“I love mistakes and confusion before we get to clarity and precision,” says dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher Lori Belilove. For her, the point of teaching dance is to “tap into the student’s artistic imagination.” Belilove is a direct heir of Isadora Duncan, whose students were Belilove’s teachers. Since 1989, she has been artistic director of the Isadora Duncan Dance Company (IDDC), the New York City–based resident performing troupe of the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation. Teaching and dancing are one and the same to Belilove. “I teach as an artist,” she says. “I’m a little bit like Isadora in that […]

“I’m kind of going to go off script for a minute,” Dianne Walker says within the first minute of our interview. With a chuckle, she adds, “Like I needed to preface that.” For a teacher who is as beloved worldwide for sharing stories as she is for sharing steps, it’s no surprise that she’s eager to begin with an anecdote about fellow Bostonian and renowned tap dancer Jimmy Slyde. “Sometimes, after a show, Slyde would look at me and say: ‘Thanks for taking the time,’ ” she remembers. “Every time someone ‘takes the time’ to acknowledge your contribution to something that’s […]

A researcher at IIT-H and a classical dance, Jayachandran Surendran’s ATAM supports cross-style training by focusing on form-neutral and style-neutral dance fundamentals.

Your journey to the stage starts here!  Starbound is giving away a travel set to one lucky Dance Teacher reader.  Valued at $300, the Starbound Travel Set includes a rolling suitcase and backpack.  The Starbound Rolling Suitcase features smooth-glide wheels, a retractable handle, and spacious compartments for costumes, shoes, and travel essentials. Lightweight yet durable, it’s perfect for jet-setting or road-tripping to your next competition. The Starbound Backpack keeps your daily essentials within easy reach. With padded straps, multiple compartments, and a bold Starbound design, it’s comfortable, stylish, and perfect for on-the-go. Whether you’re heading to regionals, nationals, or a […]

Erick Hawkins made modern dance history as the first male dancer accepted into Martha Graham’s company, but he also earned success as a choreographer and creator of the Hawkins technique. His movement was characterized by a free-flow aesthetic—one that required hidden strength—and informs many of the somatic disciplines we know today, like Body-Mind Centering technique. A late bloomer, Hawkins discovered dance in his early 20s after seeing a performance by German dancers Yvonne Georgi and Harald Kreutzberg. The summer after he graduated from Harvard University, he studied with Kreutzberg in Austria. Hawkins’ next stop was New York City, where he […]

The dancer, a disciple of Nityakalyani Vaidhyanathan, performed at the Music Academy’s Mid-Year Dance Festival.

Matt Del Rosario’s life is a testament to the impact great dance educators have on their students. If it wasn’t for his mentors, Del Rosario, born and raised in Hawaii, wouldn’t have had a professional performing career, nor would he have established his Hawaii-based dance nonprofit, Flow Kākou. It all started when high schooler Del Rosario, who was struggling with dyslexia and failing academically, met hula instructor Edward Collier. “He changed my mind about what I thought life was,” says Del Rosario. Through Collier’s school, Hālau O Nā Pua Kukui, Del Rosario went on to compete at the Merrie Monarch […]

Each summer, Dance Teacher celebrates educators who have made a profound impact in the field. Our 2025 Dance Teacher Award recipients are trailblazers, community-builders, and legacy-keepers whose influence in their students’ lives—and in the larger dance world—is deep and far-reaching. Stay tuned for the official announcement of this year’s honorees later this month, as well as articles about what makes each of them so special.  Of course, our four Dance Teacher Award winners aren’t the only top-notch educators we’re spotlighting in August. For example, we’ll introduce you to former Pilobolus performer Matt Del Rosario, who created Flow Kākou to share […]