Lara Ciganko MFA, ACUSA, Advanced Emmett Practitioner

With over 30 years of teaching experience, Lara has taught at Minnesota Dance Theatre, Ballet Arts Minnesota, Florida School of the Arts; St. John's River State College, Tallahassee Ballet, Booker High School VPA, and Deborah Vinton School of Ballet with whom she began her training. Aside from being teacher and Co-Director at Midwest School of Ballet, she has been teaching at PIM Arts High School (formerly Main Street School of Performing Arts High School) since 2007 http://pimartshs.org . Lara has a MFA, Dance from Florida State University and holds the Associate teaching credentials with Cecchetti USA and the ISTD. She is currently serving a third three year term on the National Committee for Cecchetti USA. 

 

Lara passionately teaches both ballet and modern to her students with methods that emphasize a strong codified technical foundation while fostering creativity, vocabulary, dance wellness, anatomy, and history. Her teaching is enhanced by her performance experience gained with companies such as Ballet Arts Minnesota, Tallahassee Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet and The Vanaver Caravan. Lara also enjoys sharing her Carpatho-Rusyn and Slovak heritage by directing and dancing with the Lipa Slovak Dancers (adults) and directing Carpathy (children) folk dance groups.

 

Aside from teaching and directing, Lara is also an Advanced Emmett Technique Practitioner and tutor. Emmett Technique is a safe and gentle muscle release therapy that addresses and improves muscle discomfort, pain and body movement. It also aids in restoring a positive emotional state and improving quality of life.