get to know: Leslie Nolte

5 Things To Know: 

Leslie On Nolte Academy: 

1. Why did you decide to open a dance studio?
Initially my plan was to work for one of the local studios that existed at the time. I reached out to each of them and observed their mission and instruction and in the end, didn’t feel as though any of them were current with where the artform was, nor focusing on quality instruction, so even though I was a young mother, we decided that we needed to start our own studio if we wanted to help dancers achieve their dreams. 

2. How is Nolte Academy different from other dance studios? 
I think there are two main differences: the first is the faculty we have recruited.  Not every former dancer can be an effective teacher.  Our staff has a breadth of experience but also has taken the time to learn how to properly guide and instruct our students.  The other is the rigor and curriculum our dancers are exposed to.  We have gotten students into Julliard, Pointe Park and similar programs because we give them the opportunities to train and perform like professionals from a very early age.  Seven days a week our dancers are in here working on their craft. 

3. What is your favorite part of owning Nolte Academy? 
Watching our students grow as performers and people.   Seeing them become confident by experiencing both the success and set backs that come with dance and theatre.  Not everyone gets cast as the lead or the soloist.  So how do they respond, do they pour themselves into the roles they were given and take all opportunities to grow? Another answer to this question is that I get to spend my days with so many people that dream big and be a part of making those bigs dreams come true.

4. What do you hope parents and families gain from their child attending Nolte? 
In a world where parents have the best interests of their child  in mind, I hope they see that our team is  also committed to the long term growth and success of our students.  We will challenge them, we will be honest with them and we will set high expectations of them in terms of work ethic, commitment, teamwork and communication.    Art is a discipline that takes time.  Not everyone is a natural, but everyone can learn how to improve and understand that correlation between their work and the results. 

5. What do children gain from the art of dance? 
Physically they benefit from the movement, the flexibility and the strength that develops as they dance.  Emotionally they learn that engaging in the arts is a way to transcend the stresses that may be happening in school or with friends and be part of something larger than themselves.   Dance is about connecting with your self and eventually to an audience, it’s a path for expression that yields happiness, confidence and satisfaction unlike anything else when done correctly.  This is our goal as instructors and choreographers, to help our students find their own voice within themselves and express it through movement.      And for our beginning students, its just a fun way to be part of a group, make friends and be building their self-confidence.