Verity Ballet Opens Studio in Ada, Offers Classes in Lowell

Hannah and Noah Trulock have spent most of their lives immersed in the world of dance.

She was pursuing a career as a professional ballet dancer when an injury moved her into a teaching role. He studied contemporary dance in school and then spent eight seasons with a professional company in Indianapolis. More recently, the couple has worked together as dance instructors.

“We do a lot of tag-team teaching,” Hannah says. After a day of teaching, the couple would often discuss how they could improve or how they would run their own classes, Noah adds.

Now, the two are getting a chance to put all their ideas into practice as they launch Verity Ballet in Ada and offer dance lessons at The Old Theater in Lowell as well.

“Basically, we’ve put this all together in 50 days,” Hannah shares. She and her husband began offering ballroom dancing lessons at The Old Theater earlier in the summer and are excited to now welcome dancers to their new studio space at 583 Ada Drive in Ada.

To celebrate the opening of Verity Ballet, the couple is offering a free trial week through Sept. 10, 2023. Anyone who can register and attend a class for free in Ada to see if the studio will be a good fit for them.

Dance Lessons with No Mental Trauma

It is an unfortunate reality that many in the dance world are subject to abusive training, according to Hannah and Noah. In fact, they say it becomes something of a badge of honor among professional dancers to say you’ve endured training under certain instructors.

Hannah herself has been subject to abusive teachers. “The training I got from them was good, but the method was awful,” she says.

With Verity Ballet, Hannah and Noah want to create a place where dancers can receive elite training but in a supportive environment.

“People want to do what they love (and) be in a place where they enjoy it,” Hannah says. She and Noah hope that place will be Verity Ballet. The word verity means a fundamental truth, and for the Trulocks, that represents their belief in God. Other values that guide their business include integrity, helpfulness, leadership, responsibility and honesty.

The goal at Verity Ballet is that everyone walks away with a “good relationship with dance,” according to Hannah. She stresses that although the studio is focused on fostering a positive experience, dancers still get elite-level training.

“If your kid wants to be professional, this is the place to be,” she says.

Class Options at Verity Ballet

While ballet is in the studio name, Verity Ballet offers classes in several forms of dance. Current offerings include the following:

• Pointe
• Partnering
• Ballet
• Variations
• Jazz
• Contemporary
• Stretch and Strengthen
• Moonlit Ballroom

Of these, Moonlit Ballroom is currently offered at The Old Theater in Lowell on Wednesdays from 7-8pm. People can enroll in the class in advance or simply drop-in. Fees for drop-in participants are $15 per person or $25 per couple.

The Lowell ballroom classes have been popular and are rapidly filling, Hannah says. There has been some consideration to splitting the class into two sessions: one for beginners and another for intermediate-level dancers.

Eventually, there may be additional classes in Lowell, but for now, all other classes will take place at the Ada studio. Classes will be broken down by age, and there will be a beginners ballet class for teens. With many dancers starting instruction when they are very young, Hannah and Noah say this option will allow beginning teens to take classes alongside others their age. Adult classes are also offered.

Hannah and Noah also say keeping classes small is a priority to ensure all students receive personalized instruction. The goal is to keep the student to instructor ratio at 6:1 for most classes with a few exceptions, such as ballroom dancing.

Verity Ballet Ensemble to Perform Locally

In addition to classes, the studio will also form a Verity Ballet Ensemble. This pre-professional performance group will be composed mainly of students between the ages of 9-19 although some performances may be open to dancers who are younger or older.

As a member of Grand Rapids Ballet, Hannah participated in performances at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, local libraries and nursing homes. “That really lifted me up,” she says. “I wanted to bring that back.”

So far, the Verity Ballet Ensemble is expected to perform at the Englehardt Library in Lowell, Maple Ridge Manor and Heather Hills. One of their first performances will be of The Nutcracker.

“The Nutcracker we’re putting together is a condensed version,” Noah explains. At 20 minutes, it is intended to be more accessible for those with young children. Hannah and Noah have a two-year-old and know that traditional ballet performances are simply too long for most children of that age to enjoy.

Children who wish to be considered for the ensemble can be evaluated within their class, if they are enrolled at Verity Ballet, or schedule an audition.

Grand Opening and Free Trial Week at Verity Ballet

To see the Verity Ballet studio yourself, stop by 583 Ada Drive on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 12pm for a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by ice cream at Scoopers between 12-2pm. Parking can be found in back of the building, and the studio is located on the second floor.

There is also an opportunity for students of all ages to participate in classes for free during a trial week that runs until Sept. 10, 2023. There is no cost to attend classes during the trial week, but participants should register to reserve their space.

Classes at Verity Ballet in Ada take place on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The ensemble will meet on Sundays, a day that was selected to avoid conflicting with other dance studio schedules, according to Hannah. She notes the ensemble could be a good performance supplement for students who take classes elsewhere but want more experience in front of an audience.

For more information about Verity Ballet or to register for classes, visit their website. You can also follow the studio on Facebook to stay updated on new class offerings or other news.