On Saturday evening, Dance Spirit editor-in-chief Alison Feller and I attended one of our favorite summer dance events: The New York City Dance Alliance closing-night gala. It’s always jam-packed with dance celebs (Oh hey, Jakob Karr!) and is never lacking for awe-inspiring talent. Here are a few highlights from the night: The Rockettes opened the […]
Alexia Meyer performing her title-winning solo at New York City Dance Alliance Nationals in 2012 (photos courtesy NYCDA) For years, Alexia Meyer struggled with comparing herself to other dancers. “I would feel confident going into a competition, but as soon as I saw other dancers’ abilities, I would second-guess what I was capable of,” says […]
Dana Wilson may be one of New York City Dance Alliance’s most popular hip-hop teachers, but it’s hard to put her in just one stylistic box. Yes, she knows how to hit it—hard—but she can also be playful and girly. Sometimes she’ll even go full-on lyrical, composing lush, fluid phrases. Wilson was born in Aurora, […]
Offstage, 9-year-old Kayla Mak is like any other 4th-grader. She’s a happy kid who likes math and watching TV. (Her favorite show is “So You Think You Can Dance,” of course.) But get her onstage and you’ll see a whole different Kayla—a girl who’s anything but ordinary. At the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation’s […]
by Nathan Sayers When Megan Skalla traveled to NYC as a Cover Model Search finalist back in April, the DS editors were blown away by her stellar dancing and sweet, sincere personality—and clearly, you were, too. After more than 10,000 total votes (a CMS record!) and a race so close it came down to the […]
Dancers perform at New York City Dance Alliance Nationals in NYC (PROPIX/NYCDA) The week leading up to Nationals can be nerve-racking. You’re about to perform in front of an audience of peers from across the country—not to mention that panel of industry-expert judges! So how can you make sure you’re ready to compete, without psyching […]
Kaitlynn Edgar should be exhausted. She flew directly from “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 8 Vegas Week to Dallas, TX, where she spent three days assisting at New York City Dance Alliance. From there, Kaitlynn flew to her home state of Michigan, then hopped on another plane to NYC for the Cover Model […]
As a serious dancer, it’s easy to let your favorite genre become your identity, whether you’re a contemporary queen, tapper, comp kid or ballerina. Yet it’s no coincidence that shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” reward well-rounded dancers; after all, breaking out of the mold often enables you to reach your full potential. […]