WilldaBeast and…a car? They may be unusual duet partners, but this new ad proves they're a pretty sweet match.
Dancing around all sides of a Mercedes-Benz, William "WilldaBeast" Adams shows off his killer precision and athleticism—and I kid you not, the car grooves right back. Apparently, great suspension is something dancers and automobiles have in common.
And on that note, ad world, listen up: Put more dancers in your commercials! We seriously can't get enough.
It's an increasingly common scenario: A talented dancer wins big at a competition, is offered an assistantship with a famous faculty member, and ends up leaving her hometown studio to travel with a convention. Convention-hopping has obvious benefits. Every event generates new content for dancers to post on social media, gives them a better shot at ending up on their favorite choreographers' accounts, lets them learn from the best of the best, and helps them make valuable connections. "Traveling is a great way for dancers to gain admirers around the country," says Jen Jarnot, owner of Artistic Fusion Dance Academy in Thornton, CO. "That's something every dancer craves." So it's no surprise that weekend FOMO has been blazing through studios like wildfire.
But is this jet-setter lifestyle really the most effective road to take? Can weekends of dancing with top talent truly replace the bread and butter of daily work at your home studio? The answer, according to most industry experts, is no. We asked five pros to explain why.
Your studio is the incubator in which you establish, polish, and sustain your technique. "The teacher-student exchange in a Monday-through-Friday scenario is different than what happens in 45-minute classes with 80 other students," says Hollywood Vibe artistic director and choreographer Liz Imperio. "Come Monday, you need a space to flush out everything you've learned at convention over the weekend. What's that experience worth if you don't apply it and practice it later?"
Studios not only give dancers consistent classes with fewer students, but they also provide a team of people monitoring your technical growth. "Our instructors have lesson plans," says Jarnot. "They know how the progression of classes should go from month to month. Your convention teachers give you cutting-edge movement and connect you to the larger dance community, but they don't have the time to work on your turnout for a year straight."
After traveling the country as The Dance Awards' 2017 Mini Female Best Dancer, and gaining celebrity status through her time as a pro on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars: Juniors," Brightyn Brems seems like an ideal candidate for the full-time assistant life. But Brems "never even considered it," she says. "I've always felt that studios are the best way to keep up your skills. I know dancers who have left to branch out on their own, and their training has gone downhill because they aren't getting enough classes."
Liz Imperio teaching at Hollywood Vibe, Courtesy of Hollywood Vibe
According to Hollywood Vibe founder and national director Christopher Smith, one of the most important benefits of studio training is physical safety. "Having studio mentors is important for your health," he says. "Kids will try something they saw at competition without a teacher's support, and it's to the detriment of their bodies. If you aren't in regular classes, building strength and learning how to do things correctly, you're putting yourself at risk."
For Michele Larkin-Wagner, owner of Larkin Dance Studio in Maplewood, MN, less-than-ideal convention venue conditions are also a concern. "My kids do about three regional conventions per year, and I can tell you that when they get home from three days of dancing on cement, they are pretty sore," she says. "For dancers to be doing that week in and week out—it's just not healthy for their bodies."
Being a part of a team or company teaches you to have respect for other people, and helps you build relationships with those you might not have connected to otherwise. "At your studio, you can make some of your best friends, and learn how to work with different types of people," says Brems. "You're not just a soloist in this industry," Smith says. "Even the best dancers are generally going to be a part of an ensemble. Studio training prepares you for that."
That camaraderie is built through day-to-day work that will benefit you for the rest of your career. "When you leave your studio, you are missing the power of a team," says Jarnot. "You can go so much farther when you have a group of people behind you. If you tell them what your dreams are, they can help you make them happen."
Artistic Fusion students at 24Seven, Courtesy of Jen Jarnot
While conventions do provide more opportunities for fame than studio training does, Imperio says a big following doesn't always lead to success. "You can book a job from social media, but if you don't have the work ethic, consistency, stamina, and communication skills derived from daily studio training, you won't keep it," she says. "People love to feel like they're on top of the world, but to get there, you have to build your mountain. You can't jump right to the top."
Liz Imperio teaching at Hollywood Vibe, Courtesy of Hollywood Vibe
All that said, conventions are still an important aspect of training. "Going to convention opens doors, and gives dancers a new perspective," says Jarnot. If your studio doesn't prioritize conventions, consider speaking with your teachers about the potential of adding a few more to your schedule. If that's not an option, request bringing in more outside choreographers for master classes.
If you want more material for your social feeds, like the weekly videos posted by dancers who travel with conventions, ask your teachers to film your classes. "We actually put special lights in a room for filming class combos," Jarnot says. "Our teachers film whenever it's appropriate, and then send the footage out to be posted."
Artistic Fusion students at 24Seven, Courtesy of Jen Jarnot
While it's valuable to supplement training with conventions, Nationals, summer intensives, and master classes, you don't need to abandon your studio to reap their benefits. "The best way for a dancer to set themselves up for success is to have a buffet of experiences," says Imperio. To become the best dancer you can be, you need to explore many different sides of the dance training world, rather than sequestering yourself in one small part of it.
