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Feel Beautiful! Dance Ballet at Any Age

At Abby Bella, we believe the art of ballet can be enjoyed at any level, whether you’re just beginning or have been dancing for many years.

The rewards of ballet are endless.   And age and experience are simply irrelevant!  Whether you’re a dancer who wants to improve your technique, a beginner who wants to learn the basic principals of ballet or you simply want to learn a fun new way of exercising, then ballet my be the perfect class for you.

After taking a ballet class many of my students find themselves standing a little taller, looking a little trimmer and walking with a little more grace.

Maxine, a student at Abby Bella recently shared with us that she danced ballet up until the age of nine, when she had finally reached the ability to dance on point.  After that, her school studies and other activities began to get in the way and her mother insisted she put ballet on the shelf.  By the time Maxine was in her sixties, she’d developed joint pain, a thicker mid-section and frustration that she’d let one of her greatest passions slip away.

A few years later, she found our ballet programs for adults, here at Abby Bella!

“It seems only yesterday when I held my first pair of toe shoes with the lambs wool in the toes and the beautiful silk ribbons,” remembers Maxine.  “Many years later, my mother and I attended a ballet together and I recall her saying, ‘that could’ve been you up there.‘  As sad as I’d been, I was able to move on and now I’m so pleased that at sixty-five, I’m becoming strong again a feeling great, once again, dancing ballet!”

Maxine credits Abby Bella’s ballet and Bella Barre classes for her beautiful posture, her strong core, and her once-again-toned arms and legs.  She also takes our Zumba classes for fun.

Starting with a series of Bella Barre exercises, dancers like Maxine can ease into shape, gently warming up the muscles, then moving into some stationary movements in the center of the room to take the technique learned at the barre to test balance away from the barre, then finally moving on to the cardio movement across the floor.  After we put together all the basics, we move into the fun part… choreography!

No matter what your experience our instructors give options in the class to make the exercises as simple or challenging, based on the needs of the students.

By the end of the class you’re having so much fun that you don’t even feel like you’ve exercised!  People are often intimidated by ballet, but I believe that there are so many benefits to the art of ballet, we’re sure you’ll take something special away from it, and anyone who wants to dance can dance!  I look forward to having you stop by and try one of my classes!

Geri Walker
Ballet Instructor, Abby Bella Dance Studio

Ballet Barre, or “Bella Barre,” For a Lean Dancer’s Body at Any Fitness Level

I’ve danced most of my adult life, starred in countless dance productions and taught for years in regional theaters. Dancing and its fitness benefits have always been important to me.

Until one day in a rehearsal,  a 700 lb set wall fell on me and crushed the right side of my body.  For three long months, my injuries made it impossible to walk, much less dance.

It took about eight months to finish rehab and recover the injuries.  Fear of failing to get back to “the way I was” kept me from dancing or any fitness activity other than the prescribed rehab.

During this time, I acquired forty extra pounds and a much-lowered self image.  I let go of any idea of dancing again and allowed six years to go by without it.  I eventually decided I had to do something to end the slump and enrolled in a beginner ballet class.  I also had some success with rebuilding in a mat Pilates program.

I decided to have a little faith and audition for Center Dance Ensemble and won the roll of Beastie in Snow Queen.   After that accomplishment,  it was time to ramp up conditioning and strive to become a strong and confident dancer once again.

Friend and fellow dancer Teal Darkenwald who – by the way – is an accomplished Abby Bella Dance instructor, with a Bachelors in Exercise Science and a Masters of Fine Arts, dragged me to a ballet barre class.  After being a self proclaimed “Pilates person,” I tried ballet barre and quickly decided this was the best dance/fitness workout for me.  Ballet Barre, known at Abby Bella as “Bella Barre” was such a fun, full-body workout and quickly became my favorite program.

Now as a certified Bella Barre instructor, it’s truly rewarding to see the body transformations of the students at Abby Bella.  One student who comes to mind is a woman of fifty+ who has chiseled away pounds of body fat leaving her with a strong, solid figure that’s been completely rebuilt.  She looks amazing and it shows on her face and in her attitude!

As for me with Bella barre, I’ve managed to lose over twenty-five lbs and 15 inches over the course of only four months.  Many of my students say they see marked change in their appearances and strength in the first two weeks of taking the class.

I’m excited that Abby Bella is ramping up the Bella barre program. They’ve brought Teal in to offer even more advanced teacher training, so we can continue to challenge and give our students more as their fitness levels increase and they have more need for more advanced methods of physical conditioning.

Bottom line: Bella Barre is an incredible full body conditioning program that is fun to do.  You work hard, but the best part is that the hour goes by incredibly fast.   Hey, you’re dancing!

