TAMPA, Fla. – Philip Neal is the artistic director of the Next Generation Ballet at the Straz Center.

He’s been in this role for nine years.

“There’s nothing like standing, looking at a young person into their eyes and helping them developmentally both technically but artistically. And I just think there’s something wonderful about ballet, that it has to be passed down in a traditional way,” said Neal.

Before he started teaching dance, Neal spent 24 years with the NYC Ballet.

“I remember saying to my mom when I was 11, 'Oh I’m going to move to New York and be a professional dancer.' And she’s like 'OK honey, fine' but that is exactly what I did,” said Neal.

Towards the end of his professional dancing career, he started to teach ballet. He says he loves helping young dancers reach their full potential.

“I just fell madly in love with not only the process of teaching and educating people and seeing them go off and many of them pursue a professional career but just the Straz Center itself,” said Neal. He went on to say, "I just like to know that we did our job and gave them the fundamentals and we empowered them to go and be their own success story. I’m proud of them but I don’t own it. It’s theirs.”

Neal teaches all kinds of dance classes to all age levels.

For more information about the Next Generation Ballet, click here.