Sometimes, traveling with a convention might make sense financially, or you might want a short break from studio life. Here are a few tips for making assistantship/convention life work for you in those situations:
Dancers are naturally "in their heads" all the time—but not always in productive ways. Long days of receiving and applying corrections, taking class, and performing can get to even the most composed individuals. What should you do when you feel like your mind is just as busy as your rehearsal schedule? Try meditation. Dance Spirit turned to Adreanna Limbach, a head teacher at NYC-based meditation studio MNDFL, for a breakdown of this highly beneficial practice.
Meditation has been around for about 2,600 years, but it's having a moment in the spotlight—specifically, mindfulness meditation. Derived from Buddhist teachings, mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to present internal and external experiences happening in and to your body. "Not to pose it as a universal cure-all, but there are so many amazing side effects that have been studied, witnessed, and quantified over the last decade," Limbach says. The benefits of mindfulness have been tracked via neuroimaging techniques, psychological studies, and more, all of which uphold its effectiveness.
Regular meditation practice can help with focus, depression, and anxiety—and all it takes is 10 to 15 minutes of dedicated time a day. "Meditation teaches you to feel the energy of your emotions, rather than identifying with the emotion itself," Limbach says. "When you take time to sit down in a quiet space and tune in to how you truly feel in your body, not emotionally in your head, you're able to allow more energy flow without latching on to self-defeating thoughts that perpetuate negative feelings."
You need to practice meditation consistently in order to feel the full benefits—something Limbach feels is super-fitting for dancers. "Practice meditation like you'd practice your choreo: over and over." At the end of the day, Limbach stresses, there's no such thing as being good or bad at meditation: "Even if you feel like you can't figure it out, you're probably better than you think you are. Your mind is busy. No big deal—just try again, because you're already halfway there."
Limbach suggests starting with mindfulness of breath and body. "It's a foundational practice that supports many other forms of meditation, and it's got the research to back it up," she says:
Say you're perpetually impeccable designer Thom Browne. Say you're planning your Spring 2020 Paris menswear show along a "Versailles country club" theme. Say you want a world-class danseur to open the show with some kind of appropriately fabulous choreography.
Who do you call? James Whiteside, of course. On Saturday, the American Ballet Theatre principal—wearing pointe shoes and a glorious pinstriped tutu—kicked off Browne's presentation at the École des Beaux-Arts with a 15-minute, show-stealing solo. Whiteside choreographed the piece himself, with the help of detailed notes from the designer.
"I danced as the character 'M. Brun,' who generously opens his garden to visitors once a year," Whiteside told Vogue. "Thom was very open to whatever choreographic ideas I had and gave me clear references, as far as tone. My character is a proud and artful loner, with a generous spirit."
The Parisian fashion crowd was blown away by Whiteside's impressive skills on pointe (already well-known to dance fans, as are his skills in six-inch heels). Also impressive? The fact that Whiteside jetted to Paris smack-dab in the middle of ABT's epic Metropolitan Opera House season. He danced Lescaut in Manon in NYC on Thursday night, took to the runway in Paris on Saturday, and will be back at the Met as Prince Siegfried tomorrow.
"My friends at Thom Browne contacted me and asked if I was available to go to Paris during June. I said, 'Absolutely not,'" Whiteside told Vogue. "Then they told me what it was for and I said 'Absolutely, yes!'"
When it comes to injury-prone body parts, knees reign supreme for dancers. But a little strengthening can go a long way in preventing painful outcomes. We turned to Dirk Hartog, a physical therapist with Westside Dance Physical Therapy in NYC, for three exercises that'll support and stabilize your knees.
Photography by Erin Baiano. Hair and makeup by Angela Huff for Mark Edward Inc. Modeled by Nellie Licul.
NOTE: This exercise encourages proper rotation and control of your lower leg, which, if incorrectly turned out, can strain around and below your knee.
1. Put a sock on your right foot. Lie on your back with your hips and knees bent at about 90 degrees and your feet hip-width apart and planted firmly against a stable wall. The front of your tibia should be in line with the space between your second and third toes.
2. Slide your right foot up, stopping just before your heel or ball of your big toe comes off the wall.
3. Leading with your heel, slowly slide your foot back down the wall, until your tibia internally rotates— you'll know if it has because your right foot will be slightly turned in and pointing to your left foot.
4. Slide your foot back up the wall, which will encourage your tibia to return to its neutral position. Repeat this exercise 10–15 times with your right foot, then switch legs.
NOTE: This exercise helps strengthen your quads, so they can absorb the shock of jumps and floorwork, protecting the soft-tissue structures of your knees.
1. Begin with your feet hip-width apart and your toes slightly turned out. Find your neutral lumbar spine position.
2. Extend your arms in front of you and slowly sink into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
3. As you squat, imagine that you're easing into a chair, so that your knees pass over your toes—this will encourage your upper body and hips to remain properly positioned throughout.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise 10–15 times for 2–3 rounds with 30-second rests in between.
NOTE: This exercise promotes proper use of your glutes and external hip rotation to control turnout, which takes pressure off your knees.
1. Begin standing with feet hip-width apart. Soften the backs of your knees so your quads are relaxed and you're not hyperextended. Find a neutral position for your lumbar spine by tucking your pelvis under, then arching your back—the midpoint between the two is where you should be. Place your left hand on your chest and your right hand over your belly button.
2. Slowly sink into a plié (about 50 percent of the way down) and shift your weight onto your left leg. Make sure to keep both knees in parallel, and distribute the weight slightly more onto the heel of your left foot.
