I had some time and just read through all eight pages - teachers and studio owners are very inspirational people!

My name is Christy and I live in New Hampshire with my husband, 2 daughters, 2 sons, 1 Jack Russell terrier and 1 cat.

I had to laugh at how many said they started dance "late" (at 11 or 12) I started my sophomore year in college! It was a modern class and we got to choreograph every semester and put on a show. It was a great experience.

After college I started my ballet training, always thinking that it was just recreational - something fun to do. But I ended up in a performing dance group in San Diego for a few years. After moving across country and taking some time off, I was asked to teach a group of home-schooled students a ballet class for phys. ed. 13 children ranging from 3 to 13! They liked it so much they asked to do it again the next year, and 11 years later we have our own school of the arts! My husband teaches music, I teach the little ones and two beginning ballet classes, my daughter (who has had way more training than I!) teaches the upper level ballet and all levels of hip hop.

Although I've often wondered what might have happened had I started dance at 3, I am totally blessed with having been able to teach all these years and watch the progress of so many dancers, my children included (all four of them dance).

My first teacher (after college - my modern teacher's name slips my mind and I'm kicking myself, she was awesome) was Gillian Barton, who is now the director of Ballet West in the Scottish highlands. She is beautiful, gentle, inspirational, and California's loss was Scotland's gain!