Ballet school a second home for Bradbury
At the Ashlei Ballet School, you enter by the pink door and the lights are almost always on.
Formerly Our Lady of Lourdes parish hall, the two-storey building with expansive windows and polished hardwood floors, welcomes a steady stream of hopeful dancers seven days a week. The toddlers must be accompanied by a parent but there are classes for all ages including a “silver swan class” geared for those aged 55 and over, some of whom spent their formative years dancing and some who are just now learning their first steps.
The school is owner and dance instructor Janet Bradbury’s second home.
“The schedule is always changing but I’m here many nights and on weekends. We don’t open until after school and then we’re busy late into the evening and always on weekends.”
Bradbury, who grew up in New Glasgow, first tried ballet as a youngster.
“I liked it but I started and stopped a couple of times. I had other interests, including sports and horseback riding, and there wasn’t always a ballet teacher available locally in those days. When I started again in my teens, that is when I became passionate about it.”
Bradbury’s first love was ballet music.
“I was drawn in by the music right away but I found the dance wasn’t easy and I had to work at it. Every day was a challenge and I had to practice, but gradually I learned succeeding at something hard could be very rewarding.”
Her first teaching experience was with a group of preschoolers at the Pictou County Y.
“It was fun but I was taking teaching very seriously because I was heading off to university. I had no plan to be a career dancer but while I was at Dalhousie I still enjoyed dancing so I came home on weekends to teach classes.”
It was a way to make some money and continue with dancing but she saw it as a temporary arrangement. As time went on she was juggling her time between students in Halifax and New Glasgow.
“I loved being in Halifax but I had more students in New Glasgow and they needed more time. They were good students, good dancers who I’d gotten close to over time so after graduation I came home to teach for a while.”
For a number of years she taught in a cramped downtown studio, limited in how many classes she could offer.
“I took over Ashlei Ballet School and we were desperate for more space. I needed a big square footage for dance but space was rented by the square foot and the dance school was not bringing in enough money to pay for what was available for rent downtown.”
Through word of mouth, she heard the Lourdes parish hall might be for sale.
“All that space and light and hardwood floors was very exciting but I was also worried about operational costs. It was a big idea and I didn’t have people to go to who had done exactly this and could guide me through it.”
In the end, the decision to purchase was a giant leap of faith.
“It has worked out very well. We have two large dance studios, a small studio for private lessons and extra space in the basement, as well as dressing room space and an area where the students can come in and have a snack or do homework.”
It is a building with several doors and Bradbury quickly realized she had to have everyone coming to the same entrance.
“That’s why we have a pink door at the back of the building. It just made it easy for people to get in.”
In the years after the purchase, Bradbury’s personal life expanded to incorporate a partner and then a son and a daughter.
“The dance school continued to grow and we were busy but we managed to make it all work pretty well for a number of years.”
Then a third child joined the family and medical issues kept him in hospital in Halifax for the first year of his life.
“I really thought I was going to have to give up the school. If not for the great teachers who were working with me and the wonderful support of the dance community, there is no question in my mind this school would be a thing of the past. So many people in Pictou County helped us every way they could.”
Ashlei Ballet School, which instructs dancers in musicality, coordination, strength, flexibility and discipline, is open to students who just want to explore ballet but it also has very committed dancers who attend most days of the week.
“We have young dancers who come for a year and want to do something else after that. We have others who will juggle ballet and another sport for a few years and will come to a crossroads where they have to choose one or the other. For those who stay with dance, they will spend a lot of time in the studio and it is a big part of who they are.”
The school gives them an opportunity to help with younger classes and some begin teaching under Bradbury’s direction.
There are days when Bradbury finds herself in awe of the natural talent exhibited by a six-year-old.
“It is exciting to watch natural talent develop but there may be another student who does not start with that talent but is willing to be trained and will become a very good dancer because of discipline, hard work and a passion for dance. I’ve learned not to make early judgments.”
During Bradbury’s early years as a full-time teacher, she had few colleagues.
“It is much better today when we have teachers who can share ideas and collaborate. Back about 2011 we were able to start a performance company, the Northumberland Youth Ballet. It provides performance opportunities for dancers and this year we’ll be staging Coppelia, an 1860s ballet about a toymaker and a toy workshop.”
Bradbury’s own children are growing up in the dance studio.
“They don’t seem to mind and they know the ballet business is a family business. They learned very young to count the inventory of ballet shoes and the older two certainly know how to sweep a floor.”
With the hours of the ballet school and her younger son still having many medical appointments, Bradbury says her slow cooker is a valuable ally.
“Supper is started early in our house and it is waiting when you get home.”
She is also grateful her mother is always willing to step in when the schedule gets too busy to handle.
“My husband travels for work so those days can be very challenging. There are definitely days we could not function without my mother.”
Bradbury admits it took her some time to think of herself as a full-time dance teacher and longer still to recognize herself as a businesswoman.
“Now I think I’m just one of many people in Pictou County running a small business. I’m constantly surprised to hear about the different small businesses that exist locally.”
Rosalie MacEachern is a Stellarton resident and freelance writer. She seeks out people who work behind the scenes on hobbies or jobs that they love the most. If you know someone you think she should profile in an upcoming article, she can be reached at rosaliemaceachern4@gmail.com.