1974 - 1999                

I arrived in Geneva in 1970 following marriage after a career in France and in Germany working mostly for Television on a freelance base. The dance world in Geneva consisted exclusively of classical Ballet Schools. Jazz dance found itself relegated to cabaret – or nightclub dancing, and a mother would never have accepted to send her child to “that kind of a dance program”.

 

At the same time I heard ballet teachers complain about “the lack of turn-out, lack of instep, lack of talent while lamenting that students were not motivated enough and that some of them don’t have the right proportions and were too fat for a career…”  What does a young child care about a career? Why not start dance education with what she or he is naturally endowed: joy of expression, expending their pent up energy, use of creativity, and eager to learn how to do a full split!

                                                                                           <<Even a bit chubby I can still dance >>

I also remembered my early dance classes, also built on a classical base, but grouped with many other aspects: rapid coordination while working hard but on an enjoyable manner on flexibility and strength and incorporating a large variety of styles - even including some acrobatics!

With these thoughts in mind, everything became clear:  I wanted to pioneer a new approach to teaching children, starting with a non ballet base at the age of 4. Ballet would be added later on, when coordination, rhythm, general dance vocabulary and body awareness, placement and flexibility/strength were acquired. 

Before that though I first had to turn to necessity of converting classically trained dancers into jazz dancers! I had started to work quite a bit for Swiss TV in the early 1970s, and producers found it difficult to import jazz dancers from Paris or Munich.

I thus found myself thrust into simultaneously teaching, choreographing and organizing, and at times  with doubts about being able to cope with it all.

Professional training classes preparing dancers for television variety shows and for public presentations 

 

1974: OPENING OF THE DANCE SCHOOL!   <<click here>>
MODERN JAZZ BALLET – ALSO A SMALL TROUPE   <<click here>>
REGULAR  <<click here>>  AND GUEST  <<click here>> TEACHERS  
THE SCHOOL'S MAJOR PERFORMANCES <<click herei>>