himel dance conservatory

Himel Dance Conservatory is the ONLY pre-professional Russian Vaganova-based ballet program on the Westbank of New Orleans. We offer the finest in ballet and musical theatre choreography instruction in the area. Himel Dance Conservatory instructs the “whole dancer” utilizing the world-renowned Russian Vaganova method. Students who finish the Himel Dance program will have the opportunity to have careers in dance or dance education if they choose to do so.

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I have known the owner of this dance studio, Brydie Himel, for over twenty years, and I can attest to her abilities as a dancer and teacher. Mrs. Himel is an accomplished ballet dancer who studied under a master in his field of Russian ballet. She has an inate ability to teach the youngest and the oldest of dancers with care and compassion. If you want your child to succeed in dance, then the Himel Dance Conservatory is the only place to send your daughter or son to learn from a truly beautiful dancer. Also, if you are an older person who would like to learn ballet or just soothe your mind and body, then this studio is the best place for you. I say all of this, not because I’ve known Brydie Himel for so long, I say it because it is the truth. The Himel Dance Conservatory is the only studio anyone should choose for their child or themselves.

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Mrs. Himel is an awesome teacher! She will push you a bit and correct you, but she is also aware of your level and is not angry and mean like many “good” ballet teachers. She’s very nice and has a good sense of humor.
However, I can tell you after just a few lessons that she definitely knows Vaganova TECHNIQUE, not just the exercises from the curriculum. Like legit Russian technique. I binge watch ballet videos in between hours of practice to try to self-help my way to progressing faster. I know from this that there are a few major differences in traditional Russian technique. One being this:
Nearly every American teacher will have you angle your leg when you put it to the side so that you’re not “forcing turnout.” However, this uses the wrong muscles and puts strain on like tendons or ligaments or something (I don’t remember which or even could be both?), so Russian technique teaches dancers to bring their leg directly to the side so you can then engage your glutes–large strong muscles–to help hold up your leg and take the strain off of those areas. When she corrected my developpe to second, I knew for sure that she knows these things in depth.

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