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

The rewarding benefits 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 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

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

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

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

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

Featured on Arizona’s ABC15, Abby Bella Arcadia will offer it’s same broad range of dance and fitness classes – Zumba, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop and Ballroom, to name a few – to adults at all levels of experience.

Helping kick off the new studio, Abby Bella is driving enrollment by giving new students the opportunity to try dance and fitness classes at $5 per class, during its official Abby Bella Arcadia grand opening weekend, November 6th, 7th and 8th.  Click HERE for class schedule and details!

Like Abby Bella’s Scottsdale location, Abby Bella Arcadia boasts a ‘highest-quality’ sprung dance floor designed to make dancing more fun and much easier on the joints. It also has 40+ feet of ballet barre that, along with its use for traditional ballet, has become a mainstay for Abby Bella’s popular Bella Barre dance/fitness class.

“When we found out this prime location dance studio was closing its doors, we jumped at the opportunity to keep their dancers dancing, the instructors teaching and also help the previous owners recoup their investment,” says Teresa Paul Daie, CEO of Abby Bella Dance Studio. “With the site already built out to our specifications, Sway’s former students are able continue dancing with a full schedule of classes and also with their previous — and new — favorite instructors.”

Teresa has brought in dance veteran Brad Speck to serve as Director of Abby Bella Arcadia. Speck is best known for his role as Joe Vitale in the Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan productions of Tony & Tina’s Wedding. He has twelve years’ experience in teaching dance and movement in companies such as the Cleveland Playhouse, Beck Center and Hudson Summer Theatre, to name a few. Speck’s choreography has received top honors from IMTA (International Modeling and Talent Association) for three consecutive years. Brad brings experience in business management having formerly run The Performing Arts Center at Glendale Community College and holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts with minors in music and dance.

Classes at Abby Bella Arcadia will be taught by best-in-field instructors such as Luis Egurrola who heads up Epik Dance Company and also choreographs and coaches the Phoenix Mercury Hip Hop Squad and the Phoenix Suns’ Sunsationals, as well as the Solar Squad. The line up also includes Ballroom Director John Rigby, a certified Ballroom instructor with twenty-three years’ experience, an American Rising Star Champion and Pro-Am competitor. Rigby also serves as a judge of the USA Dance Competition, as well as Arizona’s Dancing With the Stars. Rafael Robles, master level instructor in Zumba, and Amber Robbins, principal dancer with Center Dance Ensemble who is currently cast in the title role of Snow Queen, featured at Herberger Theatre Center for the Arts.

You’ll see familiar faces at this location, plus a few new ones!  If you currently have a monthly unlimited package, you’re in luck!  Not only is your price going to be lowered to $89 per month, but this package is also good for both studios.

Click HERE for new pricing.

Prominent Ballerina and Jazz instructor Geri Walker, as well as local Hip Hop phenomenon, Luis (Weezy) Egurolla, exemplify the diversity of dance styles that many wedding couples are looking for and which are available at Abby Bella Dance Studio.  A traditional first dance as husband and wife can explode into an off-the-hook jazz or hip hop number to the surprise of guests and family alike.  This could include the entire bridal party.

Mary and Jazmine will spice up your bachelorette parties with Cardio Striptease and Belly Dance, create an exciting girls night and give your groom a special treat on your honeymoon.

Abby Bella’s event coordinators plan bachelorette parties, bridal shower or birthday parties from basic to bling. The bride or the maid of honor works in unison with our event coordinator to design an unforgettable celebration that includes a dance class with champagne for a basic package.  In addition, Abby Bella can also offer food, party favors, gift bags and even a limo to pick up and deliver everyone, ensuring a safe and fun event for all who attend.

Can’t quite fit into your wedding dress? We have the solution, Attitude. Fitness trainer and dancer, Teri Crenshaw has designed an eight week program of semi-private personal training that includes workouts at the studio 3x-5x per week incorporating dance movements, high rep strength/ resistance, cardio., and bootcamp exercises–also Chi running technique to create strength and a dancer’s silhouette. It will also include bonus workout prescriptions and a weekly dancer’s diet to follow for the entire 8 wks! It is a focused fitness intensive program that is intended for women who want to lose 10-30lbs. in 8 wks. There will only be 4 to 8 women in the program at a time. We will reshape your body and your “attitude” about what is possible, how you see yourself and how you get fit–think lean, feminine, elegant, graceful…Imagine how you will look and feel walking down the aisle.

Abby Bella is the perfect dance solution for all your wedding dance needs.

Our instructors thrive on making your first dance choreography unique and exciting.  We will add that special touch to your wedding, ensuring an extraordinary experience for everyone involved.

Click HERE to find the article on ABC15.com!

lululemon Scottsdale Showroom
The Borgata
6166 N. Scottsdale Rd. Suite 408
Scottsdale, AZ 85253

tel: 480.998.1205