Each Bella barre classes at Abby Bella is special.  For each class, we have a different theme with the appropriate music and I, being so happy about this program, am often seen in theme-matching costumes teaching the classes.  I can’t help it.  The rewards I’ve gained from this program are boundless and it’s my goal to make each class experience a fun and joyful time for each student at Abby Bella!

-Brad Speck
Director, Abby Bella Arcadia

Five Easy Steps for a Sexy, Flat Tummy For the Holidays

We all know that having a flat tummy is the best way to take years off your figure.  But keeping a sexy midsection – especially during the holidays – can seem a huge challenge.  While making appearances this season, Abby Bella Dance recommends the following easy tips:

1. Sit up straight!

Your core muscles support your body much like the guy wires that hold up a signal tower: the combination of muscles all pulling against each other keep the tower straight.  If one wire becomes weak, the tower will lean. Therefore it is important to use a variety of exercises and movements to achieve maximum development and balance of your body’s guy wires.  When you’re not at the dance studio or gym, the simple practice of keeping the tummy tight and sitting up straight is a great way to keep the core strong and the tummy looking good!

2. Avoid the three whites: Sugar, flour & salt.

This brings us to proper eating, so you can melt that fat away, and nourish your new-found strength. As my physician friend advises, cutting out white flour, white sugar, salt as well as the fancy energy drinks and soft drinks, will not only reduce your daily calorie intake, but may also reduce abdominal bloating that comes from trying to digest these un-natural food products. Focus on having fiber in every meal – and eating for health – rather than for comfort or pleasure. Getting the nutrients you need will reduce cravings for junk food as the exercise helps to regulate your appetite by leveling out your blood sugar.

3. Learn to breathe.

Science is now showing us how stress affects the body, causing a rise in our fat-storing hormones. Therefore, keeping a happy attitude is your most important tool in achieving a flat tummy. Vigorous exercise blows off stress, while yoga stills the mind. ‘Dancing like no one is watching’ lets your spirit soar. Feeling happy will help you sleep better. Remember, smiles are contagious, so choosing to feel happy – and staying happy -  is the best way to say “I love you” to your family, and to your life.  Breathe through stressful situations and also remember to breathe slowly and steadily as you smile and take in happy moments.

4. Get your sleep.

Do not over look the importance of proper rest. ‘Energy in a can’ is no replacement for sleep or quiet time.  And those calories go right to your tummy. Organs are known to defend themselves by creating new fat cells to protect them from substances like caffeine. Give your body a chance to recover with natural sleep. If you’ve forgotten how to create stillness, try a yoga class.

4. Try a Belly Dance class.

Belly Dance is a fun, low-impact way to tone the stomach and waist line. You also learn detailed control of your stomach muscles, which will cross over into other dance and exercise classes. Pilates and Bella Barre will increase your core strength and also improve your Belly Dancing. Cardio classes like Zumba and Cardio Strip Tease will give yet another type of ab work out, while burning away that extra fat so that everyone can see that sexy six-pack.

I encourage you to bring your body, your mind and your abs to Abby Bella and discover your new happy place!

-Jazmine Ryan
Belly Dance

Abby Bella Shows Fox 10 News How to Dance Away the Holiday Calories

Fox 10 news recently paid a visit to Abby Bella Arcadia to learn more about dancing off the calories during the holiday season.  As always, the Abby Bella dance students did a great job demonstrating for our television viewers!

Check out the spot and after that, come by the studio and begin your own power-packed dance & fitness program!

Latin Jazz Festival & Abby Bella Dance a Success in Scottsdale!

Abby Bella Dance Studio was recently a proud sponsor of the Latin Jazz Festival held at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 14th & 15th.

The festival was a huge success, thanks to in part to Andrea Hashim – Development Associate for the center.  Andrea did an outstanding job organizing the dance activities for the entire weekend which included outdoor dance classes taught by Ballroom Director John Rigby, and instructors Marietta Tartaglia and Theresa Molina.

I [John Rigby] taught the Argentine Tango and a hot Cha Cha class on Sunday.  Marietta’s Salsa class was amazing and a definite crowd favorite!  Theresa got the crowd going with a high energy Power Salsa Workout that kept hearts pumping for 20 intense minutes!  The festival was highlighted with a master Rumba class taught on Sunday by world famous Latin Champion and choreographer, Ron Montez.  Joining Ron were instructors Diona Peltcs, Angela Bridges, Andrea Hashim, and our  CEO Teresa Paul Daie.

It was a great weekend in Scottsdale and thanks again to all who participated!

-John Rigby
Director, Ballroom

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