Nan Brett discovered her passion for dance as a young student in Boston, MA. She continued with her dance studies as an undergraduate at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY majoring in Psychology and Dance. It was during this time that she studied with many respected members of the dance community who helped to shape her foundational beliefs about the importance of excellence in dance education. Notable influences included Elizabeth Carroll (Joffrey Ballet), Felix Smith (American Ballet Theatre); Mary Hinkson, Ethel Winter & Lucinda Mitchell (Martha Graham Dance Company; Lila York (Paul Taylor Dance Company), Lonnie Moretton (Ailey II), Peggy Hackney (Laban Institute) and Isabel Brown (professor of Dance at Skidmore College).
After earning her degree at Skidmore Nan taught Modern Dance and Creative Movement and eventually deepened her interest in the benefits of dance as not only a performance art but also as a path to health through exercise and recreation. Inspired by the broad reach and accessibility of dance/exercise, Nan added studies in Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology to her post graduate credentials while at the University of Southern Maine.
In 1994 Nan purchased the beautiful old ballroom in the Block Building in Harrison, ME and the neighboring function rooms and recreated their purposes as a Movement Arts Center serving a wide range of movement modalities as well as a wide range of students and community members. Continuing to teach, Nan maintains her credentials as a Certified Fitness Instructor through ACE (American Council on Exercise), is an American College of Sports Medicine/American Cancer Society Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer, a Reiki Master and is a Biomechanics Method Corrective Exercise Specialist and an Institute for Integrative Health and Fitness Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist. Nan is a December 2018 graduate of the New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts - earning her certification and licensure through the State of Maine as a Licensed Massage Therapist. Nan is the Director of The Ballroom.