About the Founder

 Clare S. Shabsis is a ballet pedagogue and coach certified in ballet pedagogy by the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow—one of the most prestigious ballet institutions in the world. Her ballet journey began fourteen years ago, when a single adult ballet class sparked both a passion and a frustration: adults were expected to mimic ballet movements and choreography without ever being taught real technique. Determined to change this, Clare pursued formal pre-professional Vaganova training, an opportunity typically reserved for children, immersing herself in the highest levels of technical study.    

Her deep fascination with ballet mechanics led her to specialize in pedagogical training, with the mission of transforming how adults learn ballet. Clare now channels her expertise into creating a new educational pathway—a “middle way” that empowers adult dancers with the technical foundation, clarity, and method traditionally accessible only within elite professional programs.

In addition to her ballet qualifications, Clare is also a licensed hypnotherapist trained by the Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy in California. This background informs her distinctive teaching philosophy, which emphasizes the mind–body connection, somatic awareness, and the psychological mechanisms that support technical learning. She integrates principles of focused attention, motor-learning psychology, and mental imagery to help adult dancers retrain ingrained patterns and develop technique more efficiently than traditional methods allow.


“My journey with ballet has been long, unconventional, and entirely unique — the insights I gained share those same rare qualities.” — C.S. Shabsis, BalletPrep Method — The Book