Season 2 of Dikshitar-250, curated by Veena C. Seshadri, will feature solo dance performances of the composer’s works.
How Jessica Gaynor, Artistic Director of Young Dancemakers Company, Helps NYC Teens Find Their Choreographic Voices
Each summer, Young Dancemakers Company brings together a diverse group of teens to create and present their own choreography at multiple venues throughout New York City. A fully tuition-free summer intensive for public high school students citywide, YDC was launched in 1996 by educator Alice Teirstein. It’s now run by artistic director Jessica Gaynor, who was a student of Teirstein’s at The Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the 1990s; Gaynor works as an independent choreographer and performer. Along with music director William Catanzaro, associate program manager Ivi Whitehead, and program assistant Tiana Ayala, Gaynor provides YDC participants with the opportunity […]
What My Teacher Taught Me: Meagan Cubides on the New World School of the Arts Modern Teachers
When I think about the dance teachers who influenced me, the modern program at my performing arts high school stands out. Bambi Anderson taught Limón, Rebecca Cannan taught Horton, and Peter London taught Graham. I think having codified modern techniques from ages 14 to 18 took my training to a whole other level. I grew up as a competition dancer and took ballet classes at Miami City Ballet School. To have these modern techniques available within a public-school education was life-changing. For people like me with diverse backgrounds and financial situations, this free education was an incredible opportunity. I got […]
Celebrating Excellence: Highlights From the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards
On Tuesday, October 7, four incredible dance educators—Lori Belilove, Roger Montoya, Dianne Walker, and Sylvia Waters—received their well-deserved flowers for their unwavering commitment to dance education at the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards ceremony, which took place at The Loft at City Winery in New York City. The unforgettable celebration—made possible with the support of sponsors 92NY Dance Education Laboratory, Starbound, Connor Dance, and Oklahoma City University’s Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment—was filled with heartwarming moments and powerful reflections. The memorable and inspiring quotes from each of the honorees’ speeches moved the room and reminded us all why […]
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 […]
How to Start the Semester Strong as a New Professor
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 […]
An exhibition on Bharatanatyam exponent Chitra Visweswaran’s artistic journey
The nine-day exhibition, held recently in Chennai, looked at Chitra Visweswaran’s contributions as a performer, choreographer and teacher.
Dancing beyond 60: Avantika Bahl’s Prime proves that age is just a number
‘Prime’, with eight dancers aged between 60 and 71, looks at the ageing body and the lived experience it carries. The show will be staged at the Tata Experimental Theatre, Mumbai, on November 16.