Specialty Workshops

Online dance and life skills classes for kids and adults

Adult Ballet: Technique Without the Pressure

With Professional Ballet Dancer Mariia Koskela

Sunday, October 18, 2026
Sunday, October 25, 2026
10:00–10:40 AM Eastern
Adults | Live Online | $20 per workshop
Limited to 6 participants

You do not have to be “good enough” to begin—or return—to ballet.

In this supportive, beginner-friendly adult ballet workshop, participants will receive professional ballet instruction while exploring how to manage the comparison, perfectionism, frustration, and pressure that can arise when learning something new.

Professional ballet dancer and instructor Mariia Koskela will guide participants through an encouraging class that combines authentic ballet technique with The Secret Dance Technique’s mindset approach. The goal is to help adults improve while developing a healthier, more confident relationship with the learning process.

Participants will:

  • Learn and practice foundational ballet technique

  • Develop posture, alignment, balance, coordination, and musicality

  • Explore how comparison and perfectionism can affect confidence

  • Practice responding constructively to mistakes and frustration

  • Replace the pressure to be “good enough” with a growth mindset

  • Build confidence while working at an individual pace

  • Experience the physical and mental benefits of ballet in a supportive environment

This is more than a ballet class. It is an opportunity to challenge yourself, reconnect with movement, and develop confidence without the pressure to be perfect.

No previous ballet or dance experience is required. Adults returning to ballet are also warmly welcomed.

Class size: 3–6 participants
Price: $20 per workshop

Bringing a friend? Contact us before registering to receive 50% off one workshop!


Registration deadline: The day before each workshop, or when all six spaces have been filled
Minimum enrollment: Each workshop will run with at least three registered participants. If the minimum is not met, participants will receive a full refund.

These are two separate workshops. Participants may enroll in either date or attend both. Each workshop will move forward independently once it reaches the minimum enrollment.

About Mariia

Mariia Koskela is a professionally trained ballet dancer and experienced dance instructor. She trained at the Perm State Ballet School and the Choreographic College “School of Classical Dance” in Moscow, earning qualifications as a ballet dancer, dance teacher, and performer.

Mariia danced professionally with the Samara Opera and Ballet Theatre in Russia. She has since taught classical ballet, contemporary dance, and stretching to children and adults of varying experience levels at several dance studios in Poland, including Wolf Dance Studio and T1.Dance Studio.

Her combination of professional performance experience and extensive teaching work allows her to offer adults genuine ballet training in an encouraging, accessible environment.

Ballroom Dance & Nonverbal Communication with Hasan!

Available for private groups and organizations
45 Minutes | Live Online | Beginner-Friendly

The way we communicate begins before we say a word.

In this interactive ballroom workshop, participants learn foundational movement while exploring how posture, awareness, responsiveness, and connection influence nonverbal communication.

Guest instructor Hasan guides participants through an encouraging dance experience designed to strengthen confidence and communication—both on and off the dance floor.

Participants Will:

  • Learn beginner-friendly ballroom dance steps

  • Explore how posture communicates confidence and intention

  • Practice noticing and responding to another person’s movement

  • Develop greater awareness of nonverbal cues

  • Strengthen adaptability by responding to changes in real time

  • Explore how these skills support communication in relationships, social situations, and professional environments

This is more than a ballroom dance class. It is an opportunity to develop confidence, connection, and communication through movement in a supportive environment.

No previous ballroom or dance experience is required, and participants do not need to attend with a dance partner.

Ideal For:

  • Companies and employee groups

  • Professional-development and wellness programs

  • Community organizations

  • Social groups

  • Private groups of friends

Group size: Designed for small groups of 3–6 participants. Larger groups may inquire about customized options.

Dates and pricing are arranged according to group size and instructor availability.

Prefer a different style of dance? This confidence and nonverbal communication workshop can also be customized using other dance styles and instructors. Contact us to discuss current options, scheduling, and availability.

Request This Workshop for Your Group

About Hasan

Hasan Alshafei is an accomplished dance instructor and studio manager with more than 20 years of teaching experience. He has taught ballroom, Latin, Argentine tango, flamenco, and ballet in the United States, Argentina, Spain, Lebanon, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.

