Hi! My name is Ana. I began my dance education in Guadalajara, Mexico with The Royal Academy of Dancing. Later, I found a home at Slavin Nadal School of Ballet with my teachers, Eugene and Alexandra Slavin, -former Artistic Directors of Ballet Austin. There, I fell in love with the Russian technique and with myself through dance. Ballet proved to be both healing and cathartic for me. I held nothing back in class, and Ballet held nothing back from me. I always left the studio feeling elated and renewed. Although I wasn’t blessed with a “ballet body” or any prospects of dancing professionally, I never loved myself more than when I was dancing.

As a teenager, I began teaching and soon after moved to San Miguel de Allende, a town rich in the arts but new to ballet. There, I taught children and adults, choreographed pieces, and produced showcases that brought our community together. However, as I got older, life happened—as it often does—and ballet was put on hold until it was forgotten.

I’ve recently returned to the barre after a 12-year hiatus and found the world of adult ballet to be quite a solitary place, with few learning opportunities for absolute beginners. I want to change that. My hope is to connect with others like me—men and women who may discover that in the studio, they can finally breathe: gaining confidence, leaving empowered, and feeling well equipped to take classes at other studios should they choose to move on from The Barre.

Coming back to ballet as an adult, I’ve realized how much more I need it now than when I was a child. We may idealize ballet as children, but as adults it fulfills us, grounds us, and gives us purpose. I feel honored to be part of your journey to becoming a well-rounded and expressive adult dancer!