Both mom and daughter were happily immersed in the ballet world until March 2020. Konora is the ballet heroine and face of Once Upon a Dance. Her mom spent the pandemic learning InDesign, publishing, Web sites, marketing, and piles of things outside a dance instructor's wheelhouse.
Konora is a professional ballerina and has danced with Texture Contemporary Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and Ballet Idaho, and spent 2 years in the Professional Division at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Konora’s mother—Teacher Terrel—taught creative movement and ballet for decades and was honored to be recognized by her local City Council for embodying the spirit of partnership and commitment to children in our community for her work with young dancers.
If you want to know more, further details below.
Terrel's happy to talk books, ballet, or author life with anyone, anytime. She especially loves connecting with bookstores, dance studios, dance shops, schools, Girl Scouts, libraries, classrooms, or daycares.
Importance of Books/Reading
A discussion of how books launched a whole new career, then an interactive reading.
Ideally 20 minutes for 10-50 K-3rd grade students
Creative StoryMoving
An interactive reading, then we create a new story together.
Ideally 20-30 minutes for 10-20 2nd or 3rd grade students
Dance-Related
Anything/Everything including
Author-Related
Dance-Related
Author-Related
Teaching-Related
Once Upon a Dance books have won many awards/endorsements:
• Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
• Outstanding Creator Awards Top 10 Author of 2022
• Outstanding Creator Awards Top 10 Author of 2023
• PenCraft Award First Place Winner
• Mom’s Choice Gold Award Recipient
• Family Choice Award
• Firebird Book Award First Place
• Royal Dragonfly Book Award First Place
• StoryMonsters Approved
• Purple Dragon Book Award First Place
• B.R.A.G. Medallion Award
• International Impact Book Award Winner
• Maincrest Media Award Winner
• Golden Boar Cover of the Year
• Pinnacle Book Achievement Award - Best Book Juvenile Fiction
• Outstanding Creator Awards Winner (Best Children's Book, Winter 2022)
• Readers Favorite Certified Great Read
• Love Reading 4 Kids Indie Books We Love
• Literary Titan 5-Star Book Award
• Indie’s Today 5-Star Recommended
• Wishing Shelf 5-Star Emblem
Once Upon a Dance is a proud member of
· Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
· American Library Association
· Alliance of Independent Authors
· Pacific Northwest Writers Association
· National Dance Education Organization
· American Booksellers Association
· Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
Mom-Daughter at ArtEmotion Summer Intensive
Teacher Terrel taught creative movement and ballet for decades. She was honored to be chosen and recognized by her local City Council (2014) for embodying the spirit of partnership and commitment to children in our community for her work with young dancers.
Her training included Ballet Met and The Louisville Ballet. Before having children, her dance classes were for older kids and adults, but she developed toddler and preschool curriculums after witnessing the joy her young daughter found in dance. She was selected for and completed a nine-month certification program with King County Arts Commission on teaching arts to children.
Complementing extensive dance experience, she served as a Program for Early Parent Support Board Member as well as Bellevue College’s Family Advocate. She studied child development and early childhood education in graduate school. As a Peace Corps volunteer, she taught English and dance at the University of Namibia.
She’s breathed dance from every angle: child to pre-professional to adult ballet student, zoom student, dance teacher, dance mom, competition mom, ballet-school parent-guilder, audience member, recital planner, business owner, and board member.
She lives in Washington with her husband, son, a handful of hard-luck-case cats, and many plants she should have given up on years ago.
Teacher Terrel (AKA Konora's Mom)
Ballerina Konora's professional performances include:
· FlockWorks Dance (Video)
· Ballet Idaho
· Texture Contemporary Ballet
· Pacific Northwest Ballet
· Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
· Seattle International Dance Festival
· Eva Stone's Wander in the Wonder
· William Miglino's Catalyst
Prior to COVID, she was a Professional Division student at Pacific Northwest Ballet under Artistic Director Peter Boal. Her previous ballet training includes Ballet West Trainee Program and Emerald Ballet Academy.
She’s a YAGP regional first-place winner and took a contemporary duet to YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition) New York finals.
She attended summer programs at:
· Ballet Met, Edwaard Liang, Artistic Director
· LINES Ballet, Alonzo King, Artistic Director
· Hubbard Street, Johnathon Alsberry, Artistic Liaison
· Grand Rapids Ballet, James Sofranko, Artistic Director
· Pacific Northwest Ballet, Peter Boal, Artistic Director
· ArtEmotion Choreographic Workshop, Allison BeDona and Rex Tilton, Artistic Directors
· Ballet West, Adam Sklute, Artistic Director
· Ballet Austin, Stephen Mills, Artistic Director
· Ballet Chicago, Daniel Duell, Artistic Director
· Oregon Ballet Theatre, Kevin Irving, Artistic Director
Ballerina Konora - something beautiful from CORONAvirus. (PC Once Upon a Dance)