3. Keeping your pelvis square, bend your right knee so that your foot lifts off the ground. Swivel your right leg to the right, away from your standing leg. Activate your deep hip external rotators by keeping your kneecap aligned with your second toe as you rotate. Make sure to keep your left knee facing forward, and your rib cage and pelvis aligned. Hold for 10 seconds, then return to the starting position.
4. Repeat this exercise 8–10 times, then switch legs.
A version of this story appeared in the April 2019 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "The Bee's Knees."
It's usually right around the third or fourth week of "So You Think You Can Dance" audition rounds that we start itching for the live shows. Sure, the auditions are fun, inspiring, and entertaining, but at a certain point, we reach audition saturation. (And the live shows are just so good and feature so much more Cat Deeley.)
All that said, Nigel and co. kept things spicy this week, so our attention remained firmly glued to the screen. (It's been 16 seasons—who are we to doubt Nigel Lythgoe, sir?) Here's how it all went down.
Well, a standing ovation and a "You're going to The Academy!" isn't a bad way to kick off an episode! Jalen's floorwork-driven routine was poised and mature, confident and elegant, strong and controlled. And that wild backbend from an impossibly deep second position grand plié, seriously? Go girl.
Twins! Who doesn't love twins, especially twins who can dance?! Trent and Colton have been dancing for three years, though their home videos prove they've been moving, grooving, and hamming it up for the camera since they were tiny. We're still not sure their routine was a duet, because these two were so in sync, it was like watching one person. (Only...better. Because there were two of them.) The quirky choreography showed off their gorgeous legs and feet, strong partner work, explosive jumps, and fun personalities. Mary said they were so in tune with each other and weren't selfish, Nigel said it was entertaining, Laurieann loved that it was fearless, and Dominic praised their chemistry and was glad they "didn't suck at all." Academy, times two!
Remember when Clocks auditioned for Season 12 and was cut during the Green Mile? He's since found great success as a dancer, performing in Las Vegas with the Jabbawockeez. But he's still got his eyes set on the "SYT" stage. Though his robotic skills aren't quite at the "are you human or are you dancer or are you robot?" level of a master like Madd Chadd, Clocks has tons of charisma and personality, and he's cute as can be. Laurieann said his timing was "everything" and acknowledged the difficulty of the routine, which took her breath away. Dominic said they were some of the greatest visual concepts he's ever seen on the show. It blew Mary away because it was funny and "had everything," and Nigel said it was entertaining. Clocks is Academy-bound!
Antonio went to a party when he was little. He asked a girl to dance, and first she said yes, but when he asked her again, she said no. (Rude!) So he started taking dance lessons, and now he's here to prove that he don't need no partner! In an almost unprecedented move for the audition rounds, Antonio performed what would normally be a partner routine sans partner. And it was nice, if a bit forgettable. Mary called his spins "pedestrian" (sick burn, MM!). Nigel asked an audience member (named Destiny—appropriate!) to join Antonio onstage to give him a helping hand, which was spur of the moment and sweet, and it was nice to see Antonio take the lead. Turns out, he really did do better—both technically and in terms of his stage presence—when partnered up. Nigel said the strength was there the second time around, but ultimately Antonio heard "no" four times, ending his "SYT" journey.
Sydney! We know her! You know her! You voted for her! She was diagnosed with autism when she was much younger, and it was dance—which she started studying at age 3—that helped her open up and shine. And now, the world knows what we all know: that Sydney is seriously talented, that her tap sounds are impossibly clear, and that she is absolutely worthy of going all the way in this competition. (Did you cry during this performance? SAME.) The entire performance was incredible, but Sydney's giddy face at the end was the very best part. Nigel didn't like the music and wanted more subtlety, but said she danced brilliantly. Laurieann called her an angel and a "unique blessing." Dominic asked how long Sydney has been dreaming about being on this show, to which she responded since she was five years old, and confessed to having a poster of Dominic from Season 3 in her bedroom (d'aww). And Mary loved Sydney's enthusiasm and connection. Unanimous Academy! Hooray, Sydney!
Jarrod's says he's from "the rough side of town," and is well-versed in general contracting, cars, construction, and landscaping. Luckily for us, he's also well-versed in dancing: He grew up training at the famous Larkin Dance Studio. The tattoo-covered handyman started his audition with an impressive series of tricks, from a handstand on one elbow to a series of barrel turns landing on the ground to some other jumps, flips, and spins that don't have words to describe them yet because they're that innovative. Nigel was blown away and said it was fabulous. Laurieann asked if Jarrod was single. (He's not...more on that next.) Dominic said it was one of his favorite contemporary pieces, and said Jarrod's exactly what this show is about. And Mary wishes her contractors could dance like Jarrod. Academy, obviously.
Madison is Jarrod's girlfriend of seven months, cute! But she's so much more than that. In her introductory footage, Madison opened up about her severe alopecia, which left her bald—and bullied. (PSA, people: Bullying is never OK.) But dance let her be herself. And thank goodness for that, because dance is her gift. Was this the best audition of Season 16 so far? It's very possible. There are a lot of beautiful contemporary solos out there, but Madison's was stunning, controlled, and unique. Jarrod, from his seat in Nigel's chair, looked so proud. Nigel said her control was magnificent. Laurieann was moved. Mary called the performance soft, strong, and memorable. And Dominic wanted to see Jarrod and Madison dance together—which they then did. Swoon! Academy!
