Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Noltimier.
Hi Brittany, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey guys, I’m Brittany Noltimier, and I grew up on a farm in North Dakota. My mom owned the dance studio, and I always knew I would grow up to become a professional dancer and teacher. Being from a small town, we had to work extra hard for additional training and opportunities. My mom would drive me 2 hours on a Sunday just to take one extra ballet class a week; while being the sole teacher and running her full-time dance studio.
The plan was to go to college for dance/musical theater – but I had no idea where to even begin when choosing a college. There are zero colleges in North Dakota that even have a dance program… let alone a good program that would train me for the professional world. We spent thousands and so much time traveling to different universities across the country to finally know my best fit was the last school I visited, Oklahoma City University. I received a great education and graduated with a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance Performance. After college, I moved to New York City as a dancer for two years. I came down to Orlando, FL on vacation and never wanted to leave. While on vacation, I attended five auditions and booked 3 of the 5. I thought that was a pretty good sign, so I packed my bags and moved to Orlando to work as a dancer/singer/actor at Universal, Legoland, Seaworld, and Disney.
I had so much fun getting acquainted and familiar with the performing life in Orlando, but I’ve always continued teaching, gigging, and judging dance competitions. While judging in small towns in Georgia, I started to dig back into my roots and tap into my passion, bringing professional dance opportunities and training to dancers from small towns. In May of 2018, I opened my first company and became the INSTADANCE COACH. As the Instadance Coach, I offer professional dance coaching and mentoring to young dancers all over the world. I work one-on-one with these students to bring them to the next level, gaining confidence, improve technique, and become the total package. Instance is a supplement to serious dancers who are looking to have an edge and stand out on stage and at a competition.
In 2020, I found a need to help students get into college for musical theater and dance. With everything shifting to virtual auditions, it was really hard on the students and I created a few ways to help high school performers. Instance Coach created the “Dance Colleges and Careers” Podcast, where I interview deans and heads of the department to learn what makes each school special. We have episodes from the University of Arizona, Oklahoma City University, Point Park, Southern Methodist University… and so many more. I also created a way to make auditions a little bit easier for the stressed-out high school seniors with my College Navigation plan. Basically, I thought… what did I need at this age? And made that exact program to guide with choosing vocal pieces, monologue, and guidance through the many dance auditions. As a true believer in the benefits of college, I love helping high school seniors find their place in this world where they will succeed.
And finally, I’m excited to announce that I am the new owner of Central Florida Performing Arts of Orlando, FL. Under the direction of the incredible Delisa Dean since 1998, my sister, Bambi Fadoul, worked as her choreographer to create fantastic, larger-than-life youth theater before passing the choreographer role to me. And now, as the artistic director, it is my passion to bring theater back to life in our community for the students. We are performing Sister Act Jr. on May 21st and 22nd, 2021. Stay tuned because we are aiming to open a second location in Lake County this Fall!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has training dancers in a world when they haven’t been allowed in dance studios a smooth road… of course not. Has trying to revive a youth theater program in the middle of a pandemic on a smooth road… absolutely not!
But I chose this path. I chose to stick to my passions in a world of pivoting… and I am in it for the long haul. I finally get to plant my roots and plan for the future as an artist and an educator. Performing is what I know, it is what I’m good at, and I am not giving up on my students because things got a little hard. Opening a youth theater program in the midst of a pandemic is certainly not the safe choice, but I feel passionate about letting kids perform and be on the stage. I said I’m not doing this unless we can do a live performance where their parents get to watch. It was very difficult, and I had to jump through a lot of ropes, but we are up and running and will only be stronger next year for it. And you know what… my students in Sister Act Jr. are kicking butt and can’t wait for show weekend!
I will also add for my fellow artists out there… it is not the easiest to have artistic skills but then turn it into a business. There is a lot to learn in order to run a business and more pieces behind the scenes than I ever could have imagined. I learn how to do new skills and new lessons each day. But I try to take these lessons as gifts, even though they can sometimes be costly via time or money.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
The thing I’m most known for is my performing quality and positive nature. In college, we were always given this simple lesson, “This is ShowBiz,” and it is. People want to be entertained! Judges, the audience, even your teacher… want to be entertained. So if you give an entertaining performance, flaws and mistakes can be forgiven. I help my students tap into what makes them stand out and what makes them unique. I specialize in college prep, musical theater styling, ballet and jazz technique, and tap training.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I truly feel I am still working to my success. But the way that I am going to achieve my success is through persistence and confidence. Feeling confident in my plans of action and following through with them is most important in this path and the persistence to get work done each day efficiently.
And of course, my amazing support system who offers guidance and listens patiently while I spit out new ideas at a million words a minute. Thanks to all my family, friends, and Brenna & Joey, to whom I owe my organization, success, and sanity.
Contact Info:
- Email: brittany@cfpatheater.com
- Website: www.cfpatheater.com, www.instadancecoach.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cfpatheater/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cfpastarkids
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF8khquR6r7eFaZtJ8WEh5Q
Image Credits
Michael Cairns Lauren Hebert Jesse Kramer
