On 18 November, the National Association of Dance Teachers awarded the Classical Ballet Dance Teacher Award to Mónika Barna, ballet artist and associate professor.
The master teacher the Hungarian Dance University (HDU) and artistic director of the Allegro Ballet Studio wrote an emotional post on her Facebook page, thanking everyone who has contributed in any way to her recognition.
She also expressed her gratitude to her students whom she has taught over the past twenty-two years.
Did you expect to get this award either early in your career or recently?
Since I had been informed about it, I was expecting it. Seriously, for me it was a big surprise, I was incredibly happy. Did I expect it before? Not at all. I didn’t even think about it. That’s not why I started teaching. I thought about teaching when I was young. Fortunately, life brought me to the point where I was a dance teacher relatively soon at the age of 30.
What does this award mean to you?
It’s a great pleasure. It’s been a long time since I’ve been recognised, so it was almost a new feeling. This award is a confirmation that I have not been working in vain in the last 22 years. I think the awards mean something like that. It’s also obviously a motivation, because not every day is easy in your life, there are ups and downs, but these moments always give strength.
After such a recognition, do you have any specific goals for the future? Is this award going to influence you in this respect?
I always have goals, but my everyday life is not affected by this award. What is really important are my students and the opportunity to pass on to them what I have learnt from my great predecessors. I would also like to thank my students, both professionals and amateurs, because I have taught a lot of children and adults over the last twenty-two years. Without them, this award would not be mine, and I can only achieve such results with children.
What makes you keep going day after day? What has triggered this dedication in you?
Perhaps it all goes back to my childhood. I grew up around the stage. My father was a vaudeville director and my mother a singer. I brought this dedication partly from home.
Congratulations to Mónika Barna for the award and we wish her the best for the future.
