About

Hi! I’m Mary Fernandez and I am a ballet teacher. When I’m not teaching, doing research or taking care of my toddler, I’m trying to get my unpracticed, 25-year-old body back into ballet shape.

I originally started Ballet University as a blog for my students and their parents in order to share more of my obsession with ballet than we had time for in class (I could really get carried away if I didn’t stay on target!)

Now, I’d like anyone who has an interest in ballet–dancers, educators, performing arts enthusiasts alike–to be able to benefit from the information I am gaining through my research and experiences, both as a new teacher and as an adult getting back into dancing after a long absence.

My Teaching Philosophy

Not unlike many little girls dancing around their living rooms in tutus, my first heartfelt dream was to be a ballerina, like my mother. Although my pre-professional training came to a stop when I was only 14, I never stopped loving the art, the discipline and virtuosity, the music and the magical productions of classical ballet.

Like many of my fellow students, dancing did not become my career at that time, but I can’t say how well just those years of hard work have served me in almost every aspect of my life. It gave me confidence and a “go-getter” attitude that I don’t think I naturally possessed.

Kids start taking lessons “for fun,” but with encouragement and the stamina to continue there is a huge wealth of benefits to be reaped, even in daily life and academia. My goal is to pass on the discipline, and ultimately the art, of ballet in its serious and uncompromising form, regardless of whether or not my students decide to pursue a career in dance.

Whatever they do in the future, I hope that my students will have learned what ballet taught me: the possibilities are endless if you not only dream but have the courage to do something about it.

Thanks for visiting and come back soon!