Naomi Roberts

Using a Structured Preschool Dance Program to Build a Strong Training Pipeline

Naomi Roberts, owner of NA Dance Company in New South Wales, Australia, understands that a successful studio needs more than great classes. It needs a clear pathway for students to grow from their earliest dance experiences into more advanced training. For Naomi, that pathway begins with a structured preschool program.

Naomi uses the Little Dancer Program in her youngest classes, introducing students to dance in an engaging, age-appropriate way before transitioning them into the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus. This early foundation helps her studio maintain continuity while preparing dancers for more formal study later on.

She also values how the curriculum supports lesson planning and weekly structure—something many studio owners find challenging when balancing teaching, administration, and growth.

For Naomi, having adaptable lesson plans makes it easier to maintain consistency across her program while still responding to the needs of her students and schedule. “This allows the freedom to build continuity as well as being easily adaptable. I found it helps to break down the lessons and allows for alternate weeks of routine, keeping our students engaged.”

A Preschool Program That Supports Development and Confidence

Naomi has been teaching dance since she was 18 and has owned her studio for five years. Among all her classes, her Tiny Tot ballet group (dancers ages two-and-a-half to four) remains one of her favorites to teach. She values seeing the developmental growth that happens in these early years, both technically and personally. One of her proudest moments came when her Tiny Tot class performed on stage independently for the first time. Last year, they completed their performance without needing a helper onstage—only occasionally glancing over to check that Naomi was nearby. For her, moments like that reinforce how important a supportive early training environment can be for building both skill and confidence.

Building a Studio with Vision and Long-Term Goals

Like many studio owners, Naomi is balancing her passion for dance with long-term goals for her business and personal life. She and her husband hope to build a family and eventually create a more self-sufficient lifestyle—a reminder that studio ownership often intersects with broader life goals and responsibilities.

When we asked what advice she would give to other studio owners, Naomi emphasized something many entrepreneurs in the dance world understand well: persistence.

“If you are passionate about something, follow your heart and you will find a way. Be kind to yourself when things aren’t ‘seeming’ to set in pace and keep preserving.”

For Naomi, building a preschool program with structure, continuity, and a clear progression path has helped her studio create a strong foundation that supports both her students’ development and her studio’s long-term growth.