Family of the Month (FOM) is awarded to parents that go the extra mile to help other families at Pas De Deux Hawaii! This family will receive a free month of tuition, compliments of owners Wendy and Jeremy Gilbert. Want to nominate a deserving family? Email us!
The Taylor Family
Aloha Pas De Deux! We are the Taylor family: dancer Lana (ten), Dad Joseph, and Mom Lauren. Thank you for the opportunity to share a little about our family!
Lana began dancing ballet at Pas De Deux at four years old, and her first recital was melting her parents’ hearts as an angel in The Nutcracker. After a little break, Lana decided she wanted to return to dance and has been a dedicated student of ballet ever since. Last year Lana joined the Prep ballet team for her first competition season and has gained such confidence, she has been inspired to expand into other genres of dance next season. Ballet remains Lana’s favorite genre of dance and she has absolutely loved every one of her ballet instructors at Pas De Deux since day one. Lana’s favorite aspect of Pas De Deux is all the friends she makes; she looks forward to seeing them every class.
Participation in other activities and sports has come and gone for Lana, but ballet has preserved. The beauty of dance is your child is an artist and an athlete. Our advice to new families at Pas De Deux is to recognize how hard the kids work in class. Attend the “Bring a Parent to Class” week and try the warm up alone… you may never say no to a treat at Nina’s after class again! Know that at Pas De Deux, your child is learning focus, dedication, and camaraderie. We also recommend participating in a performing class at least once. The productions Pas De Deux put on stage are so polished and professional, you will be proud to bring your family and friends to watch the recitals.
Mom, Lauren, is a Fish and Wildlife Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service working to protect endangered species in the Mariana Islands. She is also a Marine Science Technician in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve... with 15 years (and counting) of experience doing ballet buns! While it is tough to balance, one benefit of Mom’s frequent deployments is Lana has already learned to do her own bun for ballet, for when Mom is away. Dad, Joseph, is excited to be retiring this year after serving 20 years in the U.S. Coast Guard as an Avionics Electrical Technician navigating on C-130 airplanes. Joseph has been stationed in California for the past three years and will return to Hawaii later this year. Mom is equally excited to have a helping hand getting Lana to her dance classes again, and signing Dad up for his volunteering shifts at recitals, too!
Mahalo nui loa to Jeremy and Wendy for their hard work running the studio, and the very kind recognition of Family of the Month. With much aloha,
The Taylor Family