Is dance a sport? Should it be in the Olympics? They're complicated questions that tend to spark heated debate. But many dance fans will be excited to hear that breaking (please don't call it breakdancing) has been provisionally added to the program for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
The announcement was made yesterday. While a final decision won't happen until December 2020, the search for an Olympic breaking venue is now officially on.
Breaking made its Youth Olympic debut last October, when a talented group of teenage dancers competed at the Buenos Aires Youth Summer Games. Judges evaluated competitors using six criteria: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality. The U.S. didn't send any dancer-athletes to that event (too bad, because we've got fantastic young b-girls and b-boys in spades); gold medals went to Sergei "Bumblebee" Chernyshev of Russia and Ramu Kawai of Japan. Assuming breaking does get all the way to the 2024 Olympics, we're eager to see which dancers end up representing the States.
At age 15, Darrion Sellman already possesses the traits that make his idols—The Royal Ballet's Steven McRae and American Ballet Theatre's David Hallberg—such world-class dancers. Darrion has McRae's easy grace and controlled turns, plus Hallberg's noble movement quality and super-archy feet, and he's taken those gifts and run with them. The talented dancer has earned merit scholarships to summer intensives at Canada's National Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet School, and won YAGP's Youth Grand Prix Award three times in a row. And in 2017, Darrion was recognized by The Royal Ballet School's International Scholars Programme as an exceptionally talented ballet student from outside the UK.
"Ever since I started dancing, my dad has always told me this before I perform or compete: 'Just do your best and have fun. That's what matters most—if you're not having fun, there's no point.' "
Competing at Youth America Grand Prix (Siggul/Visual Arts Masters, courtesy YAGP)
Birthday: "May 4, 2004, Star Wars Day. People say they wish they had my birthday. I'm like, 'Have it! I don't really want it.' "
Hometown: Annandale, VA
Current city: L.A.
Trains at: Los Angeles Ballet Academy
Favorite foods: Pizza with bacon on top and cheeseburgers
Something no one knows about him: "I used to audition for musicals in NYC, but was always told I'm too tall. It was a real challenge being turned away every time over something I can't control. Luckily, in the ballet world my height is a good thing!"
Non-dance hobbies: Swimming and video games like Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., and Super Mario Odyssey
Choreographer he's dying to work with: Travis Wall
If he were a superhero, his power would be: "Teleportation. I'm late to everything!"
A version of this story appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "You Should Know: Darrion Sellman."
Pretty much the entire world fell for Taylor Sieve's gorgeously fluid contemporary stylings during Season 14 of "So You Think You Can Dance." By that point, Sieve, who ultimately earned third place on the show, was a familiar face on the competition scene: She'd won several titles, including Senior Female Best Dancer at the 2016 Dance Awards, while a student at Larkin Dance Studio in Maplewood, MN. After her "SYT" run, Sieve performed with Travis Wall's Shaping Sound. She's currently on tour in Europe with the band Muse. Read on for The Dirt!
A version of this story appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "The Dirt with Taylor Sieve."
Few new musicals get rave reviews from The New York Times during their pre-Broadway runs, when they're still working out their kinks. But Moulin Rouge!, based on the 2001 movie of the same name, accomplished just that: The Times called the show's out-of-town tryout in Boston last year a "smart, shameless, and extravagantly entertaining production." And now the show is dancing its way over to Broadway, beginning previews tonight and officially opening July 25.
What makes Moulin Rouge! spectacular? Is it director Alex Timbers' outside-the-box vision? Is it the remarkable performances by leads Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo? Or is it Sonya Tayeh's beautiful yet dark choreography? According to ensemble member and Broadway vet Morgan Marcell, the answer is all of the above.
"I'm getting to work with people that I've been wanting to work with for a long time," Marcell says. Tayeh recruited some of Broadway's most impressive dance talents—including Paloma Garcia-Lee, Bahiyah Hibah, and Max Clayton—to bring her choreo to life, and pushed them in unexpected ways. "The choreography is a story-driven version of the feats you've seen Sonya create for things like 'So You Think You Can Dance,' " Marcell says. "She's using her edgy vibe to serve the grittiness of the story."
A modern-day jukebox musical, the production features songs from Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and more. (Marcell is especially excited for NYC audiences to hear the early-2000s throwbacks at the top of the second act.) "I think it's going to be cool for all generations," Marcell says, "because there are fun pop songs, there's a choreographer who has made work for big TV audiences, and there's a story that's about the heights that love can take you to. You're going to get your money's worth."
A version of this story appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "Moulin Rouge! The Musical Can-Can-Cans Its Way to Broadway."
If you're a proud citizen of Bachelor Nation, you know that as nail-biting as the rose ceremonies can get, the real fun happens in the post-credits scenes. The clips ABC shows at the tail end of each Monday-night episode never actually have much to do with the reality show's main plot line of competitive romancing. Instead, they capture contestants and/or the lead in amusing, endearing, or just plain bizarre moments. And there's perhaps no better example of this prized tradition than the dance-filled post-credits scene from last week's episode, which has gone on to meme-ified glory.
