Liz Vacco shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Liz, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Who are you learning from right now?
In the past two years, I have joined a Halau to learn Hula and Polynesian dance. While I have always continued to be a student/learner of dance, it has been refreshing to start a new style that I really knew very little about and to feel completely open to learning from scratch. My Kumu/Hula teacher, Kehau Gabriel, is amazing – I learn so much from her not only in terms of the content of the class, but how to create a space where people feel nurtured and supported to learn something new. Her teaching inspires my own.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Liz Vacco and I offer dance classes through my company, Petite Feet Dance. My classes are geared for ages 2-11 though I’ve been expanding that age range a bit as my daughter – one of my students – gets older. My classes incorporate ballet, modern, and foundational movement terminology and technique, but also give opportunities for exploration and self-expression. And because I have a background in theater as well, they include a lot of storytelling through dance. I also have added a family class called Family Style to my offerings which is now one of my favorite classes to teach. It gives families the chance to move side by side, to explore different dance concepts together, and even to create some choreography together! Another facet of my business is in-school dance/arts classes. I have developed a curriculum called Arts Fusion where students learn about aspects of dance, theater, music and visual art and apply what they learn to create a performance and visual art piece grounded in social justice standards. I find so much joy and inspiration in creating lessons for and alongside my students.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I think it had to have been when I was performing. I remember very clearly when I was in third grade auditioning for a play at my sister’s high school; they needed a few younger actors to play parts. I sang my audition song on this large high school stage in front of a theater filled with high school students and they all smiled throughout and applauded enthusiastically at the end. It felt great – and I’d say powerful, but it was a power that comes from knowing you can bring joy and share joy with others.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I would say the fear of being wrong has meant I didn’t always have the most open mindset in situations. I believe I could have learned more and maybe grown more earlier on if I wasn’t so bent on being right. I recently was in a professional development session where the moderator said “I am no longer concerned with being right; I am more concerned with whether I’m listening as closely as I can and to the right people.” This resonated a lot for me.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
I truly believe everyone should have access to the arts and that it is rewarding work to help create that possibility. There are so many benefits to engaging in the arts, from improved individual mental health to strengthened connections with others to creating meaningful change in the world. This belief feels so fundamental to me that it informs my choices on a daily basis.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I think the thing I hope people remember and talk about when I’m gone is that I approached my work – and perhaps my life even – with playfulness. Also passion and dedication, but, ultimately, a sense of play. This is one of the things I remember most about my grandmother and it literally makes my eyes and heart sparkle when I think of her to this day. I don’t know what the particular story will be about me, but I hope it’s one like the one I like to tell about my grandmother. Her arthritis became really bad in her seventies and eighties and usually when we came to visit, she sat in her brown cushioned chair for hours on end. But the minute she saw me, her youngest grandchild, she would tell me to get what she called her “box of junks.” It was a cardboard box filled with old utensils, knick knacks, pieces of fabric, lots of leftover items that easily could have ended up in the trash. Instead, I would bring it to her chair and set up a restaurant which would turn eventually into a store, etc. – one set after another for our imaginative play. There was a lightness and youthfulness to it and it was also time filled with love and encouragement.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.petitefeetdance.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petitefeetdance/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petitefeetdance
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/petite-feet-dance-pasadena-2
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@petitefeetdance
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7GFx2Xgj4bWjlxfLTTBOWq?si=A7s7mfHrRvqUibgmcE_e6Q
Image Credits
Atin Mehra
Ian Zimmerman
Whitney Curtis
