THE HEART BEHIND RP4B

I've never believed my job was simply to teach ballet.

My job has always been to help people discover they are capable of more than they ever imagined.

There are moments in life when you look back and realize the path you thought you were choosing was quietly leading you somewhere even greater.

For me, that journey began when I was three years old.

My mom took me to the Fox Theatre in Atlanta to see Cinderella performed by the Atlanta Ballet.

I don't remember every detail of the performance, but I remember the feeling it left behind. I was completely captivated. Something awakened inside me that day, and from that moment on, I knew I wanted to dance.

That performance changed the direction of my life.

Soon afterward, I began ballet lessons, never imagining that one day I would perform with the very company that first inspired me—or that ballet would become not only my passion, but my life's calling.

My formal training began at the Decatur School of Ballet before continuing with the Atlanta School of Ballet under the direction of Merrilee Smith. By ninth grade, I joined the Atlanta Ballet Youth Ensemble, where I trained more than twenty hours each week throughout high school.

Those years were filled with extraordinary opportunities that challenged me to grow as both a dancer and a person. I participated in SERBA each year throughout high school. During my junior year, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Royal Ballet School Summer Program in London. The following year, I was selected through SERBA to participate in the Young Choreographer's Workshop in New York.

Those experiences opened the door to my professional career. I became a Scholarship Apprentice with the Atlanta Ballet under the direction of Robert Barnett, performing with the company before accepting a position as a Soloist with Northwest Florida Ballet under the direction of Gaynor Grange.

Along the way, I had the privilege of learning from remarkable teachers, each leaving an imprint on my life. One in particular, Tom Pazik, profoundly influenced the teacher I would eventually become.

He taught me lessons that reached far beyond technique.

He taught me it was okay to take risks.

To try.

To fail.

To learn.

To keep going.

That lesson shaped not only the dancer I became, but the teacher I would one day become.

Today, I hope every dancer who walks into my classroom leaves believing they don't have to be perfect to grow—they simply have to be willing to try.

I believed the stage was where my story would be written.

I thought my story had ended when I left the stage. Looking back now, I realize it was only the end of one chapter. God was preparing me for another stage entirely—one where my greatest joy would come from helping others discover what they were capable of.

What I once believed was an ending became the beginning of my true calling.

Teaching wasn't something I planned.

It found me.

Someone asked if I would teach a guest ballet class.

I said yes.

That single class changed everything.

Watching dancers grow and accomplish things they never believed they could quickly became my greatest joy.

Whenever another opportunity to teach came along, my answer was always, "Yes."

I spent five wonderful years teaching at Rhythm Dance Center under the direction of Becca Moore and Danni Rosenberg before joining Dance Arts Centre under the direction of Jeff Boss and Jamie Wardrop, where I taught for the next fourteen years.

When life took my family to West Virginia, I continued doing what I loved most—teaching ballet.

After three years, we returned home to Georgia, and it was there that RP4B was born.

What began as a simple desire to help more dancers has grown into opportunities to teach, encourage, write, and serve dancers, teachers, studios, and dance communities throughout the country.

One of the greatest joys of that journey was having the opportunity to return to the Decatur School of Ballet—where my own classical ballet training first began—to teach the next generation of dancers through RP4B.

Life has a beautiful way of coming full circle.

Nothing brings me greater joy than watching former students continue to write stories far beyond my classroom.

Over the years, former students have gone on to receive honors such as Third Prize at the 2023 Prix de Lausanne and have danced with companies including The Royal Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Tivoli Ballet, Broadway, National Tours, Off-Broadway, Wicked, Awakening Las Vegas, Disney, Radio City Music Hall, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, professional cruise lines, and many other stages around the world.

Many have become NFL Cheerleaders for organizations including the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Miami Dolphins.

Others have continued their education through outstanding university dance programs or joined professional ballet companies across the globe.

I would never claim responsibility for every success they've achieved.

Those accomplishments belong to them.

They earned every one of them.

If I played even a small role in helping them believe they could get there, I consider that one of the greatest privileges of my life.

People often ask why I began writing books.

The answer is surprisingly simple.

There never seemed to be enough time.

Ninety-minute classes would fly by, and dancers still had questions.

There were conversations about confidence, perseverance, consistency, purpose, and growth that deserved more than the few minutes left before everyone hurried out of the studio.

I realized those conversations didn't have to end when class did.

That's why I began writing.

The books of the RP4B Collection simply continue the conversations that begin in the studio.

When I reflect on this journey, I'm reminded that every class, every correction, every conversation, and every opportunity has pointed toward the same purpose.

Helping people believe in themselves.

Helping people grow.

Helping people discover they are capable of more than they ever imagined.

My greatest performance wasn't on the stage.

It has been watching generations of dancers discover their own.

The applause I treasure most has never been for me.

It's the applause my students earned after believing they could.

One little girl sat in the audience of the Fox Theatre and discovered a dream while watching Cinderella.

Today, my hope is that through every class I teach, every book I write, every studio I visit, and every dancer I encourage, another child discovers theirs.

And if one day a former student finds me, gives me a hug, tells me they've missed me, and shares the wonderful life they've built...

I'll know I accomplished exactly what I hoped to.