His professional experience includes teaching ballroom and Latin dance at Champions Dance Studio in Boston and Arthur Murray Dance Studios in New York. He has also served as a studio manager and trainer for more than a decade. Hasan is a certified ballroom and Latin instructor with additional training and certifications in Argentine tango, flamenco, and ballet.

4-Week Musical Theater Dance for Confidence with Meg!

Ages 8–13 | Live Online | Starting October 2026

Small groups of just 3–6 students.

A specialty 4-week dance series combining musical theatre choreography, storytelling, and performance with intentional confidence building with the The Secret Dance Technique™

Students practice stepping outside their comfort zones, trusting themselves, and going for it — building confidence for dance and life.

Tuition: $80 for the complete 4-week series

GIVEAWAY: Win the Full 4-Week Series — an $80 Value!

One student will receive FREE admission to the entire 4-week series.

Already enrolled? You can still enter! If an enrolled student wins, their $80 registration will be refunded, so there’s no need to wait to reserve your spot.

Giveaway Entry:

  • Follow The Secret Dance Technique

  • Like the giveaway Reel

  • Comment and tag a friend who might love the class

  • Bonus Entry: Share the Reel to your story and tag us

Choose Your Section:

[Monday Section — Enroll Here]
October 5, 12, 19 & 26 | 7:00–7:40 PM ET

[Thursday Section — Enroll Here]
October 8, 15, 22 & 29 | 7:00–7:40 PM ET

Meg is a passionate dance instructor who loves helping students discover the confidence to express themselves fully. With experience in dance, theatre, and performance, she understands how movement, storytelling, and emotion come together to create a compelling stage presence. Meg brings an enthusiastic, supportive approach to teaching and strives to make every dancer feel comfortable taking creative risks, developing their individual performance style, and celebrating what makes them unique. She is especially passionate about helping students build confidence that extends beyond the stage and into their everyday lives.

Performing Under Pressure with Billy Kiritsis!

Performing Under Pressure with Billy Kiritsis
Hip-Hop, Performance Confidence & Mindset Workshop

Future dates available by request
Ages 10–14 | Live Online | 40 Minutes
Small-group and private group options available

Performing can feel completely different once the pressure is real.

In this interactive workshop, dancers learn practical strategies for working through performance nerves, quieting overthinking and performing with greater confidence—even when they do not feel completely ready.

Guest instructor Billy Kiritsis draws from his professional performance experience, including appearing on Greece’s Got Talent, as well as his own experience navigating nerves and confidence challenges.

Dancers will:

  • Learn why nervousness and excitement can feel similar in the body

  • Practice reframing nervous energy as performance energy

  • Discover a personal strategy Billy uses to manage pressure and overthinking

  • Learn a short hip-hop/commercial dance combination

  • Apply these strategies while performing in a supportive environment

  • Explore how the tools can also support them during auditions, competitions, presentations, sports and other high-pressure moments

This is more than a traditional dance class. It is an opportunity to learn directly from an experienced professional performer while practicing the mental skills that support confident performance.

Dancers do not need to feel confident before attending. The workshop provides a supportive environment where they can practice staying present, recovering from mistakes and continuing even when a performance does not feel perfect.

Workshop Options

For individual families:
Interested in joining a future small-group workshop? Contact us with your preferred days and times. Once enough dancers share compatible availability, we will work with Billy to schedule a new date.

For groups and organizations:
Dance studios, schools, homeschool groups, libraries and youth organizations may request a private workshop. Customized scheduling, group capacity and flat-rate pricing are available.

About Billy Kiritsis

Billy Kiritsis is a professional dancer, performer, and instructor with experience across a variety of dance styles. His performance career has included competing on Greece’s Got Talent, giving him firsthand experience with the excitement, preparation, and pressure of performing on a major stage. Through his professional journey, Billy has learned that nervousness can affect performers at every level—and that confidence comes from learning how to trust yourself, stay present, and keep going even when a performance does not feel perfect. He brings an encouraging, relatable approach to teaching and is passionate about helping young dancers develop confidence, resilience, and greater trust in their abilities.

Life Skills. Fun. Dance.

Dance is the secret tool—helping kids grow beyond the dance floor.

Approved provider for Wyoming ESA
Arizona ESA vendor registration approved

Contact:

This program is for educational purposes only

+1 516 828 8109‬

The Secret Dance Technique™
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