Meet Anat Stigers

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anat Stigers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Anat, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

Growing up I learned a lot from my father (Roni Pelleg) who built his own business from the ground up, which taught me a lot. I also feel in love with dance and basically lived at my dance studio where I became the office assistant at the age of 15 years. I learned a lot from the owner (Karen Willes) in so many ways including assisting, teaching, office managing and running a business/dance studio. If it wasn’t for both of them I wouldn’t be where I am today!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is Anat Stigers, and I am the Director of The Dance Center at My Gym. For the past 15 years, I’ve had the joy and privilege of managing and directing our dance program, as well as teaching dance to students ranging from age 3 through adulthood.

What excites me most about my work is witnessing the ongoing growth of my students and knowing I play a role in shaping their confidence and self-esteem. Dance has always been a deep passion of mine, and teaching allows me to share that passion in meaningful, impactful ways. I am especially committed to helping students find joy through movement and develop a strong sense of self through creative expression.

I truly love what I do and feel incredibly grateful to have built a career around something I care so deeply about.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I can confidently say that working at the dance studio where I grew up—Carousel Dance Studio—was one of the most impactful experiences in shaping the dancer and teacher I am today. From my early days as a student, through attending dance conventions and competitions, to eventually becoming a teacher’s assistant, teacher, office administrator, and choreographer for the studio’s dance company, each role gave me invaluable insight and hands-on experience in every aspect of the dance world.

Another pivotal moment in my journey was moving to New York at the age of 20 to pursue a professional dance career. That leap led me to perform on the National Tour of Cats and the Germany tour of Hair. Touring gave me incredible exposure to the professional performance world and helped me grow immensely as a dancer and artist.

Equally influential has been my experience teaching at a variety of dance studios and working with dance conventions and companies. Each opportunity taught me something new and helped me understand different teaching styles, studio cultures, and choreography techniques. All of these experiences have come together to shape not only my skills but also the passion and perspective I bring to my work today.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I’ve been fortunate to have many people in my life who have helped me overcome challenges and develop the essential skills, qualities, and knowledge that have contributed to my success. My family, my husband, my past instructors, my current mentor—and even my own inner drive—have each played a significant role in shaping the person I am today. Their support, guidance, and belief in me have helped lay the foundation for the career and success I’ve worked hard to build.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mygymdance.com
• Instagram: thedancecenterbh
• Facebook: The Dance Center
• Yelp: The Dance Center at My Gym

Image Credits

Brandon Friend-Solis