Miss Wendy received her pre-professional dance education from Anna Adrianova and Lorand Andahazy of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and was a company member of Andahazy Ballet Borealis. During these formative years, she spent summers and weekends traveling across the country and abroad to study intensively with the greats of the dance world, such as Dame Margot Fonteyn, Ruth Page, Twyla Tharp, Joseph Savino, and many others.
While in Portugal at the International Academy of Dance, Wendy performed in several ballets at Lisbon’s National Theatre of Sao Carlos. Later, during an interim in Mexico, Wendy was privileged to understudy with Ballet Folklorico de Guadalajara, where she greatly expanded her knowledge of dance styles.
Wendy choreographed musicals and staged theater productions for several colleges, including Macalester College, where she was a featured dancer in addition to singing and acting with Macalester’s famed Drama Choros, performing in England as the named entertainment for the British Isles Theater Festival. During that time, she also held dancing and acting roles with the Minnesota Theater Company, Children’s Theater Company, and Minnesota Opera. Wendy returned home, only to join the cast of Disney on Parade and dance on tour (where Tinkerbelle became her best friend) and later, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey (where she learned to ride an elephant).
In 1980, Wendy returned to Florida and started Performing Arts Centers in four locations throughout Central Florida that offered all forms of dance, acrobatics, drama, and musical theater. She discovered that teaching dance was her true passion. Even today, you’ll hear her say, "Stress falls off my shoulders the moment I walk into the dance studio."
Today, Miss Wendy offers small, semi-private classes to children, teens, and adults of all levels in her home-based studio, utilizing the finer points of each method she has studied: Vaganova, Cecchetti, and Royal Academy of Dance (RAD). She holds certifications in Cecchetti and is a member of RAD. Her studio has become a hub for ballet enthusiasts in Naples, Florida, and she is affiliated with the Eastside Dance Company, providing a nurturing environment for dancers.
Miss Wendy’s goal is to offer each student a solid foundation in dance while inspiring self-confidence, self-discipline, and a positive self-image. Dance improves physical coordination, balance, and grace. Dance challenges the mind, so dancers become better prepared for academics and other mental activities. Plus, it’s fun! If you're looking for quality Naples dance studios, East Side Dance Studio is an excellent choice for aspiring dancers.
