The new dance season has just begun, which means dancers around the country are choosing which conventions to attend this year. If all the choices are making your head spin, you’re not alone. Between higher expectations, the stress of competing and social media, many dancers find themselves in a race the moment they begin their dance journeys. […]
Like most of us, Amanda-May Wilson grew up dancing for fun all the time. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, most of her dancing was done through sneaking into the rehearsals of her childhood church mentors. But she also spent much of her time obsessing over the world’s greatest superstars on music videos and live […]
Most seasoned dancers would agree that the best part of competing isn’t just the trophies—it’s the people you meet and the opportunities you discover. A fellow dance mom who’s run two successful studios herself, Encore DCS co-director Rhonda Marchant knows comp life like the back of her hand, which is why she treats every dancer, […]
Between travel restrictions and the economic burdens of COVID-19, you may not find yourself able to convention-hop every weekend as per usual (or you might find yourself attending virtual, rather than IRL, convention events). But that doesn’t mean your dance training has to suffer—especially if you’re conscientious about applying your convention lessons and corrections to […]
Kati Simon has worked as a teaching assistant with ADRENALINE Dance for more than four years. Though the convention circuit has been put on pause by the COVID-19 pandemic, in the past, she’s had the chance to dance alongside industry notables like Sonya Tayeh, Nick Bass, Sarah Reich, and more. And according to Simon, there’s […]
Attending multiple conventions throughout the year has become increasingly popular among dancers. Conventions provide valuable exposure to world-class faculty, not to mention coveted scholarships and assisting opportunities. But most dancers at weekend conventions also have a full plate of classes at their home studios during the week—a difficult lifestyle to maintain. So, should you be […]
Back in 2011 when Joe Lanteri first approached Katie Langan, chair of Marymount Manhattan College’s dance department, about getting involved with New York City Dance Alliance, she was skeptical about the convention/competition world. “But I was pleasantly surprised by the enormity of talent that was there,” she says. “His goal was to start scholarship opportunities, […]
Is there anything better than a dance convention? Frankly, we don’t think so. Although we love getting a guest teacher to come to our studio for a masterclass every so often, there’s just something so exciting about packing up our leotards and dance shoes and heading to a convention for the weekend. Here are 7 […]