Welcome back to Season 9 of the Recovering Perfectionist Podcast!

In this episode, Christine chats with our newest Dance Wellness Community Ambassador, Nina Fisher. Born in Ukraine, Nina moved to the Netherlands at the age of 10. After high school she moved to one of the most international places; Monte Carlo where she graduated with a Masters of Science in Hedge Funds and Private Equity. She spent 15 years working in finance between Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the U.K (London) and Switzerland (Geneva) where she met her amazing husband Evan. They later moved to the U.S. where Nina became an attorney.

Her life had absolutely nothing to do with dance, but one night Nina saw a video of Nino Dzneladze dancing the Paso Doble and she couldn’t sleep that night. All she could think about was how Nino moved. As any attorney does, Nina did her research. She learned about International Latin and discovered her next inspiration: Anna Kovalova.

Shortly thereafter Nina found her coach Slava Viskanov and started her dance journey at the age of 41. Now 9 months later she's at the studio 6 days a week. Dance has completely taken over her life and changed it for the better. She had the absolutely honor of training with the legendary Anna Kovalova and soon she will be training with the women, who with just one dance, changed her entire life: Nino Dzneladze.Nina's first competition was Hawaii Star Ball. The competition, the location, it was pure magic. She won everything including Best of the Best and did her first interview with SEN 1 Media. Little did she know what it meant winning Best of the Best because her next and only second competition would be Ohio Star Ball. She cried when she walked into that ballroom, it was overwhelming. Nina won Ohio. Apparently it was a big deal but all she could remember was how it made her feel dancing there. Then she flew to Vegas to compete at Holiday Dance Classic. Had the best time ever, met incredible dancers, met dancers that followed her journey on social media. She won again. Nina knows that consistent training has a lot to do with this but one judge told her that her passion for dance shows and that's just as important.

But Nina is still at the very early stages of her journey and she has a lot to learn. Some say she's delusional thinking she could be this incredible dancer considering she started at 41, some say she's obsessed, but Nina says: “I found my true calling and I consider myself extremely lucky because some people never find it.”

DANCE WELLNESS COMMUNITY:

Join us in the INNER CIRCLE:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dancewellnesscommunity.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH NINA:

https://www.instagram.com/dancing_with_nina_/

CHRISTINE BAR NOEL:

All The Things! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/christinebarnoel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/recoveringperfectionistpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Welcome back to Season 9 of the Recovering Perfectionist Podcast!

In this episode, Christine chats with our newest Dance Wellness Community Ambassador and first one to represent Ballet, Ian Parsons. Ian is an internationally recognized ballet educator, choreographer, and former professional dancer whose career spans elite classical performance, commercial theatre, and advanced professional training. A double graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School, he completed both the Professional Ballet Program and the highly selective Teacher Training Program for Former Professional Dancers, earning the Betty Oliphant Award for Excellence in Teaching.

As a performer, Ian danced with The National Ballet of Canada and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, working with choreographers including James Kudelka, John Neumeier, Jiří Kylián, and Jean-Christophe Maillot. His career also includes appearances in the feature film adaptation of Les Misérables, the Olivier Award–nominated West End revival of Cabaret, and the UK and European tour of Cats, with the distinction of performing at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Opera House.

Following his performing career, Ian developed an extensive teaching and leadership practice across Canada, the UK, and the United States. He joined the artistic faculty of Canada’s National Ballet School, where he taught across all levels of the Professional Ballet Program, from foundational training through to stage-ready repertoire. During his tenure, he created the school’s formalized pas de deux curriculum and served as Manager of the International Exchange Program, overseeing international placements for more than 100 students annually. His students have gone on to perform with companies including The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dutch National Ballet, Boston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Houston Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and The National Ballet of Canada, among many others.

In addition to his work at NBS, Ian has taught and choreographed for professional training programs and institutions in Canada and the UK, including Performers College, The School of Ballet Theatre UK, Chantry School, Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, and the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, with choreography presented by Youth America Grand Prix and conservatory-level programs across North America and Europe.

Ian’s teaching philosophy is grounded in classical rigor, musical clarity, and long-term dancer development. Shaped by years of institutional teaching, curriculum design, and mentorship, his work centers on maintaining uncompromising technical standards while supporting dancers as whole artists, with an emphasis on sustainability, agency, and artistic longevity. Ian is currently the Artistic Director of Ballet Theatre of Phoenix and Convergence Ballet, and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.

DANCE WELLNESS COMMUNITY:

Join us in the INNER CIRCLE:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dancewellnesscommunity.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH IAN:

https://www.instagram.com/ianparsonsballet/

CHRISTINE BAR NOEL:

All The Things! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/christinebarnoel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/recoveringperfectionistpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Welcome back to Season 9 of the Recovering Perfectionist Podcast!

In this episode, Christine chats with Elena Grinenko, owner of KB Tax Advisor and the newest vendor partner of the Dance Wellness Community. Her journey is truly one-of-a-kind for an accounting firm owner, as she initially carved a career as a Professional Ballroom Dancer—Elena proudly holds the titles of Two-Time World Champion, as well as United States and Russian National Champion. Her early interest in accounting manifested when she earned a Math and Geometry Degree in Eastern Europe. During this time, Elena began assisting her mother with the financial intricacies of her business. Upon accepting a job offer in the USA based on her extraordinary abilities in Ballroom Dancing, her expertise in both dance and business flourished. Elena became the owner of several enterprises simultaneously, including a Ballroom Dance Studio, a Talent Agency, a Dance Competition, and an internationally renowned Dance Camp Series. Armed with this wealth of business experience, Elena seized the opportunity to start KB Tax Adviser and contribute to the success of others. Her goal is to transcend traditional tax services by providing personalized assistance. At KB Tax Adviser, they not only handle taxes but also strive to help clients comprehend the intricacies of running a business. She assists them in navigating the legalities involved in both opening and closing their enterprises.

JOIN THE INNER CIRCLE:

https://dancewellnesscommunity.com/

CONNECT WITH ELENA:

https://www.kbtaxadviser.com/

https://www.instagram.com/elenagrinenko/

CHRISTINE BAR NOEL:

All The Things! ⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/christinebarnoel⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/recoveringperfectionistpodcast