Today we’d like to introduce you to Helen Nasillski.
Hi Helen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in England and started ballet at 11 because my friend was doing it. I quickly discovered that I loved it and had an aptitude for it. She dropped out fairly quickly, but I kept going, rising through the grades and ending up at ballet school in London for full-time studies. I received certification in RAD and ISTD for teaching but spent a few years traveling the world and dancing.
I came to Los Angeles in 1987 following an old boyfriend, who later became and still is, my husband.
When my son was at the Silver Lake Independent Jewish Community Centre for preschool and my daughter was a newborn, I asked the school if they’d like me to teach a little preschool ballet class. They were delighted with the idea and thus, unbeknownst to me, my school was born! Every year I added on another class as the students got older and before long I was calling my school Silver Lake Ballet School. It was and still is the community that I serve and feel such an integral part of.
That was 20 years ago and my original little group are now in their mid-twenties!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say that the biggest challenge was the Covid lockdown of 2020. I had a recital almost ready to go and about 100 students. I had to pivot to firstly a youtube platform and then ultimately, like so many others, a virtual platform. As someone who still uses CDs in class, I found this transition incredibly hard. A virtual dance class has the added challenge of needing synched music and also relies on knowledge of left and right when working on choreography. It was trial and error – a lot of error! But within a couple of weeks, I had set it all up and classes continued. I honestly never thought I could teach like that but I did for over a year. We even managed to do a virtual show and a show using different outdoor locations.
During this time, the students were amazing. Many of them showed up on my screen week after week despite dancing in kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and garages; with pets or younger siblings running around. We supported each other, talked about what we were experiencing and managed to laugh a little along the way, and most importantly kept dancing!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the Director and teacher at Silver Lake Ballet School. I teach ballet from 3 to adults. I feel very much a part of the community where my ballet school resides, which is the Silver Lake, Los Feliz area. I have lived in this area for about 30 years, my children grew up here and the school grew up with them.
My school teaches only ballet, which is based on the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, which is the style I learned and was trained to teach, growing up in England.
I started putting on small recitals at the local Community Church which was a real family affair – my husband produced the show and filmed it, my son worked the soundboard and my daughter who was training with me stood in for anyone who was absent and helped organise the whole event. We eventually outgrew the Church and moved to a 400-seat theatre and I had professional technicians which elevated the whole event, but my family (and friends) still played important roles in making it run smoothly.
I was particularly proud that we managed to keep performing during covid – virtually and creatively.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is that moment at the end of a recital when I look at the faces of the children on stage beaming with joy and excitement, and then scan the audience and see how proud and happy the parents, grandparents and siblings are.
Success is a former student texting me that they have thankfully found a ballet class at the College they are attending.
Success is a child who has difficulty skipping and finally is able to do it and can’t stop doing it and is so proud and of themselves.
Success is students going up en pointe for the first time, knowing they have achieved it through years of dedication and hard work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.silverlakeballetschool.com
- Instagram: mshelenssilverlakeballetschool
