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 […]
Imagine getting the chance to be choreographed on by Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, and then performing in front of Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul and Zendaya. Or getting invited to take classes with artists like Nick DeMoura and Tucker Barkley in L.A. Sounds surreal, right? But these are real-life opportunities being offered by hip-hop–based organizations—Monsters of […]
Eastwood teaching at The PULSE On Tour “My mom always told me, ‘Your goal should be to get paid for what you truly love to do,’” Ian Eastwood says. “Now I get to make her proud every day.” This dancer/choreographer is living the dream, all right. You probably recognize him from “America’s Best Dance Crew” […]
The studio I grew up with was big when it came to competing. It was our thing. Conventions? Not so much. The first time I attended a convention class was at Headliners Nationals in Atlantic City, NJ. I was 12 or 13 at the time and had no idea what to expect. I remember walking […]
Madi Hicks demonstrates onstage during a convention class. (ProPix) You’ve seen it before: That girl standing front and center in the convention ballroom, who seems to pick up the choreography without even thinking about it. She executes each combination perfectly the first time the music plays. The faculty members know her by name. How can […]
Dance Spirit has teamed up with health and nutrition expert Caroline Lewis-Jones to bring you advice about how to keep your bod in tip-top shape. Caroline is a seasoned performer (she’s danced with *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Mia Michaels, Dee Caspary and many more!), a certified holistic health coach and a personal trainer—plus she’s currently teaching […]