Allow us to set the scene: Bachelorette Hannah Brown—who's taken a few dance classes, FYI—has spent some quality time with her remaining suitors in Riga, Latvia. Aspiring singer-songwriter Jed composes an impromptu ode to the charming Baltic city. Jed's soon joined at the piano by contestants Dustin Kendrick, Dylan Barbour, Mike Johnson and Tyler Cameron. Suddenly, Tyler C. begins to dance, and...there are no words.
Of course, Bachelor Nation being the patriotic population that it is, fan accounts took the delightful improv and ran with it, producing edits like this Grease-themed stunner:
And this expertly edited jaw-dropper:
Based on the extremely scientific Internet back-stalk we just performed, it appears that this wasn't Tyler C.'s first moment of inspired movement. He was even two classes away from a dance minor during his undergrad years at Wake Forest! Hey, Tyler: Even if you don't make it past the hometown date, we here at Dance Spirit would always be happy to accept this dance—or, you know, just cut Footloose with you. 🌹
In her Instagram bio, Rachel Jacobucci describes herself as a "professional dancer/world wanderer," and that couldn't be truer. After training at The Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk, VA, and as an American Ballet Theatre National Training Scholar, Jacobucci studied dance and English at Butler University. She's since danced around the world for Atlantis Paradise Island, Busch Gardens, and Holland America Line. Jacobucci's latest dance job took her farther from home than ever: to Tokyo Disneyland. We had Jacobucci keep a diary during one of the final weeks of her magical yearlong contract. —Helen Rolfe
This is the beginning of my week. I start by getting up three-ish hours before my call time. This particular day, I journaled and meditated, then lingered over breakfast and coffee. Other days I spend this time cross-training at the gym, reading, or calling my parents or friends back home. An hour and a half before call time, it's off to work to get my makeup on and warm up.
One Man's Dream II: The Magic Lives On has been running in the park since 2004. It opens with a black-and-white homage to Walt Disney's earliest cartoons, and then runs through scenes and production numbers from all your favorite animated Disney films. In rehearsals, it was so nice to get to know everyone as we learned the choreography.
Today was long and cold. My show is outdoors, so we have to deal with the elements quite a lot, but everyone does a great job motivating each other to make it through. I like to say this is the closest I'll ever have to a 9-to-5 dance job. In fact, some days it's a bit longer than that!
With fellow dancers at Tokyo DisneySea's Raging Spirits roller coaster
The long-term consistency that comes with this contract is comforting, but also a challenge at times. It's a bit of a task to do the same show so often, and in varying weather conditions. We really have to find ways to bring artistry into every performance. I try to find a new little face in the audience, or a new interaction with someone onstage, as often as I can. Today, I found a little girl dressed up as Wendy from Peter Pan, whose eyes lit up when I smiled at her—that's what it's all about.
I've reached the middle of my week and need a pick-me-up. A little Tokyo Disney secret: We are all fueled by chocolate and yummy Japanese snack food. The pile in our dressing room sometimes gets supplemented with snacks from other countries we visit, too. My particular favorites are flavored almonds from Korea, mochi (sweet, soft cakes made from rice and red beans), and tiny chocolate chip cookies called Country Ma'am that you can get at most Japanese convenience stores. You never can say no to snacks that people bring from home, either. Reese's, anyone?! It takes a lot of energy to dance so much, and this is one of the keys to our success.
Picking up snacks at the konbini (convenience store)
During this contract I've found it particularly important to cross-train and do physical therapy, because of the sheer number of repetitive steps we do daily. I go to the gym three times a week to do "normal" exercise—lifting weights, running, rowing, and extra stretching. In between shows, I also get in a quick ballet barre or do abs with friends. Tokyo is a great place for dance classes, and several of us take advantage of the many classes available on off days. Even more fun, people in our cast apartment complex get together and teach class. It's a great way to keep up our training and to meet people in other Tokyo Disney shows.
Visiting Tokyo DisneySea's Arabian Coast
I had an awesome day performing, but there is so much life outside work here in Tokyo, too. I've met people in other casts, as well as fellow Americans and Japanese locals. I'm glad—it's led to some of the coolest experiences and greatest friends I could imagine. Tonight, I'm going with a Japanese friend to a restaurant that serves traditional yakitori, a skewered meat dish that people often socialize over after work.
Sharing a meal with Japanese friends
If I'm not traveling, the first day of my weekend is usually for chores. This weekend I've got errands to run. Most of the signage in Tokyo is in several different languages, including English—and most everyone knows enough English to match my broken, ultra-basic Japanese. And the mime I learned in ballet has unexpectedly come in handy while ordering ramen! I don't think I'll ever be able to apologize enough for my lapses in volume control on public transport, which in Japan is incredibly quiet. That inner performing artist just pops out at the most inconvenient times! Today I'm off to Harajuku for makeup, Omotesando for a pair of shoes I've had my eye on, and the shopping complex next to my apartment building to grocery-shop.
Waiting for the JR Keiyo Line train
Day 2 of my weekend is for adventures! When I get more time off, there are lovely hot springs just a short Shinkansen (bullet train) ride away, and cheap tickets to surrounding countries. This past year, I've climbed Mount Fuji, visited my best friend in South Korea, seen snow monkeys in Nagano, had high tea in Hong Kong, spent a weekend at a hot spring in Nikko, and surfed in Indonesia.
