Over three decades of teaching, Kat Wildish has developed a distinctive, systematic, and highly effective approach to dance education. In her beginner & intermediate technique classes, correct placement is the root of Kat’s pedagogy. She gives a long barre and her entire syllabus is constructed to demand constant awareness of skeletal alignment, core strength, and proper weight distribution. Plus, she nags. The intricacy of her combinations ensures that students learn to pick up steps quickly and accurately, so they’re ready for anything that another teacher—or an audition—might throw at them.

Kat’s classes are sparked by humor, but her witticisms always have a purpose: She takes her students seriously, whatever their technical level, A broad spectrum of ages and body types are represented, and she attracts an unusually high proportion of men.

Wildish never forgets that ballet is a performing art. Her repertory workshops offer anybody—professionals to complete novices—the chance to rehearse and appear in stagings of classical ballets. She also teaches four-week pointe/variations classes, exploring the fundamentals of pointe work and coaching dancers in classical variations (e.g., Amor from Don Quixote; Sugar Plum Fairy from Nutcracker).

And finally, there is attitude: Wildish teaches more than technique; she cultivates a sense of individual presence. Her classes promote balance, focus, and grace as students move through class—and through life.