“In Grandma’s Attic is the brainchild of a quiet creative genius.”

The classes look deceptively simple because the instruction is woven into the fantasy and fun in a masterfully subtle way. In one class the children experience a mini-adult class: warm up, technique, across the floor, rehearsal of combinations and then a small costumed “production.” Miss Bailay knows where each child is in her development and takes each child so to heart...Watching my girls dance is one of my greatest pleasures. – Katie

“Miss Bailay was incredibly enthusiastic about helping to plan my daughter’s fourth birthday Swan Lake-themed party.”

She wove a captivating tale for the girls using story-telling and movement. All of the moms in attendance thought that it was a truly delightful party, and the girls had a ball. It was a wonderful experience overall, and I highly recommend Miss Bailay. You won't be disappointed. – Jessie

“Miss Bailay created a beautiful birthday party for my 4 year old with a sensitive and fun dramatization of the Sleeping Beauty story.”

The live piano music by Mr. Piano was a very special treat. I would recommend her party services to anyone who has a child interested in imaginary play and dance. – Amy

“Superheroes of the Ballet ~ “This is an ideal class for boys!”

My son loves dance, but by age 4, he no longer wanted to be in a room full of girls dressed in pink. Miss Bailay has created a truly wonderful all-boys class that combines imaginative story-telling with formal ballet technique. Every week, I see my son’s face light up with joy as he uses his body to express his imagination. Using costumes and props, the boys dance a story — one week they are wizards and the next week they are princes. They also learn the basics of ballet. The class is rigorous yet playful. I don’t think there’s any class like this for boys anywhere else in New York City! – Nina

“I can still remember the look of pure joy on my snowflake daughter’s face as she danced at the end of her first Nutcracker Workshop.”

She’s taken this workshop and many others any number of times since then, and each time Miss Bailay gives an intensive, age-appropriate look at how stories are put together, staged and rehearsed. Miss Bailay presents many workshops throughout the year and they’re a good introduction to her approach. Some examine a ballet classic or fairy tale in detail; in others, the Fix-It Fairies may be asked to change the action. During the summer, multi-day Rehearsal Workshops take students through steps in the rehearsal process of that week’s ballet. Of course, my daughter just knows that each time she’ll have lots of fun. After ballet class work, there’ll be a selection of stories, craft projects, games and dress-up in Miss Bailay’s endless array of props and costumes, many of them professional. And in the end, everyone gets a turn to dance. – Laura

“My daughters, aged three and five, have studied ballet with Deborah Bailay for the past two years and have found this experience to be richly rewarding and nurturing.”

Miss Bailay has brought out their natural desire to learn and play imaginatively. With her unique approach to ballet, she addresses the creative process rather than just the end result. Her classes stress what is important for the child’s development without the pressure of the performance...They have begun the creative process for themselves and have taken the artistic expression of dance and made it their own rather than having it imposed upon them...Deborah Bailay is a very rare and special teacher that comes along only once in a great while. – Katharyn

“While we have tried several early dance programs in the city, In Grandma’s Attic is the only dance program that I would recommend for young children.”

Deborah Bailay...truly knows how to tap into a child’s creative energy...Her instructors seem especially aware of the students’ developmental levels, and they emulate the gracefulness of dance as they inspire the students to find their own joy of dancing...The In Grandma’s Attic program contains a literacy component that I have never before found in a children’s dance program. Each dance class involves the incorporation of stories, which are read aloud to the students, and then discussed and acted out by the students with beautiful props and costumes. This lends unique early literacy support to the students, as it enriches their sense of story and reading comprehension. All the while, the children are simply enraptured. – Theresa

“As a parent, I love Miss Bailay’s program. She is giving the girls a solid foundation in dance, while at the same time conveying to them that dance is a way to tell a story. ”

She captures their imagination and encourages their sense of fantasy. I have the unique privilege of having studied with Miss Bailay at the Washington School of Ballet when I was a child. How lucky that she is guiding my daughter as well! – Natanya

“Miss Bailay is a lover of her craft and young children...she has a wonderful creative streak.”

Our six-year-old daughter...has studied with Miss Bailay for the past four years. During that time, we have come to know and love this extraordinarily brilliant and talented teacher... For the very young, it’s pure fun with age-appropriate ballet vignettes and costumes. What she does with her older students is to instill a sense of celebration and reverence for the art of ballet through example and dedication...She is firm, but loving. She corrects with positive reinforcement. She is always enthusiastic, always patient...Miss Bailay is a superb role model, not only as a dancer, but also as a person. – Mary and Basil

“In Grandma’s Attic is that wonderful balance that you can rarely find in New York...”

- a committed, creative ballet program that incorporates the interests and joys of young children. My daughter has grown to understand the fundamentals of ballet while maturing as a choreographer and member of an artistic ensemble—all while having heaps of fun! –Vanessa

“It’s been truly wonderful watching my daughter grow up under Miss Bailay’s wing.”

As a three-year-old, my daughter loved dressing up in costumes and acting out each new chapter of the ballet stories and fairy tales Miss Bailay would read to the class every week. Now as an eight-year-old, she’s learning choreography Miss Bailay creates for the girls as they develop stories together. Five years ago, I watched as Miss Bailay would gently invite each child into the group to dance. Now the girls in my daughter’s class have deep bonds of friendship with each other and with their teacher and are learning the importance of working together as a group. If you’re looking for someone who can raise girls, nurture self-confidence and offer a solid foundation within the structure of an ongoing ballet program, Miss Bailay has more than 25 years of teaching experience cultivating the sheer joy and deep love of ballet in girls like my daughter. – Laura

“Kayla learned so much from taking yoga classes with Miss Bailay. ”

She can do many of the basic yoga poses that are taught in adult classes. Miss Bailay is a most patient teacher and I like that she does not “dumb” it down but still makes it so much fun for the kids. – Doris