Spotlight on scholarship winner, Georgie
Ballet is her game, bringing new styles of fitness to her beloved hometown of Dubbo is her aim. Meet Georgie, one of our 2021 Teacher Training Scholarship recipients. She’s here to school us all in the mood-boosting perks of plies and pulses, and inspire the masses to get up and move, no matter if you love or loathe leotards. (Sing it with us: every body is a dancer’s body!)
Oh hey, Georgie. We’re so happy to have you here. First things first, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a mum of three boys. I grew up on a farm outside of Narromine, New South Wales. After leaving home, I moved to Melbourne and studied a Bachelor of Dance at VCA, and then I started a ballet school in Dubbo. This is my 21st year here.
21 years. What an achievement! So, what is it exactly that attracted you to Barre Body?
The teacher training program looked professional, informative, and high-quality. It’s well-recognised in the industry, something that makes you go, “Wow, I would love to be a registered Barre Body teacher.” It also seems like a great class to teach – safe, fun, inclusive. I’ve always been about changing the notion that ballet is for a certain body type. Thats been my mission in my whole career. Dance doesn’t discriminate, and neither do we.
We totally agree – every body is a dancer’s body! Why does the scholarship mean so much to you?
I thought it would be an honour to be chosen. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be me. It’s been a tough year as a non-essential worker and a single parent. I always put the kids needs financially first, so it was something I wanted to get to do one day but wasn’t sure when I’d be able to. I’m just so grateful that Barre Body offers such a wonderful scholarship program.
The honour is all ours, Georgie! Tell us, what does movement mean to you?
Without sounding corny, it means everything. I’ve always been someone that likes to move, whether it be sport, dance, or any type of fitness. Since I was a child, I’ve always been naturally active, drawn to wanting to move. When I became a dancer, I was moving every day. But I think it’s more about mental health for me now. I find movement the best mood lifter. It’s also important to me to keep fit for my kids. I don’t want to get to a stage where I can’t run or kick a ball with them – I feel I will live a healthier life if I stay active.
Nothing corny about it. What are you most excited to get out of the training?
Helping others. I love it when someone comes to me and says, “I’ve got a sore hip, or tight muscle.” I get a kick out of trying to solve movement problems, as I’ve always had different injuries to work through with my dance background. I’d like to be able to help people become stronger with correct posture and alignment, and am looking forward to revisiting the anatomy. I’ve kept all my old essays on technique, alignment and posture, so it would be nice to look back at that and learn new thinking, new techniques, new studies. Just to be able to help people to move pain-free and work through any issues they may have. It flows on into the rest of your life – I know first-hand that it can be depressing when you have an injury and can’t function to the best of your ability.
I also look forward to helping people feel good about themselves as well. To build body awareness, strength, and connect with others.
Love that. Injuries are the worst, aren’t they?! Finally, what impact do you hope this story will have on your community?
Pilates isn’t mainstream here, so I can’t wait to bring the class to Dubbo and offer the fusion of ballet, yoga, and Pilates – the three things I love and believe in rolled into one.
It excites me to give people access to such a niche. It’s something different for us. People are out there wanting to do it, but there aren’t a lot of options around. There are Pilates studios, but nothing equipment free and accessible to all.
Your attitude is so inspiring, Georgie. Thanks for chatting with us. We can’t wait to Grand Jeté our way around Dubbo with you!
