At 17, Kira Chan is living the resumé most professional dancers dream of—all while fitting in her history homework. Attending dance competitions and performing industry gigs, she balances an intense dance schedule alongside her senior year of high school. Chan, born and raised in Los Angeles, started her dance journey like many: baby ballet and […]
Since 1994, Starbound National Talent Competition has put a focus on the people rather than the competition. And as a former dance teacher herself, Starbound founder and president Sandra Coyte is still striving to do just that. “I came into this industry wanting to do different things that would benefit the dance studios,” Coyte says. […]
Cameron Janson has had a heck of a year. After winning Outstanding Dancer at New York City Dance Alliance and Dancer of the Year at Tremaine Dance Convention in 2024, the 18-year-old spent his weekends from November to May touring with both competitions across the U.S. On top of that, he’s been auditioning for professional […]
Competition routines can be opportunities to showcase stories from a range of cultures and perspectives. But without careful consideration, the line between inspiration and appropriation can begin to blur. Here’s how to avoid cultural appropriation and instead create routines that will help students of all backgrounds expand their horizons. What Is Cultural Appropriation? In a […]
Tremaine Dance Conventions & Competitions started as a dream: A dream to share the fresh, new training techniques and material being taught in major cities like Los Angeles and New York with dance students throughout the country. President and co-founder Dr. Joe Tremaine (who received an honorary doctorate from The University of Arizona) has a long history of working with […]
As an educator and the founding director of Francisco Gella Dance Works, Francisco Gella has nearly 30 years of experience teaching at colleges, conservatories, studios, competitions, and conventions. Now, he is combining the best aspects of all these diverse environments in ROOTS Dance Summit. “I created ROOTS Dance Summit as a hybrid of sorts,” says […]
It’s no surprise that more and more dancers are choosing to choreograph their own solos for competitions: It grants them creative freedom, gives them a chance to practice choreography, and allows them to find what movement works best for them. But what about dancers who want to choreograph a duet, trio or even a group […]
What happens when a feel-good dance competition is faced with the challenges of a pandemic? It pivots (pun-intended) and finds another way for dancers to keep doing what they love safely. For National Dance Showcase, that meant trading the traditional touring model and creating its own home base—NDS HQ—in Voorhees, NJ. “We are truly in […]