Nikita Carney, Phd

Sociology Professor and Dancer

Baton Rouge, LA

“Growth and Personal Impact”

Vanessa is a kind, warm, and encouraging dance teacher who has made a real impact on my life. I have danced with Vanessa Isaac since 2014, initially in person for 5 years and more recently in her virtual live classes as I have moved to Baton Rouge, LA.

While in graduate school, dancing with Vanessa helped me to cope with the intense stress of academia. I always left her classes feeling grounded, rejuvenated, and ready to take on life’s challenges.

Vanessa also creates a beautiful and supportive community through dance. That community made me feel immediately welcomed and cheered me on as I made it through various milestones and setbacks of earning my doctoral degree.

Vanessa’s deep knowledge of Brazilian dance engages students in a culturally respectful but also joyous celebration every time she teaches. Her effusiveness and enthusiasm are infectious as she shares her energy and love of the art form with her students every single time she shows up to the studio. Her dedication to her craft and to sharing dance with her students is astounding.

I came to Vanessa with years of dance experience under my belt, but under her tutelage I have been able to grow. I have grown stronger and more graceful in my dancing as I continue to learn from Vanessa’s smooth style and musicality. I always leave Vanessa’s classes physically exhausted and with a big smile on my face.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to dance with Vanessa these past years and I look forward to continuing to dance with her from afar for years to come! Vanessa, her hard work, and her caring spirit have truly changed my life for the better.

Nikita Carney, Phd is a professor in the Department of Sociology at Louisiana State University. Her areas of expertise are Race, Gender, Migration and Ethnography. Nikita is also a dancer.