Taela Graff

- Professionally trained in ballet at the School of American Ballet (NYC) for 4 years

• Recipient of the Louis Diversity Scholarship at the School of American Ballet for 4 years
• Graduated June 2023

-Professional Ballet Dancer

• Apprentice with the Houston Ballet
• Contract started June 2023

• Create a safe and fueling environment for students to push themselves and see the progress in which their hard work reflects
• Utilized positive communication to encourage team and promote integrity and respect.
• Motivated athletes to become stronger, more agile, and more effective through training habits and proper nutrition.
• Utilize my experience as an ex USA National Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics and incorporate the training and discipline required for ballet. Both skills learned in ballet and rhythmic gymnastics go hand and hand. I teach my students how to utilize the best of both worlds.
• Training students across the country, both virtually and in person

• Worked with esteemed ballet teachers to learn about current standards and best practices.
• Cultivated positive relationships with administration, teaching staff, and students.
• Learned techniques and ways to work with students when it comes to their emotions and how that correlates with their bodies
• Assisted with management of classroom rules, procedures and expectations to instill discipline and observance of conduct code.
• Learned ways of keeping a ballet studio engaged. Most of the students ranged from age 8-12. So it was important to know the right push and pull level of fun and discipline.

• As the first Rhythmic Gymnastics school in the state of Louisiana my job was to teach new young students the art of Rhythmic Gymnastics
• Teach my students the importance of never giving up. And through never giving up taste the fruits of the hard work they display when they finally execute what they never thought they could.
• Being a role model, someone the girls could look up to and aspire to be. Someone to inspire them to keep working hard, and they will be able to do anything they set their minds too.
• Teach the girls the importance of teamwork and friendship, working together in groups to enhance there training as well as working with group dances to display at different shows and events. Rhythmic Gymnastics groups is all about trusting your partners.
• Help the girls understand the value of discipline and showing up even when you don't feel like you can. It's also importance as a coach to understand what your students are feeling through their body language and actions and help them through the session. Whether that's making the session more fun with music or giving them more challenges so they don't get bored.