The first semester teaching in a university dance program brings new challenges: syllabi to write, office hours to hold, students with questions that extend beyond technique. For educators used to a private studio setting, stepping into higher education builds on familiar skills while introducing new facets to how dance is taught, discussed, and contextualized. “When you’re teaching in higher ed, you, as the professor, are responsible for shaping the culture you want to create,” says adjunct professor Francesca Dominguez. Professors are expected to teach movement, and also to support students in their academic and creative development. “Beyond teaching technique, your […]
Steps Conservatory Puts Professional Training at the Heart of Its Program
Mindy Jackson, the Steps Conservatory director and a contemporary faculty member at Steps on Broadway in NYC, says, “a versatile dancer is a working dancer.” Rather than being split into commercial-dance and concert-dance tracks, all students in the Steps on Broadway Conservatory follow a curriculum that includes ballet and pointe, theater, classical jazz, contemporary, modern, hip hop, acting, vocal, guest choreography, and world dance styles. “Styles are fusing,” says Jackson of the current dance industry. “Broadway is never just one note; contemporary [and] concert dancers are asked to vocalize onstage, tell stories in their movement.” Class assignments could place paired […]
What Makes Competition Routines Go Viral Online?
Competitive dance routines are all over social media feeds these days. For choreographers, studios, and dancers, this kind of viral fame can be thrilling—and it can help a mainstream audience discover the brilliance of competitive dance. (Molly Long’s inescapable “Pop Muzik” choreography for Project 21 has even trickled down to school playgrounds.) What does it take for this kind of dance to go viral? And is online success something competition studios and choreographers should aspire to? Elements of a Viral Dance There’s no exact formula for virality, but bold movement and memorable storytelling are often the building blocks of social […]
Starbound National Talent Competition Marks 33 Years of Experience With Exciting New Opportunities
As Starbound National Talent Competition celebrates its 33rd season, the team knows what keeps dance families coming back. “We’ve always been one of the leaders in this industry, and through listening to our clients’ feedback and making changes, we continue to set the standard higher,” says Sandra Coyte, founder and director. With a calendar of more than 50 Regional competitions and five Nationals, Starbound’s events combine the glamour and innovation of a large-scale production and theater experience with the fairness and personal attention you’d expect from a family-run company. Starbound offers the industry expertise of a woman-owned business founded by a former dance teacher and studio owner. The […]
The Brooklynettes Expand to China in New Talent Variety Show “CheersNets”
The Brooklyn Nets games deliver much more than fast breaks and buzzer-beaters. The Brooklynettes bring just as much fire as the players, turning every game into a show. With punchy, fierce numbers and plenty of sequins, the urban-chic performers have been winning fans across the world since 2012, when the Nets moved to Brooklyn and launched its official dance team. Now, the Brooklynettes are taking that signature style global with CheersNets, a brand-new talent variety show in China. Produced by Tencent in partnership with the Nets, the series puts 45 dancers from across China in the spotlight. Over six episodes, […]