“You belong.”
That’s the motto New York City Dance Alliance faculty member Desmond Richardson, who specializes in contemporary jazz/ballet, says is always emphasized when dancers walk in the door. “What I notice here at NYCDA is that courage, that belief in oneself, that belonging is prime,” he says. “And really, for me, it’s everything.”
As a dance convention, NYCDA focuses on education and serves as a connector between the convention world and the professional dance world. It offers resources and professional training opportunities such as intensives, industry-led workshops, scholarship programs, college auditions, and more.
Richardson, who is also co-founder and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet in NYC, describes the culture of NYCDA as “effervescent,” and has seen firsthand how the organization invests in dancers’ futures.
Indeed, that was one of NYCDA’s primary purposes when founder and executive director Joe Lanteri started it in 1993. Lanteri says that while he didn’t think the world needed another dance convention or competition, he felt there was a need for an experience that didn’t end on a Sunday afternoon when people left. “I really feel that we are invested beyond just giving a few classes on the weekend,” Lanteri says. “We’re trying to teach life skills beyond the dance world itself.”
Making Parents Part of the Conversation
NYCDA doesn’t only invest in dancers—parents are supported through seminars, classes, and more to help them understand and navigate their children’s dance journeys. “Parents have become some of our greatest champions,” Lanteri says.
Every convention weekend, Lanteri makes himself accessible and holds a parents’ meeting to share his knowledge about the skill sets dancers need to be successful in life. “You can see how it resonates that we’re not just talking about ‘You have to have the highest battement in the room,’ or ‘You have to do the most turns,’ or whatever their vision of the dance competition world is,” he says. “They realize that we’re talking a different language, that we are truly investing in their kids growing up to be successful and happy in whatever field they choose.
”These talks have especially resonated with Sarah Bordeaux, whose 13-year-old daughter, Irie Deters from Dance Arts Academy in Traverse City, Michigan, first experienced NYCDA in 2022. They have since attended a total of six Regionals and three Nationals. Bordeaux says she was immediately comforted by Lanteri’s perspective on the bigger picture: “I know he was talking to 100 people, but at that moment, I thought he was talking to me. He said, ‘I don’t care if you get the triple platinum, titanium, gold, silver, striking lightning award. I care if you’re the dancer who goes back and says ‘I want to accomplish this, this, and this, and these are my goals’—and you’re kind, and you show up.’ And Irie had gone and done that, and to hear that she’s in an environment that supports that mindset [was reassuring].”
Embracing Uniqueness and Focusing on Learning
NYCDA prides itself on providing a supportive, noncompetitive environment. Its secret sauce? All dancers are recognized and celebrated for the individual energy they bring to the room, and “not just a select few that happened to do the choreography the best,” Lanteri says. “We’re trying to instill in the dancers that your uniqueness is your special power.”
Staff want participants to feel seen, safe, and inspired, and that’s exactly how Bordeaux says her daughter, Irie, feels after an event. Going into her first NYCDA Regionals, Irie felt a little overwhelmed and wasn’t sure if she could do it—until tap faculty member Chloé Arnold reassured her personally. “I think it was that moment there,” Bordeaux remembers, “that Irie said ‘These are my people.’ And we haven’t looked back.”
Throughout competition weekends, dancers are encouraged to move around the room and connect with people of various backgrounds, all while being reminded to embrace their individualism and celebrate their own small successes.
“[Oftentimes], dancers are waiting for the outside accolade, the applause. And that is a part of it,” Lanteri says. “But we have to learn how to celebrate the growth and the small steps that we take. That’s how we don’t burn out. That’s how we make sure that we continue to love this forever.”
Another mantra at NYCDA is “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn,” and Lanteri believes this mentality shift from the usual awards-driven mentality is important for dancers. “Trophies and prizes come and go and they lose their luster,” he says. That’s why NYCDA focuses on learning and emphasizes the importance of kindness, support, work ethic, and perseverance.
Scholarships and Professional Training Opportunities
Something else NYCDA is known for is the opportunities it gives beyond the typical convention dance class. Through the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation, which Lanteri started in 2010, college scholarships are given out, and through NYCDA’s network of dance educators and institutions, professional training scholarships are awarded at every competition weekend. Whether they’re for classes at Steps on Broadway or Broadway Dance Center or summer intensives at Complexions Contemporary Ballet or Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, NYCDA’s professional partnerships provide dancers with opportunities to continue their training after the weekend ends.
NYCDA also now partners with more than a dozen colleges—including Pace University, Marymount Manhattan College, and Point Park University—every summer holding auditions through which the schools can recruit dancers for their programs. During NYCDA’s New York City and Phoenix auditions in July, 227 dancers received more than $26 million total in scholarship offers.
Community, Mentorship, and Investing in Dancers’ Futures
NYCDA also invests in dancers’ futures by cultivating long-lasting relationships and putting mentorship and community at the forefront of its programming.
“We don’t measure our success by how many people show up or how many dancers we cram into a ballroom,” Lanteri says. “Our success really is measured by our alumni, and we say that proudly because we have dancers literally in all corners of the globe, in all facets of the industry.”
One of Richardson’s favorite parts of NYCDA is watching dancers grow over time. “For me, mentoring is a big deal,” he says. “And I have a few young people [from NYCDA] that I’m mentoring today.” One of those mentees is Christian Burse, who has danced with Complexions for several seasons, was recently in Amazon Prime’s “Étoile,” and is preparing to perform in the upcoming Broadway-aimed Prince musical, Purple Rain. Richardson says they talk often and that Burse reaches out to him for advice. This type of mentorship is something very full-circle for him, as he still calls upon his own mentors—Lanteri being one of them.
For Lanteri, the relationships cultivated are what he treasures most and how he sees the difference NYCDA is making. “If I am able to have a positive impact on a young person, what’s better than that?” he asks. “If I can in some way feel that I have helped guide someone into their future, that is one of the greatest blessings and greatest rewards.”
Learn more about the NYCDA experience here, and check out its 2025–26 tour schedule.
The post The NYCDA Difference: “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn” appeared first on Dance Spirit.