Sakura (cherry blossoms) in Tokyo
Today, I spent the day wandering the laid-back neighborhood of Nakameguro, participating in hanami—the Japanese tradition of making time to view the cherry blossoms. It's definitely one of the things I'll miss most about working in Japan. Dancing at Tokyo Disney Resort has been the fulfillment of a longtime dream, and I've grown and changed in so many incredible ways over the last year.
A version of this story appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "The Happiest Place to Dance."
The dancers-slay-choreo-while-onlookers-cheer class video is pretty popular these days. And if you've watched a viral class video within the past 24 hours, there's a good chance it was filmed by Tim Milgram. With 3.1 million subscribers and counting on his YouTube channel, TMilly TV, it's obvious that online audiences love his video style, with its dramatic lighting and choreographed camera work.
But while many in the dance community appreciate class videos as a way to show their work and expand their online following, others have spoken out against the practice, questioning how it negatively affects dancers' training and priorities. Acknowledging those complaints, Milgram recently decided to open his own studio, TMilly TV, in North Hollywood, CA. It aims to create a better balance between time spent learning and time spent filming. Already, the studio has attracted some big-name faculty, from Dominique Kelley to Jake Kodish.
We caught up with Milgram to get the scoop on his new studio, and how he hopes to improve the dance community's perception of the class video.
Milgram at work (courtesy Milgram)
Over the past few years, I realized how big of an impact incorporating cinematic filming into the classroom has had on the dance community. I felt like I'd achieved something amazing by putting dancers in the spotlight and showing the personalities of dancers in class videos. But with the trend evolving so quickly, there've been a few unfortunate consequences. The main one is that the amount of time spent filming in classes continues to increase, often with no oversight from the dance studios themselves. This started to affect the amount of time and emphasis given to actual dance training in classes. It wasn't long before there was some backlash.
Nobody called me out specifically, but I still felt attached to the issue. It was two years ago, after some soul searching, that I realized I wanted to open a studio where training and filming are both valued and given the proper amount of time and emphasis they deserve.
I've learned so much in the past two years! After many months of searching for a location and finally signing a lease, I started what would become a nine-month-long construction process. As I was working on the studio, I was also running a master class series to test out the idea. I would rent space and bring lights in, and create an environment for a good class. It reassured me that this whole thing was going to work.
Finally, in September, 2018, we had our first class. Now, I'm super stoked to have this amazing space. It's the perfect hybrid between a dance studio and a production space.
Courtesy Milgram
All our classes are 2-hour blocks, ensuring a full 1.5 hour dance class happens before filming begins. Once that mark hits, we adjust the lighting to accommodate the center of the room rather than the entire room, and a videographer comes in. By that point, everybody's already danced a lot in smaller and smaller groups, so they're ready to go.
The filming portion of class is in many ways like being on a music video set. We give our staff on-camera training sessions, and teach them the principles of filming dance, so everyone understands the reasons behind the bells and whistles.
I don't want to be known as the filming studio. It's not about the clips. Despite the lights, fog, and cameras, the training you get in a class here is our top priority. I believe dance deserves to be captured in a way that is entertaining without distracting from the choreography and performance.
Practice! Giving dancers the opportunity to perform on camera is important. It's not always about the footage, but rather about getting away from the mirror, which is potentially harmful if you get too comfortable with it. Even just marking away from the mirror and imagining there's a camera there can be helpful. My main goal is to lower people's stress level in front of the camera, so when they're in a high-pressure environment like their first music video, they feel safe—and thus don't have to be safe in their dancing.
Hopefully, still around! Now that the logistics have worked themselves out, I'm starting to think about unique programming, which better integrates the filming and the class. I want the studio to be a beacon in the dance community, a well-respected place for people to get a dance education, create content, and build their brands.
What has us feeling patriotic this Fourth of July week? #TheGitUpChallenge. Because only in the US of A could a country-meets-trap song inspire a viral dance craze. Bless you, Blanco Brown. Bless you, America.
For those who only understood about a third of the words in that first paragraph (hi, Mom!): "The Git Up" is a breakout hit song by Atlanta country/hip-hop artist Blanco Brown. Thanks to its instructional lyrics ("Do the 2 step, then cowboy boogie…"), which Brown illustrates in its official music video—and the fact that it's a bona fide banger—the track has spawned #TheGitUpChallenge, in which fans try to recreate the choreo.
It's one of the more delightful challenges we've seen in a bit. Here are a few of our favorite videos.
All dancers, from Broadway performers to avant-garde artists, are storytellers. The minute they start moving, they begin to convey character, emotion, and plot—even if they're performing an ostensibly plotless work. "Think about the famous Martha Graham contraction," says Broadway veteran Arbender Robinson. Even though it's an abstract movement, "each contraction has meaning."
But acting doesn't come naturally to every dancer. Some fall victim to over-the-top facial expressions, which can feel forced. Others struggle to free their minds from the details of technique or choreography. What separates an authentic storyteller from a dancer who does too much—or too little? Training and time can make all the difference.
To act in a naturalistic way, trained dancers often have to do some un-learning. "Dancers have what they need to tell stories with their bodies," says Robinson, who works as a musical theater acting coach with New York Vocal Coaching. But sometimes we focus so hard on technique that we "get our brains stuck at the barre or in the mirror," he says. "When you walk, do you think about holding your core, balancing your weight as you transfer from one foot to the next? No. You just walk."
