We were lucky to catch up with Margaret Russell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Margaret, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents supported me. They believed in my passion and supported my training. They were my constant cheerleaders. They also put me in my place when needed and didn’t let me run away from hard situations.

Margaret, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. Ballet was my first love, and I knew at a young age that I wanted to be a professional dancer. Throughout my professional performance career, I taught at various dance schools and soon realized that I was meant to be a teacher and share my love for Ballet with a younger generation.

I founded Greater Annapolis Ballet (GAB) with one goal in mind and that goal was to provide my students with a nurturing environment and great training. I am proud of every single student that comes into our building and feel honored that I get to share my passion with them.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Not everything is going to be perfect. Not everyone is going to like you.

Something I understood as a performer but seem to fight as a Director. I want the absolute best for all GAB students and that tends to put a lot of pressure on me. I have had to learn that mistakes are growth and are necessary, and that the want to make everything perfect is what keeps me fighting.

As a teacher, I feel like I have so much information to give to everyone, and I want to give it to everyone. But that does not mean that I am the right teacher for everyone. IT took me a long time to understand that it is alright if a dancer works better with someone else. Ultimately, I just want children to dance, so it doesn’t matter who they do it with.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to provide inspire young artists and ensure an everlasting love of dance. I want to provide a healthy and nourishing environment with a strong focus on classical ballet, while exploring other techniques to shape well-rounded dancers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://greaterannapolisballet.org/
• Instagram: Greater Annapolis Ballet
• Facebook: Greater Annapolis Ballet

Image Credits
Photographer: Yaseen Jones (Shinee Studios) Logo Designer: Darin Gilliam