Life & Work with Tatiana Olson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tatiana Olson. 

Hi Tatiana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started dancing when I was 4 years old, growing up in the suburbs of metro Detroit. My mom was a dancer in the Soviet Union and put me into ballet lessons, but she never forced me to turn it into something more serious and pre-professional. At 16 years old, I went to study abroad at one of the best ballet schools in the world, the Vaganova Ballet Academy. After dancing in Russia, I came home to realize that there was a lack of highly qualified ballet schools in Michigan that can really give kids a start on the road towards the big stage. It’s been such a joy for me to co-found this amazing platform together with my mom, a ballet school that is geared towards reaching the full potential of every child. Whether a child’s dream is to dance professionally, or just dance after school, our program strives for excellence in a loving family environment. It’s been amazing to get to know so many families from all walks of life and to give the joy of classical ballet to the next generation of children and young adults. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like in any start-up, of course, there have been challenges. One of the biggest obstacles we faced was a very common one, Covid, and having to work remotely. Our art is one that demands the live interaction between teacher and student. Working on zoom was not giving us the result that we wanted, and it was very difficult to motivate small children to sit in front of their computer and do their exercises out of their homes. When faced with the question of how we were going to continue to accommodate the amount of students that we have, while staying safe and social distancing, we found that the best and only course of action would be to expand. We ended up relocating and opening a studio that is 3 times bigger than our first space, which was a whole other challenge in itself. 

Being in a bigger studio, we were able to safely accommodate our class sizes, with the kids staying 6 ft apart, and not only that, we were able to expand and hold more classes and performances. At the time, it seemed like an obstacle, taking on such a big space, but it ended up being the biggest blessing and giving us the push we really needed to take our school and our vision to the next level. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the director of iBallet School in Novi, Michigan. I specialize in classical ballet for children ages 4 and up. As a graduate of the esteemed Vaganova Ballet Academy, I’m proud to say that I am the only ballet teacher in Michigan that possesses a diploma of this rank from such a prestigious school. We are committed to providing pre-professional training for children whose dreams are to become professional ballet dancers. We provide them with the training, tools, resources, and opportunities they need to master their craft and prepare for a career on the stage. We’re so proud of the amazing performance opportunities that we’ve been able to provide for our students. We just recently put together an amazing Nutcracker performance at the Power Center for Performing Arts in Ann Arbor, which has been a dream of ours for so many years. This was the first full-length Nutcracker for the Ann Arbor community since Covid, and it was so successful we’ve been invited back next year to perform. Our yearly performances give our students so much in terms of stage experience and the relationships that they form, we are so lucky and grateful to continue to provide a platform for kids to perform and do what they love. 

Also, we’ve been immensely proud of the recognition we’ve received at so many international competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix, ADC|IBC, World Ballet Competition, and more. This is something that really puts our students and our school on the map, it’s an honor to be recognized by some of the finest educational institutions in the US.

Most recently, we were given the opportunity to perform at Governor Whitmer’s inauguration ball on December 31st. What an amazing experience it was to be able to present our school and what we do to a crowd of over 2000 people at our state’s capitol. 

I believe that iBallet’s vision, and the network that we’ve formed with other professionals in this art really set us apart from other schools. We’re able to give our students more than most schools, and for that, we are truly grateful. 

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
We’ve really learned how important it is to continue educating kids even throughout the difficult period of Covid. Kids today are tomorrow’s workforce, and what we instill in them and the values that we as educators give them are instrumental in forming their work ethic as adults. That fact really gave us a sense of responsibility, especially throughout Covid and the months following. 

Contact Info:

• Website: http://iballetstudio.com
• Instagram: iballetstudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iBalletStudio 

Image Credits
Jeffrey Wang
Ziffoto