Ballet students, for example, "are taught to walk classically, and they have an idea of what a ballerina looks like," says San Francisco Ballet ballet master Anita Paciotti. But when she coaches the young Claras for Helgi Tomasson's Nutcracker, she doesn't want them to behave like ballet students; she wants them to be people. Often Paciotti will ask her Claras to go back to basics, running as they would on the playground.
To train your mind to trust your body's natural instincts, Robinson recommends practicing walking, leading with different body parts. "Try walking across the floor leading with your chest. How do you feel? Powerful? Confident? Conceited? Then try leading with your hips. Do you feel sassy and flirtatious?" Thinking about how these subtle changes affect the character of your walk will help you begin to see the storytelling capacity of movement. "Once you get comfortable with this activity, you can begin applying it to short excerpts of choreography," he says. "With enough practice, it will become second nature."
Are you playing a character with a specific narrative arc? Try telling that story to yourself as you work through the choreography, so that every moment is as authentic as possible. "With Clara, it's the little things, like maybe you wouldn't run straight to the fireplace to look for your Nutcracker," Paciotti says. "You would look at it, and pause to think, 'Maybe my Nutcracker is by the fireplace!' " By adopting the character's internal monologue, you'll begin to develop the nuances that make an acting performance feel honest.
Even when the theatrical components are highly choreographed, like the pantomime in Giselle, each gesture should look natural. "It still has to feel spontaneous, like it's happening for the first time," Paciotti says. She recommends thinking about pantomime sequences as a series of sentences. "The beginning of each sentence is a new moment for you. A breath. You think, 'Ah, yes, I'll pick that flower there.' "
Anita Paciotti in San Francisco Ballet's "Giselle" (Erik Tomasson, courtesy San Francisco Ballet)
If you're dancing a more abstract role, try developing your own backstory for the choreography. When LIV Travel Dance Company dancer Skye Parsons learns a new piece for competition, she starts thinking about the intention behind it right away. "When I'm learning a solo, I tend to script the storyline myself," Parsons says. She'll shape a narrative in her head as she learns the choreography, adding nuance after she discovers how it ends. When working with a group, that process can be more collaborative. One time, Parsons' team found inspiration for a piece about good vs. evil by acting out their characters over text message.
Overthinking technique isn't the only way to appear stale or stiff onstage. "If you focus too much on portraying an emotion, it can all get stuck in your face," Parsons says. "And an overly intense face distracts from the movement." The key to naturalistic facial expressions is internalizing the narrative, the character, and the emotion you explored throughout the rehearsal process, so that by the time you get onstage, it's second nature. That way, you won't have to think "Look happy!" or "Look angry!"— you'll just appear that way, without forcing it.
To get in character, "before the show, I like to pick a song to listen to that fits the emotion of the solo I'm about to perform," Parsons says. "I put my headphones on, block out everyone around me, and really get in that mind-set." Once onstage, she keeps her mind focused on the experience, not on the details of the choreography, or on what her emotion should look like. "Nothing is overly purposeful," she says. "I just let it happen."
And if you have other people onstage with you, they can help you act from an authentic place. "I always tell dancers to look one another in the eye when they interact," Paciotti says. "There's nothing more sincere than the smiles two people get when they look at each other." At the end of the day, genuine emotion is always effective.
A version of this story appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "Acting for Dancers."
We've had our fingers crossed about the Netflix film Work It ever since we first got wind of the project. Produced by Alicia Keys, the movie—which follows a teen whose admission to her dream college hinges on her performance at a dance competition—sounded like it could be positively dancetastic.
And friends, looks like it will be. Because Netflix just announced that the cast will include several great dancers, including your boyfriend Jordan Fisher.
Fisher—Disney Channel alum, Broadway standout, live television musical phenom, pop star, winner of "Dancing with the Stars" Season 25, and all-around delight—will be getting down alongside Sabrina Carpenter (who'll play the lead), Liza Koshy, Drew Ray Tanner, Michelle Buteau, and Keiynan Lonsdale (of "Dance Academy" fame). Aakomon Jones, the genius behind the moves of Pitch Perfect and Black Panther, will choreograph.
Here's the announcement video:
When Sophie Sotsky moved to NYC in 2011, she was fresh out of college and hoping to sustain herself as a dancer and choreographer in the big city. That's when a production internship at New York Live Arts caught her eye. The company, formerly Dance Theatre Workshop, had just merged with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and was about to begin its first season at NYLA. It needed interns to help with all the behind-the-scenes technical work that makes a show happen, from running cables to hanging lights to laying marley. Stotsky didn't have experience with any of that, but she was game to learn.
"Somewhere along the way, I became pretty enamored with technical production—especially lighting design."
Since that first internship, technical production has become integral to Sotsky's career. In addition to choreographing for her own company, Tyke Dance, she spent two years as a technical director at Mount Tremper Arts in the Catskills in New York, where she provided basic lighting and sound support for artists during their residencies. Currently, Sotsky's the production manager at Danspace Project in NYC, a role that allows her to tap into her technical production background while also assisting with lighting design for artists' shows. "It's a great supplement for choreographers because it's imaginative, creative work, so it feeds a lot of the same parts of you," she says. "It's not just an income source."
