A Welcome Letter
Greetings and welcome to our community. Since 2014 I have served as Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Norwalk Metropolitan Youth Ballet. Along with a carefully selected faculty, I have cultivated NMYB as a space that encourages the individuality and artistic expression of each of our dancers. The collection of professionals I have gathered are consistently recognized as the best in their fields by educational institutions, dance organizations and their own peers. From American Ballet Theatre to YAGP to the Ivy League, our faculty has achieved professional success across multiple disciplines. Together we have assembled an impressive list of academic degrees and dance certifications creating a uniquely diverse, well rounded team eager to share our knowledge and professional experience with our entire dance family.
Through the inherent rigors of a Classical Dance education our students have the chance to achieve personal excellence while enjoying a safe and compassionate place to artistically explore the world and intellectually evolve. Success is defined differently for each individual and we are here to help each dancer as they work towards achieving their personal goals. However, I have created a curriculum that not only facilitates the individual growth of a dancer but does so while placing an equally important emphasis on being an active, productive member of our community. We strive to fuse ‘personal goals’ and ‘personal responsibilities’ with the ‘shared responsibility’ of existing within the community at-large. Here, the ‘individual’ and the ‘community’ share the center of the learning experience, thus fostering a strong emphasis on following through with commitments both to oneself and to the community.
I do not just preach these ideals. NMYB is an extension of the philosophy to which I have committed my entire personal and professional life. I have spent the better part of two decades dedicated to honing the craft of employing Dance as the foundation of a holistic educational experience. My students do not just learn steps and movements but are introduced to History, Culture, Art, Music and Language while inadvertently learning self reliance, appreciation for tradition, time management, self esteem, self expression and personal responsibility. Ironically while studying a strictly codified, structured art form, my students become increasingly open to growth and interested in learning in ways typical educational metrics simply cannot quantify.
Finally it must be said that NMYB is a place where joy, laughter and love are always at the heart of everything we do. Our kids are not just students but active members within a thriving extended family; our community is further fostered by a culture in which mentorship is fundamental. Our faculty shares the responsibility for passing down knowledge and the grand traditions of Dance with hand selected student mentors. On any given day you will find a more experienced dancer always there to help a younger student–be it to help sew a first pair of pointe shoes or help a beginner master the magic of opening a fan properly. With every heartbeat and underneath all the sweat and hard work, our community is ultimately based on finding (and reveling in) the simple joy of making the world a more beautiful place. Welcome to Norwalk Metropolitan Youth Ballet.
Adam James Holms, MA
Owner/Artistic Director, Norwalk Metropolitan Youth Ballet