Every Topopolilly gymnast is expected to attend three hour-long dance classes each week. Classes are offered from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with a class starting at the top of each hour. Gymnasts may attend more than three classes if they wish; they may also arrange for private one-on-one lessons with the instructor.




Topopolilly's head dance instructor is Madame Anastasia Breschnaya. Anastasia's parents defected to the U.S. from Ukraine, and she was born three months later in New York City. Her parents both had extensive ballet training and opened a dance studio in Maine. Ana spent much of her childhood in this studio. She took gymnastics classes as well, and competed for her high school team. She attended Columbia University for two years, but when her mother died she dropped out of college and began teaching at the dance studio with her father. When her father passed away, she sold the studio in Maine and accepted the position at Topopolilly she currently holds.
Madame Breschnaya's experience in both dance and gymnastics put her in a unique position to work with world-class gymnasts. She is able to work with gymnasts coming from very different dance backgrounds, effectively helping each gymnast to reach her potential.




Laura Miller is the assistant dance instructor. Laura has been a dancer since she turned six, and danced professionally for a number of years. Now thirty years old, she is unable to train as intensively as a professional dance career requires because of a back injury.




Click here to view scenes from the dance studio!