Meet Andrea Wachholtz

We were lucky to catch up with Andrea Wachholtz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

The simple answer is that I have always believed that my life’s purpose was to dance. I ate, drank and breathed dance for as far back as I can remember. Dance brought me joy from the inside out. Don’t get me wrong, dance also caused me pain and heartache but I knew it was something I could not live without. On stage, under the lights, allowing the music to move through me, feeling the energy from the audience as I performed was true happiness which made every sacrifice I made worth it.
Putting dance before anything and everyone in my life just made sense to me. I embraced it all, the good with the bad. The sore muscles, injuries, long days, financial hardship, and what seemed to be endless weeks on tour traveling from theater to theater exhausted did not change my mind.
Many years later my purpose shifted and it became about passing down my love of dance to the next generation by opening and running my own dance school. Teaching children became my purpose and teaching them life lessons through ballet. Teaching them to get back up and try again when they fall, to think outside of the box, to pay attention to the details, and so much more.
Then the pandemic hit and I pushed forward shifting everything I did in the studio to virtual. Reinventing in order to survive and keeping a smile on my face to encourage my students and reassure them that everything would be ok. The end result was that I lost my studio and with that I lost a piece of myself.
Here I was in search of my purpose… constantly searching for a time and place that would bring me joy.
Today, dance is still my purpose but in a different way. I feel a responsibility to share what I have learned through all of my experiences with the next generation but not just teaching and coaching dance in the studio, but teaching them how dance can prepare you to deal with life, with your emotions.
I recently wrote a book and teach a workshop to train students to become Performing Arts Assistant Teachers within their own dance studio, or theater arts programs. My goal is to help inspire and create future performing arts teachers by offering invaluable information to guide them on a path to becoming a vital assistant teacher. Helping them understand that they play an essential role in enhancing the performing arts experience.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I currently guest teach and coach ballet in person and virtually. I also teach a Balance & Mobility class to special needs teens and young adults.

I wrote a book called, Aspire to Inspire, Performing Arts Assistant Teacher workbook and workshop.
Students who complete my workshop receive a certificate of accreditation. Studio owners and Arts Administrators can contact me about bringing my workshop to their program.

I also offer teacher training workshops in regards to age appropriate ballet curriculum, how to implement the curriculum, creative ideas, how to deal with various classroom behaviors and more.

I teach Live Virtual Adult Fitness classes 5 days a week. My class is called MOVE…combining my extensive classical ballet training and professional teaching experience, I bring a class filled with detailed and comprehensive movement. My students ages range from 30 to mid 70’s! I get to know each individual student and send out daily motivations and recipes along with my instructive classes.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think the three qualities that were most impactful on my journey were resilience, critical thinking and creativity.
Resilience: Breaking into and during my professional career in dance there have been many setbacks which I do not view as failures. Dance has taught me to get back up if I fall and try again. I have always stayed focused when faced with obstacles, like dance related injuries, or shifting my business model, and never lost my confidence in my ability to succeed and find a new way of working.
Critical Thinking and Creativity have helped me solve problems when the solution isn’t black and white. Running my own dance studio and producing performances presented me obstacles which required both skills.
My advice for those early in their journey would be to seek out a mentor in your field and volunteer in your field to get first hand knowledge and experience.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

There is not only one person who helped me become successful…
I do believe the support that I received as a child from my parents in providing me with the opportunities to dance was the beginning.
My first teachers, Nana and Fred Albee, who inspired me and with their guidance. They provided me with a solid dance foundation which helped open doors to my career.
Years later when I was in college, an incredible teacher, Randy Klein, who was extremely tough on me became my mentor and a friend in my adult life. He taught me many valuable skills from stage lighting and set building to having respect for everyone who works behind the scenes. He taught me to be tough and push through when life gets hard.
Then during my first tour with a ballet company, Roberta Taylor, mentored me and years later following my accomplishments with my own studio from a far and sending me a one of a kind Sugar Plum Fairy tutu made specifically for me just before she died.
Lastly, years later, I met John Drozda, who owned Summit Gymnastics Center and saw something special in the way that I taught and offered to train and get me certified as a USAG gymnastics coach. Years later when I opened my own studio, I called him when ever I had a question or needed a pep talk.
These are the individuals who stand out but they are not the only people in my life who have helped me become successful as there are colleagues who have inspired me through their own struggles and successes and who were there for me in the beginning, during and closing of my studio to lend a hand… Ange, Rocco, Constantine, Bernd just to name a few.
The most constant people who have helped me are all of the children that I have had the opportunity to teach because I have learned so much from them.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @move_withandrea also @missandrea_aim
• Facebook: @Miss Andrea @Move Your Body

Image Credits

Jim Bush
Weiferd Watts