Meet Amy Kotara, Owner of Turning Pointe Dance Academy
Once Upon a Ballet Certified Studio owner Amy Kotara has many favorite things about her studio, Turning Pointe. One of them is seeing her students do things they never knew that they could do. “Seeing their faces, whether they are three or sixty-three, glowing with accomplishment brings me joy,” Amy reflects. As a teacher and studio owner Amy has found that to inspire her students, she has to set high expectations for them. She talks with students about their goals and what they want to accomplish, then she plans classes to help them reach that goal.
Amy’s dance studio, Turning Pointe, is a small, faith based studio in Abilene, Texas. Though she has only been the owner for a year, the studio itself has been a staple in Abilene for many years. Turning Pointe offers instruction in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, liturgical, and acro. Their students range in age from two and a half to sixty, and they’re known for their large homeschool population. Turning Pointe also sees many children from their local school and Dyess Air Force base.
Amy’s journey to Turning Pointe was long, winding, and serendipitous. Amy grew up in a small town in Texas. Her father was in the Air Force, so they were sent out when she was in the first grade. Amy joined a dancer's workshop in Yuma, Arizona, and later spent time at the Capitol Academy for the Performing Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When Amy’s family finally landed in Lubbock, Texas, she joined the company at Ballet Lubbock. It was during this time that Amy began to teach at a local community center and in the Ballet Lubbock school.
After high school, Amy attended West Texas A&M University and received a BA in English. She took a few dance courses during college, but her parents discouraged too much of a focus on dance so that she could get a "real job." It wasn't until she was teaching high school English that she realized she longed to be back in the studio. She reached out to a local studio and found herself substituting and also a part of the company.
Eleven years later, due to her husband's job, Amy found herself back in the area of Texas where her dance journey began. Through a series of events, she landed a teaching job at Turning Pointe, and after two years of teaching there the owner was ready to retire. Amy soon found herself being handed her childhood dream: owning a dance studio!
At Turning Pointe, Amy uses the OUB curriculum in her children's division ballet classes. This includes pre ballet and ballet-tap combo classes. She chooses different themes for each month and uses the lessons and tools so that all of the classes receive the same instructions regardless of when the class is held.
Amy has found that OUB has helped her instructors to better understand how to teach movement in developmentally appropriate ways. “Students are excited to come to class and I look forward to seeing them progress after having started their journey in foundational best practices,” Amy tells us. “I have loved watching both the program and instructor knowledge grow. My children’s director has really taken in the program and immersed herself in it. The opportunities and support she has received have been tremendous! I love knowing that we are providing quality instruction to our clients… I feel that it has grown trust between our instructors and student families. We care about providing the best service for their children, and allow our teachers to grow student creativity and understanding. ”
At the time we interviewed Amy, she was preparing to hold OUB summer camps for students at Turning Pointe using the Cinderella and Little Mermaid camp packs. At these camps, Amy holds a 3 day session- one for ages three to five, and the other ages six to ten. She uses the camp packs to fill the two hour time slot with dance and games. She also incorporates stories, crafts, and snacks. Amy told us it’s a great quick introduction for children who are interested in dance, but aren't sure if they want to commit.
We wrapped up our conversation with Amy by asking her what one piece of advice she would give to a brand new studio owner, or her former self, on owning a successful studio. She told us: “Rome wasn't built in a day! I had very lofty goals when I took over and wanted it all, right then! It took me a while to realize I would burn out fast. That’s actually when I found Once Upon a Ballet. I fell in love with the simple lessons wrapped in fun. It was easy to implement and did not require me to write a curriculum!”
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This post was written by OUB Contributor, Olivia Wickstrom.