Hannah McNany brings a wealth of experience in dancing and teaching to the Santa Ynez studio
Fossemalle Dance Studio welcomes Hannah McNany as a new ballet teacher to their staff of dance teachers and choreographers. McNany has been dancing since she was 3 years old, ultimately receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance and completing a four-year satellite program with the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England.
Additionally, McNany’s ballet background includes training with the Santa Clarita Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, Ballet Met, performing with Peter & Co., and Quicksilver Dance, along with many others. She is also a SAG/AFTRA member and has appeared in many commercials, movies, and TV series.
McNany initially reached out to Christine Fossemalle, the owner of Fossemalle Dance Studio, about taking an adult ballet class. She took her class, and Fossemalle immediately recognized McNany’s technique and skills and ultimately asked if she would be interested in teaching ballet at her studio.
“With my 40-plus years of experience observing dancers along with my extensive training, I could tell
that Miss Hannah’s technique and skills were there from the very first barre exercises; then moving to
the center, as we say in ballet terminology, her knowledge and artistry continued to please and
encourage my thoughts towards having her watch my classes first and then come and teach for me,”
said Fossemalle. “That was our evolution, and the outcome was positive, and I am delighted
she is joining our team of dedicated teachers.”
Dance has been a part of McNany’s DNA from childhood.
“I started dance lessons at the age of 3 in Alabama, where I was born,” said McNany. “Both my parents are from the United Kingdom and immigrated to the United States in 1981. My dad is a rocket scientist and was the head of propulsion for JPL, which is what brought us to California when I was 7 years old. My mother is retired from Cunard Cruise Lines, so as a youth I was able to do a lot of traveling.”
After arriving in California, McNany continued her dance by taking classes at the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy and studied there through her grade school and high school years.
“I knew I wanted to get a degree, so I attended San Jose State and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance,” she said. “In my last year of college, one of my professors, Gary Masters, offered me a place in the Limón technique-based dance company, San Jose Dance Company. I stayed with them for quite a few years, then moved to San Francisco and started freelancing as a dancer.”
McNany toured with a number of different companies in San Francisco while continuing to teach ballet.
“I wanted to become a teacher in classical ballet teaching studies, so I enrolled in the Royal Academy of
Dance (R.A.D.) in London, England, and completed their four-year satellite program,” she said.
In the meantime, she continued teaching, got married to her husband, Colin, who was a winemaker in the Santa Cruz Mountains, moved to Manhattan Beach, and had two children.
“Since my husband was originally from Southern California, we used to visit his cousin in the Santa Ynez
Valley for family celebrations, and we fell in love with the region,” said McNany. “In 2019, we started our own wine brand, Marbeso, in Buellton. After years of commuting, we decided to move the family to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2023.”
She said they found the perfect house, built in 1883, in Los Alamos. The building originally sat on the Alisal and was moved to Los Alamos, the home being the second oldest in the town.
“Now that my son is almost school age, I was ready to get back to teaching ballet, and I look forward to
working with Christine in the fall,” McNany said. “I will be teaching six classes of various ages, groups, and levels.”
Fossemalle said McNany will be teaching some of her longtime students at the studio.
“For ballet, it is important and beneficial to have another set of eyes that compliments and broadens the training, both technically and artistically,” said Fossemalle. “Miss Hannah will bring our students her ballet expertise, her extended experience as a teacher and performer, and her desire to share her knowledge with the next generation.”
“I am very happy to share my students, both newcomers and current, with Miss Hannah, as she seems as passionate as I am about dance. Hannah will provide and ensure excellence in the field of ballet for newcomers as well as experienced dancers.”
McNany is equally pleased to be instructing at the studio.
“I am very much looking forward to teaching at the Fossemalle Dance Studio and passing along my
passion and knowledge of ballet with the students of the Valley,” she said.
Classes start on Sept. 2. They encourage early fall registration as their enrollment is limited to 10 to 12 students per class to provide the best possible attention to detail required for the Art of Dance.
Fossemalle Dance Studio is at 3595 Numancia St., Santa Ynez. For more information, call (805) 688-8494 or visit www.fossemalledancestudio.com