Sotsky performing (Eric Bandiero, courtesy Sotsky)
Growing up in Washington, DC, Sotsky's first teacher was her grandmother, who danced with Anna Sokolow. She taught Sotsky the basic principles of modern dance when she was 4. "She would teach me dances that she had learned and we would perform them together for my family," Sotsky says. For a while, Sotsky focused more on taekwondo than dance, eventually becoming a black belt. She attended Georgetown Day School, where she worked with Dana Tai Soon Burgess and started exploring choreography, before going on to study dance and psychology at Wesleyan University.
The creative aspects of lighting design have shown Sotsky new angles from which to approach her work, helping her better consider the visual aspects of dance as well as the kinesthetic. "A lighting designer wants to frame the work, whereas a choreographer wants to craft what it feels like to watch it" she says. "A good lighting designer can give a sense of what the director or choreographer wants the audience to look most closely at in any given moment, and help to direct the viewer's eye there without them even realizing that it's happening."
Playing different roles within the creative process has also given her a new appreciation for collaboration,and for the perspective each lighting designer brings to a piece. Because of this, Sotsky doesn't do the lighting for her own choreography. "For me it's really important not to wear both hats at once. I think each of these roles asks something different of the person," she says. While in her early days as a choreographer, she might have met with a lighting designer and given them a list of requirements, her current approach is more about trust, and giving each member of the team a chance to be creative. "Being a designer has helped me understand that a multiplicity of perspectives is a big part of what brings a piece to life and gives it a three-dimensionality," she says. "It's made me want to work with other people who have opinions, and who have their own frames to bring to my work."
Sotsky performing (Chelsea Robin Lee, courtesy Sotsky)
There's also the satisfaction she gets from supporting other artists, and using her skills to give back to the dance community- something she does every day in her role at Danspace Project. "I help people bring their ideas to life onstage," she says. "I help them gain the tools they need to make the technical side of their work as strong as the dances that they're bringing in."
You've clocked in hours of practice, rounded up every single bobby pin you could find, and told friends "I can't, I have dance" so many times you might as well write it on your forehead. But the summer sacrifices are worth it, because you've finally arrived: This. Is. Nationals.
To get you even more hyped, we've rounded up the top six best things about the magical celebration that is #NationalsWeek.
Besides their impeccable posture, dancers usually keep a pretty low profile in public. But for one glorious week at the Nationals hotel, you can let that dancer flag fly! Running group routines full-out in the middle of the lobby? Totally normal! Walking into the hotel restaurant in full hair/makeup/costume? Nobody will look twice! Enjoy dancetopia while you can.
From pool parties to backstage pep talks, Nationals gives you the opportunity to bond with your teammates (and teachers) on a whole new level. If you can survive 11:30 pm awards ceremonies together, your studio can get through anything.
The routines at Nationals are the cream of the crop. From morning to night, the Nationals stage is filled with creativity, passion, and talent—all yours to draw inspiration from. It's basically the equivalent of seeing a different Broadway show every day!
Most likely, you've traveled some distance to get to the big city where Nationals is held. When you're not competing, there's so much to explore! Nationals is basically the best annual family vacation.
Is there anything better than your team finally nailing the turn sequence you've struggled with all season? And hearing the crowd go wild at the end of your last production number?
Competitiveness is overrated. Nationals is the perfect place to befriend dancers just like you from ALL across the country! You'd be surprised how small the dance world is—the friends you make now could be your classmates or cast mates someday.
Have we mentioned that we love ballet movies? Thankfully, Dutch National Ballet just gave us something new to look forward to. The company announced today that filming is now underway for Coppelia, a new star-studded fusion of animation and ballet set to be released at the end of 2020. And, wait for it... Michaela DePrince will be dancing Swanilda, with DNB principal Daniel Camargo as her Franz.
The standout cast also includes DNB principal Igone de Jongh, former Bolshoi and Royal Ballet star Irek Mukhamedov, Dutch dancer and actor Jan Kooijman and English prima ballerina Darcey Bussell.
Coppelia will feature choreography by DNB artistic director Ted Brandsen, based on his modern 2008 stage version. Though still closely inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1816 story "The Sandman" and set to Léo Delibes classic 1870 score, Brandsen's ballet takes place in a "retro-futuristic" era. His characters interact in a sports school, juice bar and plastic surgery clinic rather than a rural village. And while we don't know exactly how animation and ballet will come together in this new film, directors Jeff Tudor, Steven de Beul and Ben Tesseur have brought together a top notch international team of designers and animators to make it happen.
We get it; we're excited too, and we'll be sure to keep you posted as updates on this project come to light.
Ever wondered how a professional performer's resumé differs from that of, well, a normal working person? Maybe you're curious about what "AEA" or "SAG-AFTRA" stand for, and why you as a dancer should worry about these acronyms. Or perhaps you're just dying to know how it really feels to understudy a leading role on Broadway. Whatever your burning Broadway questions, the latest episode of Teen Vogue's "Resume Tours" has you covered.
Over the (thoroughly detailed) course of eleven-ish minutes, longtime Broadway dancer and actress Afra Hines (In the Heights, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Hadestown, and the list goes on) breaks down tons of juicy #BTS details on her illustrious career so far. You'll hear some fascinating stories, including: how Hines was recruited to join the Radio City Rockettes, her crash course in playing a man eight times a week, and the challenging career #goals she's currently hustling towards.
Perhaps most of all, you'll come away with great ideas on how to present your own dance experiences on a traditional resumé. Can you say "transferrable skills"?
