Spotlight On: Shannon Fitzgerald

What brought you to Cambridge Center for Adult Education?

I've always been drawn to music theory and different forms of dance, and the performing arts have long served as a creative and meditative outlet for me. Searching for a new hobby during the coronavirus quarantine, I enrolled in CCAE’s virtual beginner guitar class where I experienced the organization’s community and creative energy firsthand. I was excited to join the staff as the Senior Marketing Manager in 2022 and began instructing ballet in the 2023 Winter Term.

Why do you think students are drawn to ballet class?

Students tell me that they want to reconnect with something they once loved in childhood while others are fulfilling a long-held dream, and some use ballet to stay active and flexible as adults. What initially drew me to ballet was the precise, disciplined nature of its movements and the ritual of daily practice. I loved deconstructing this graceful, elusive art form into its fundamental movements and underlying patterns.

What is the most rewarding part of teaching?

When I began teaching dance ten years ago, my goal was to create an inclusive and supportive space where every dancer feels safe and confident in their body and abilities. My mission is to share the joy of dance and to strive to make ballet accessible to all students, regardless of their prior experience or natural ability. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a student’s face light up as they dance or watching a complex step finally “click.” Their joy continually renews my own passion for dance, creating a cycle of energy that flows back into the classroom.

What is one thing about dance that you hope to share?

Whether it’s ballet or Bollywood, tap or salsa, dance is for everyone! Dance is a mode of non-verbal communication that has existed across all cultures since ancient times. I view ballet as one language out of many, where students can develop their dance vocabulary in order to further their own connection with their bodies and self-expression.