Tag: you-should-know

(Photo courtesy Beyond the Stars) Michelle Quiner is the epitome of technique and artistry in perfect harmony: Sure, she makes quintuple pirouettes on pointe look like a cinch, but it’s this 15-year-old’s emotive quality that captivates audiences. Michelle’s talent has won her such titles as National Miss Teen Onstage New York and Miss Junior Starpower, […]

Dora Dolphin in She is Like The Swallow (by Neil King) With a name like Dora Dolphin, you’re bound to be famous. But forget her catchy name—10-year-old Dora’s talent and poise speak for themselves, and they say she’s one to watch. Dora started dancing when she was 2 1/2 in her hometown of Minneapolis, MN, […]

Simone in Yearning (photo courtesy Hall of Fame Dance Challenge) Simone Cameresi’s solo, Yearning, begins with only spoken word as the soundtrack. At Hall of Fame Dance Challenge Nationals last summer, she created music with her body instead—hitting accents where there were none and seamlessly moving from one phrase to the next, unfazed by the […]

Madeleine dancing a variation from Coppélia, Act 1 (I. Siggul/Visual Arts Masters) With perfectly arched feet and a petite frame, 14-year-old Madeleine Gardella looks like a jewelry box ballerina. She stands just 4 feet 11 inches tall, but exudes the confidence and maturity of a seasoned professional. Her port de bras is unmannered; her musical […]

Larsen performing her solo at Showstopper American Dance Championships (David Hofmann) You’ve probably seen the dance-centric Microsoft Surface commercial directed by Jon M. Chu—it stars a handful of our favorite dance celebs. But it’s a little schoolgirl with red pigtails who really stands out among the talented bunch: Larsen Thompson. Watching Larsen perform, it’s clear […]

I think my favorite column in Dance Spirit is the one on the last page of each issue: “You Should Know.” We use this page to highlight a standout up-and-comer who is awesome now and, we predict, will be stealing spotlights in the very near future. In the January issue, we introduce 9-year-old Kayla Mak. […]

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 […]

Camren Bicondova (by Michael Higgins) Whether she’s in class at L.A.’s Millennium Dance Complex, demonstrating at The PULSE On Tour or competing on “America’s Best Dance Crew,” it’s easy to pick Camren Bicondova out of a crowd of dancers. She’s probably the smallest, with the cutest pixie cut—and she probably has the most swagger. At […]