24. Dianne Harrison (Principal of Elancé Adult Ballet School) and her wonderful adult ballet world!
Dianne Harrison is the principal of Elancé Adult Ballet School in Melbourne, Victoria. And as you'll hear, she is an astonishing woman.
When I arrived at the Mitcham location (Elancé has two studio locations in Melbourne) Dianne took me for a tour of the premise. And it was what adult ballet dreams are made of! After being greeted in the foyer, clients walk through to a designated stretching area with a change room to the left, studio to the centre and a beautiful kitchen and boardroom to the right! Yes, that's correct Dianne has an adult ballet boardroom.
After sitting down for our interview, Dianne was making me a cup of tea and I was packing up my podcast equipment. Now, I must have had my thinking face on because Dianne said, 'You look deep in thought, are you okay?' To which I replied, 'I think so... I'm just in awe of what you've built... and a little jealous!' To which she replied, 'My darling, this has taken me 17 years!'
And whilst the facilities are amazing, it's also the vibe of Elancé that I find so special. Creating a space exclusively for adult ballerinas is a beautiful thing and as someone who also teaches adults I know the amount of work that goes into creating a space where adult ballerinas are not only seen and heard, but respected.
But seriously, what Dianne has built is nothing short of amazing and after our short time together I can say that without a doubt, Dianne is one of the most eloquent, classy, organised and inspiring ladies I've ever met. I truly hope we are friends for years to come.
Dianne and I cover a lot of topics in this conversation; starting with her own personal ballet journey, which I'll let her share. We also touched on why adult ballet is having a real moment in the dance world and offer some advice to those embarking on their own adult ballet journey.
Personally I thoroughly enjoyed Dianne sharing why she loves teaching adults and she even shared some of the funnier teaching stories, so make sure you listen right to the end for those…
I think you're really going to enjoy this one - especially if you're an adult ballerina - but even if you're not, Dianne's tenacity and drive will inspire anyone to follow their heart and foster a life of fulfilment.
Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy Dianne Harrison!
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