“Above All, Believe in Your Dreams”
Once Upon a Ballet Certified Studio Owner Nadia Giuliano remembers being introduced to dance for the first time at the age of four years old. She watched ballet dancers on a VHS tape and was immediately captivated. Little did she know that at six years old, when she started studying dance herself, she would stumble across her lifelong passion.
Nadia’s studio, Naturalmente Danza, is located in Perugia, Italy and was born in 2013 with a simple idea in mind: dance for all. Her inspiration came from a trip to New York City in 2012 where she encountered dance classes for all ages. In Italy, dance is only for children and teenagers, and she wanted her studio to welcome all dancers no matter how old they were. Thus, the idea for Naturalmente Danza was born.
At Naturalmente Danza, Nadia has been using OUB curriculums in her two, three, four, and five year old classes. While using the curriculums, she has noticed that her students are more involved, and that having a story tied to the lesson plan helps hold their attention. Nadia reflects that the program’s clear direction helps teachers and pupils, and allows her studio to stand out from the crowd. “I like to differentiate myself from my competitors with a cheerful method full of imagination that Italy is not yet used to. I want to become a reference in the area as an innovative school in working with young children in dance.” For Naturalmente Danza, having a fresh and colourful American methodology on Italian territory is an added value, and Nadia is sure that added value will allow her studio to fly far.
As a studio owner, Nadia loves bringing creativity to her classes and inspiring students of all ages. Her favorite method for keeping students inspired? Leading by example. Nadia shows her students that dance is happiness, and continues to dance with them again and again. She proves to her students that dance doesn’t have an age limit, and that it is there to be enjoyed by anyone that loves it. In our interview, Nadia reflected that motivating and inspiring her students in this way has been the most impactful experience on her dance journey thus far.
Her dance journey has spanned many mediums and spaces across Italy. At age eleven, Nadia was admitted to Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan. She reflects that “the conservatory was a great experience that allowed me to sing… so I was able to increase my musical knowledge and be part of great shows such as The Nutcracker, La Boheme and Mefistofele.” Meanwhile, Nadia continued to study various styles of dance in different schools in Milan until she entered the Academy of the Carcano Theatre.
Nadia finished at the Conservatory and graduated from the University of Milan with a degree in Sociology. Love and living conditions led her to move to Perugia where she continued to study dance and worked as a sociological researcher and dance teacher. As she continues on her journey, Nadia hopes Naturalmente Danza reminds students to dance in a natural way as our nature teaches us. “We learn to dance even before walking, but then as we grow up we are ashamed. At Naturalmente Danza everyone can dance, without age limits, but only for their own passion and happiness.”
We finished our conversation by asking Nadia what one piece of advice she would give to a brand new studio owner, or her former self, on owning a successful dance studio. She told us: never give up. “If you believe in a project, in an idea, in a new course, then don't be discouraged if at the beginning there are few students. Continue and continue because people need to get used to the news. Above all, believe in your dreams!”
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This post was written by OUB Contributor, Olivia Wickstrom.