Welcome
Old Town Gymnastics Academy (OTGA) is a Veteran-owned and operated family business proudly serving children and families throughout the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area.
A native of the area, owner and head coach Dawn Nelson (“Coach Tuti”) has deep roots in the community and a genuine passion for helping local children learn, grow, and succeed. She has built OTGA around a simple belief: gymnastics can teach children skills that reach far beyond the gym.
For young children, movement comes naturally. Gymnastics gives them an opportunity to channel that energy while learning how their minds and bodies work together. Along the way, they develop coordination, balance, strength, focus, and body awareness—all while having fun!
At OTGA, we like to say that gymnastics is a language of movement, and our philosophy is simple: learn to move. We provide a safe, positive, encouraging environment where children can explore their abilities, take on new challenges, and progress at their own pace.
Coach Tuti works personally with OTGA students while surrounding them with a team of knowledgeable, seasoned instructors. Together, the OTGA coaching staff brings more than 100 years of combined professional experience to the gym and continues its education to stay current with evolving techniques, safety practices, and advancements in gymnastics.
But what children learn at OTGA goes far beyond gymnastics. Every new skill attempted, every challenge overcome, and every accomplishment celebrated helps build self-confidence, self-esteem, independence, and self-worth.
Our goal is not simply to teach gymnastics. It is to use movement, encouragement, and positive experiences to help children become stronger, more confident, and more capable—in the gym and beyond.
OTGA Calendar
Old Town Gymnastics Academy will be closed the following dates:
- Thanksgiving Holiday November 25-29, 2026
- Christmas Holiday December 23-31, 2026
- New Years Day January 1, 2027
- Spring Break / Easter March 26-29, 2026
- Memorial Day May 31, 2027
- Independence Day July 2-4, 2027
- Labor Day September 6, 2027
Philosophy
Our philosophy is to develop a child’s self-esteem by providing many success experiences in a fun and supportive environment without emphasis on competition. Gymnastics develops strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and reading skills. The OTGA Training Program was also created to promote the development of reading-readiness, gross motor and fine motor skills. Laterality, directionality, hand-eye coordination and more are just some of the components of reading-readiness that are used in abundance in our developmental gymnastics programs.
Our Mission
Our Owners, Coaches & Staff
Owners Alex (Coach Alex) and Dawn (Coach Tuti) Nelson lead our experienced staff of coaches.
The coaches at OTGA have many years of experience / training / education. Several are college-degreed (including Masters’ in ESS and a retired CSM). Many are safety-certified and some hold multiple certifications in gymnastics and one is a former USAG clinician / speaker for the gymnastics congress. All coaches teach all classes from preschool to competition team, and several are over the age of 55 offering maturity and experience to round out our team.
Policies
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Tuition is due by the first of the month. Auto pay/debit cash or check is acceptable. Tuition not paid by the 10th will accrue late fees on the 11th. For unusual circumstances please contact the front desk or email oldtowngymnasticsacademy@gmail.com. Classes are NOT offered on major holidays. See Holiday Schedule. Classes missed due to holidays have already been accounted for in our program calendar. Tuition pays for a program costs, not a set number of classes/hours per month, this is especially true for teams’ programs. On the other hand, we do not charge extra for months that have 5 lessons.
- Be dressed in appropriate gym attire. Girls: Leotards with bike shorts or t-shirts with leggings (sports bra underneath). Please be sure their modesty is protected. Boys: t-shirt and shorts/workout pants. Note: some groups will have special requirements such as Archery, Ninja or Cheer. Please check with us if there is a question.
- Be punctual! Proper warm up is crucial for the prevention of injuries and to acclimate younger students!
- Remember to sanitize your hands as you enter the gym floor area and when you get home.
- Be respectful to the class before/after your class and remain in the waiting areas and keep voices low.
- For those who wear beads in your hair: We LOVE the look BUT please keep in mind that the placement of the beads on the top of the head can make tumbling painful!!
- Please supervise and keep siblings off the equipment/tumbling floors (also escort small children to the potty for safety/hygiene). This is for handwashing and leaving the potty clean.
- No shoes on the training floors/mats.
- Please use inside voices/keep volume down on gadgets etc.
- Please CLEAN up after your family.
We offer make-up classes as a courtesy and only one per month per class. Tuition will not be adjusted for missed classes. Make-ups cannot be scheduled by the coach, they must be scheduled through the front desk 336-815-1688 or oldtowngymnasticsacademy@gmail.com If you fail to show up for a scheduled make up, it is forfeited.
