From director shifts to faculty appointments, here are the dance educator moves you should know about from fall 2025. Gerald Casel has been named the Carole and Dan Burack director of The School at Jacob’s Pillow. He succeeded current education program specialist J.R. Glover, who stepped down from the post in January, and interim director Leah Brandon, in mid-September. Brandon continues as associate director. Blanca Huertas has been named director of The Ballet Hispánico School. Christopher Powney will succeed Ernst Meisner as artistic director of Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company when Meisner becomes artistic director of the main company in […]
Navigating the Adjustment From Comp Star to College Student
For competition kids, pursuing a dance degree is a natural extension of the years of dedication they’ve put into their craft. But the transition from the fast-paced buzz of the competition and convention scene to the college classroom isn’t always seamless. As two former champions and a college dean share, once on campus, competitive dancers need to adapt their mindset, priorities, and approach to training—shifts that can result in unexpected and illuminating opportunities for growth. Back to Basics After capping off her competition career by winning Senior Female Best Dancer at The Dance Awards Nationals in 2024, Sierra Drayton was […]
Breaking Down the Different Kinds of High School Dance Teams
What’s the difference between dance team and pom team? Drill and majorette? Step, song, and color guard? Each kind of team is found in high schools all across the U.S. (and even beyond). But not every school has every kind, and genres can differ based on culture and geography. There are also overlaps in elements like choreography, props, and venues, and “dance team” is even considered a category of its own within the larger umbrella of high school dance groups. To provide some clarity, Dance Spirit spoke with coaches and dancers from some of the most popular kinds of high […]