When I was really little, I had the privilege of having my great-grandma, GiGi, in my life. She watched me at my very first ballet class and came to many of my early recitals. As she grew older and reached her mid-90s, she began to lose her eyesight and mobility, which made it much harder for her to come see me dance on stage.

So instead, I brought dance to her.

Every weekend, I would visit her assisted living center and perform my ballet variation and contemporary ballet dance for her and all of her friends she eagerly invited to watch. Because many of them were living with some form of dementia too, they experienced my dances like it was the first time—every time. Seeing that joy again and again is what inspired me.

That’s how Granny Pliés began.

Granny Pliés is all about making the beauty of ballet accessible in a way that feels joyful, gentle, and inspiring. Through my chair ballet class, I teach simple, graceful movements for seniors in assisted living communities, and I also share some of my own dances to inspire or bring joy to my “granny dancers.”

I believe ballet can bring joy, confidence, and connection at any stage of life—and I hope to create those moments, just like the ones I shared with my GiGi.