The drama’s certainly heating up on Dance Moms. Last week, we had rumors of Maddie cheating, and the week before, two dancers pulled their solos. But this week topped all that: There was scheming, there was lying, there was even a broken bone! (OK, it was only a finger.) What were my top five moments? […]
What happened this week on “Dance Moms?” Well, Paige and Brooke’s mom Kelli was really angry the whole time, and then Melissa (Maddie and Mackenzie’s mom) tried very hard to suck up to Abby Lee. But as usual, I will skip over all of the silly things that the moms did, and get to what […]
Megan, Alyssa and Hannah (Photo by Nathan Sayers) Each year, the Dance Spirit editors spend hours watching the videos dancers have uploaded in the Cover Model Search competition on dancemedia.com. And while that’s always entertaining—you superstars have some great technique and stellar stage presence!—what we really look forward to is the week when the three […]
Competition dancers work hard to polish their routines. But when they’re finally backstage on the big day, even the veterans can start to doubt themselves. Below, nine professional dancers (all former comp kids!) share the tricks they use to keep cool in these crucial moments. Joey Dowling at NYCDA in 1995 Joey Dowling, master teacher/choreographer […]
Jayci performing her solo at The 2011 Dance Awards in NYC. (courtesy The Dance Awards) At just 14 years old, Jayci Kalb is already living the competition dancer’s dream: She’s performed solos choreographed by convention kings Travis Wall and Nick Lazzarini, she regularly walks away from Nationals with a top title and she spends her […]
Oh “Dance Moms,” the show we all love to hate—or love to love, in my case. So starting now, I’ll be recapping the best of Abby Lee Dance Company every week! Last night’s episode brought the dancers and their moms to Chicago for Energy Dance Competition. Tension was high, the dancing was awesome and, as […]
It’s official: First Position is now playing in a theater near you, and it may just be your new favorite dance movie (look out, Center Stage). If you haven’t heard about this awesome documentary, here’s the gist: The film follows insanely talented young ballet dancers for a year as they prepare for and compete in […]
Olivia Mendez (By Kyla Heinz) Olivia Mendez, 15, has a big dream: She wants to become a professional commercial dancer one day. And with her charm, impressive work ethic and passion for dance, she seems well on her way. But there’s more to Olivia than meets the eye: She has type 1 diabetes, which means […]