About The Director

Hello! Thanks for landing on our page!

Could I share a little piece of my story with you? I love to dance, I love teaching dance, and I love children. I feel that a dance teacher needs these (3) elements to be successful.

I take the role of dance teacher seriously, as I am not just training dancers, but the next generation of humans.

Personally, I've had a lot of setbacks in life, including a career-ending knee injury, a cancer scare, divorce, etc. I've experienced injury, illness, loneliness, and loss. But for some reason, I have been blessed to always be surrounded by children...

...When was the last time you looked, really looked at a child? They are so very fragile and trusting. They will mimic the behavior that they see.

They will follow where we lead. We must lead with love.

"Happy Dancing!"

Miss Brit

Britannia Tatko’s pursuant of the performing arts started in Rutland, Vt where she learned all dance forms offered. She performed in stage productions with Vermont Chamber Ballet, including "Clara" in The Nutcracker and competed in regional and national dance competitions in lyrical, ballet, musical theatre, and jazz categories.

She first was exposed to choreography of George Balanchine when she learnt the children’s “bug dance” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, staged by Garielle Whittle, New York City Ballet’s Children’s ballet mistress . After seeing daily performances of NYCB during their Saratoga summer residency at SPAC, Tatko was inspired to learn the Balanchine technique. She began her pre-professional ballet training at age 13 under Michael Steele at Ballet Regent, Saratoga, NY, where she also studied Luigi technique jazz under Gary Marino. Later, she would study with Luigi himself at his jazz center in NYC.

professionally trained dance ballet teacher

amar ramasar and britannia tatko new york city ballet

Garielle Whittle, NYCB

Amar Ramasar, NYCB

britannia tatko and michael steele new york city ballet

With Michael Steele, the teacher who still influences.

“A teacher affects eternity;

he can never tell where

his influence stops.”

With Laura Young, Boston Ballet, above

Boston Headshot, below

A Classical Education

At age fifteen, Ms. Tatko auditioned and was accepted into the Boston Ballet Summer dance program and was subsequently invited to attend their year-round company school. There, she was personally mentored by American ballet icon Laura Young. She completed high school through correspondence classes while professionally training at Boston, including curriculum in Flamenco, modern, partnering, and Character dance. Her roles in Boston included Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, Le Fill Mal Gardee, Swan Lake (Little Swans), Coppelia (peasant pas de deux), Divertimento No. 15, Distant Glow as well appearing onstage with American Ballet Theatre in Don Quixote in Boston.

Ballroom Transition

After a complete knee reconstruction surgery, Brit transitioned into the world of competitive ballroom dancing first under Paul Pellicoro at DanceSport (NYC), while completing her Bachelor of Arts Degree at Fordham University – Lincoln Center.

Six months later at her inaugural competition, she placed 4th place in the World Novice Cha-Cha Category the International Hustle and Salsa Competition in Miami, under coach Tatiana Logishev. She soon would change her competitive focus to Standard Ballroom. A successful International Standard partnership resulted in winning top competitions, including Manhattan Dance Sport Championship and Empire Dance.

She received her teacher training certificate from Stepping

Out Studios, under the care of Simone Assboeck. She has taught at Stepping Out, Evolution, Arthur Murray Manhattan 5th Ave, and freelance.

professional ballroom dance competition champion

director was former professional competitive dance

She has choregraphed over 100 couple their “First dance” wedding dances!

Teaching in NYC

In 2014, she worked with Brighton Ballet Theater in establishing the first Manhattan location of the School of Russian American Ballet. She continued to teach ballet, jazz, and lyrical to NYC children in LES Manhattan. She has providing dance training and consultation to Team Puerto Rico Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics team and New York Acquatic Artistic Swimming Club members.

Through Pierre Dulaines’ “Dancing Classrooms” program, she has taught elementary school age inner-city NYC youth. Through this, the children learned the life-long appreciation for dance!

Brit has her professional Performing Arts certification from Dance Educators of America, of which she is a member in good standing.

Student Success

Her students have been accepted to numerous prestigious training programs including ABT, BalletTech, San Francisco Ballet, etc., and have performed live in performances with the Mikhailovsky Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, New York City Ballet, etc., Hershey Park, PA.

Additionally her students have won numerous high scores at competitions. Competitive highlights as a teacher/ Choreographer in the past 5 years include:

Overall Judges Choice Award (Diva Competition, jazz solo)
Excellence in Choreography Award, (12 and under, large group jazz, Nexstar)
Directors Choice Award (TCDC, Teen Small Jazz group)
Overall 1st Place (Advanced junior large group jazz, Starpower Talent, Nexstar)
Overall 1st Place, Overall 2nd Place (Advanced Junior overall solos in lyrical and, jazz, Nexstar)
Overall 1st Place (Junior Musical Theatre trio, Believe)