certified Pilates Instructor. Ms. Bernadette is also a certified PBT teacher (Progressive Ballet Technique). She is also a software developer and App Developer.

Homework Offered
Assessments Offered
I will provide a written assessment for the progress of the student. 
Grades Offered