Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Connerton.
Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Originally from Los Angeles, I began dancing ballet at age 10. By the time I was 17, I had moved away from home to Chicago to train for a professional career. I dealt with biased because of my tall stature and tan skin, but I knew ballet was for me so I pushed myself to be what a professional company needed. I signed my first contract at 22 years old, and danced professionally in Virginia, Washington DC, Minnesota, Montana, Texas and California for 10 years, until I retired at the age of 32. I loved my career and all of the fascinating people I met and befriended. When I was 31, I became a Visiting Fellow at the School of American Ballet at Lincoln’s Center in their 2022/2023 cohort. I met a fabulous teacher, Mauro Villanueva, who directs the Joffrey Workshop with Kenny Borchard, and they assisted me with my transition out of a professional dance career. I was introduced to the owner of Class Act Dance through them, and 2 years later, I purchased the studio and have been working excitedly and diligently to bring a modernized and positive approach to the educational dance scene in Paso Robles. There are lovely dance studios outside of Class Act, so I’ve made it my mission to bring joy to my students through thoughtful teaching and individualized attention, while building a stronger relationship with neighboring studios. My husband moved here with me two years ago, and we feel like we’re just getting started on a new path to guide a new community with our experiences, while enriching our lives with what the community already has to offer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not necessarily! The studio needed some TLC in terms of care for the families, our patrons and the facility itself. Delegation and recognizing burn out has been something that has helped me work with my faculty and staff. We’re still working as a team everyday to improve things, and there are definite bumps in the road, but I’m SO lucky to have the employees that I do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I run the dance studio and overlook every department in hopes to create synergy. I also teach in the Ballet, Contemporary and Acro classes. I love to work on the dancers technique, as well as their own personal relationship with their dancing. Watching the young dancers improve is the best feeling in the world. And to create on such talented dancers is so special to me. The success of my students and their happiness is what I am proud of, because I’ve had my time, and to watch so many dancers use dance to take them into so many different directions is everything and more to me.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I think my favorite childhood memory was when I learned how to do fouetté turns! I called them footay turns because of the way the dancers foot whips around in them. This made my mom laugh.
Pricing:
- $75 per month for 45min-1hr classes
- Families receive 5% + discounts as their dancer begins to take 2.5hrs or more.
- We honor military and sibling discounts
- Our company dancers receive the highest discount because they max out their hours each week.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.classactdance.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classactdance_pasorobles
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61567940831386/
