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Dance is the language of the soul. In our Dance Portal, we entreat you to move your body in joyful expression of the indestructible human spirit.
Spotlight
Linda Taylor has been a master Ballet teacher for over 30 years. She began her dance career studying all forms of dance from: Jean Lockin (tap dancing) Danny Lockin (Broadway Dance) Louise Glenn (Checchetti and Bournonville) Paul Petroff (Imperial Russian) and Irena Kosmovska (Balanchine). As a serious classical ballet dancer, she utilized her tap and Broadway dance training as a foundation for natural movement and musicality. She performed extensively throughout Southern California and joined the prestigious Los Angeles Junior Ballet Company in 1972—the crème de la crème company for young classical dancers on the West Coast. Linda rose to principal dancer status and was set to join the American Ballet Theatre at the age of 18. Unfortunately, severe overuse ankle and hip injuries ended her performing career prematurely. However, out of the ashes a phoenix arose. Linda developed a technique for training dancers that combined sound physical principles of body structure as well as the physics of movement as a foundation. Building on that foundation, she cultivated the natural freedom of dance and musicality that exemplified the best of each master teacher she had the privilege of studying with.
Linda employed her graded technique as Artistic Director and Ballet Mistress for Cascade Ballet Centre, a professional classical ballet school in Oregon. She trained classical dancers from beginning to professional using this curriculum. Upon returning to Southern California she continued to teach ballet and Pilates at Ballet Pacifica in Irvine, California.
Both as a master Pilates teacher as well as Gyrotonic instructor, Linda's teaching has gained yet another dimension. Linda utilizes her extensive knowledge of the human body—particularly in the areas of alignment, musculoskeletal structure, joints and connective tissue--in addition to her extensive education in dance to create specialized programs for the training and/or rehabilitation of each individual dancer she coaches.
