Student Spotlight

Student Spotlight: Taylor Tran

March 25, 2013 by 4dancers

Today on our student spotlight we are featuring a young lady who is a mere 10 years old! Taylor Tran studies at Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance and lives in Placentia, CA with her family…

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

I started dancing about 5 years ago when I was about 5 years old. My older sister was always at the studio dancing, so I hung out there watching the other kids. I started with the combo class of ballet and tap. I was very shy and attached to my mom so I didn’t want more classes. I must have done okay because I was the only one from my class asked to move up to join the competitive team. I’m glad I did because that was so much fun and I made a lot of friends!

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?

What I love best about dance class is ballet!!!!!

I look forward to Mr. Francisco’s ballet classes and it is my favorite style. I like doing my own hair in a bun and I keep it up even for hip hop and my other classes. I like learning new moves and positions and try to get better. Ballet and my leaps/turns class are the most fun!

I want my mom to home-school me so I can have more ballet classes. She says no!

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you?

The hardest part about dance for me is my stage presence. I have a hard time remembering that I need to smile and keep smiling. I keep getting graded down because of this. My teacher is the funniest when he draws a smile on paper and puts it up to his mouth to remind me.

I also know I have a long way to go before I can project my feelings and give emotion for the song. It is awkward to me and I hope I will be able to some day soon.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

I would tell other dancers who are shy, like me, to keep on dancing. I would like to tell other kids to work hard in the classroom, listen to your teacher’s corrections, and to go to ballet class!

5. How has dance changed your life?

Dance has changed my life because every day after school I look forward to it. I want to go see my dance friends, listen to cool music, and compete or perform with my company. If I wasn’t dancing my mom would probably make me go play tennis, piano, archery, fencing, skating or gymnastics. If I didn’t have dance, I would probably spend all my time watching TV or playing on my iPad.

It makes me happy when I can dance every day!

Student Spotlight: Jamie Sanderson

February 24, 2013 by Rebecca H. Walker

For our Student Spotlight this week, we are pleased to introduce dancer Jamie Sanderson…

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved in dance?

I first became involved in dance at the age of 14. I was originally involved in amateur productions every year with my local theatre summer project; I then started to look into dance too. I watched a showcase performance by my previous performing arts school and got goose-bumps – I was amazed at what I was watching. I remember thinking to myself, “I want to do that, I want to dance!” – sparking my involvement.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?
With dance I find that it is really personal. Every movement you do has its own personality: it’s like saying ‘there’s no two people in the world that are identical’ in any single way, because that is impossible. Dance is for you, dance is about you and dance is you. I think the moment you start to dance you find everything you do becomes more expressive and dynamic, and you open yourself up a lot more. It therefore seems that my life is easier now – in some aspects – because I dance.

3. What’s the hardest part about dance for you?
The hardest part of dance is money, however it is a part of dance itself. I think to be involved in dance you need to understand the reality, and if you don’t, you are making more trouble than you need. You need knowledge of the job sector, what is available, and you need to think wisely.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?
I would say ‘never give up, never stop, just keep dancing’, because to be dancer, you must never stop being involved in dance, in any aspect.

5. How has dance changed your life?
I believe dancing has changed my life as it has allowed me to understand a lot about myself, and others. It has allowed me to express myself and communicate in ways I haven’t learned intuitively. Dance has become an ever-changing life style for me and will continue to be so for a very long time. There is always something new to learn as it is such a hands-on experience, something that I shall never stop striving to grasp.

Jamie is a third year student at Middlesex University studying Dance Studies. He is currently the co-ordinator for MDXdancers – a company enabling dancers to broaden their range of dance styles outside their study programme. Jamie is also part of the MDX Cheer Dance Squad, winning 1^st and 2^nd place respectively at the British Cheerleading Association Nationals in 2012.

Outside of university, Jamie dances with two companies: avoiDance and Kansaze Dance. With avoiDance he has performed two company works at various festivals, and has taught avoiDance company class for students at Middlesex University. Kansaze Dance has seen Jamie perform showcases, and most recently at Resolution! a platform at The Place in London.

Aside from dance experience Jamie has appeared as an extra in the 2009 British film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

Student Spotlight: Kelsie Moreno

February 18, 2013 by Rebecca H. Walker

For today’s Student Spotlight we give a warm welcome to dancer Kelsie Moreno…

541446_10150664405691868_611825027_n — Dancer, Kelsie Moreno

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

My mom put me in gymnastics when I was 5. I did it for 2 years but because I wasn’t very flexible I didn’t really enjoy it after a while. I tried soccer at 8, but it wasn’t for me. My mom put me in ballet just before my 9^th birthday. I did ballet 1 hour a week for 6 months before I also added jazz. I started taking more classes after that and by the time I was 12 I was competing. Even though I had been competing since I was 12, I didn’t really get into dance or discover my passion for it until I was 16. I am so glad and very grateful that I was put into dance.

When I was 17, my old studio closed down and it left me without a place to dance. I went to another studio for a bit but it just wasn’t the right one for me and I started to question my commitment to dance. I found Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance after seeing them at a dance competition. Once I started taking classes at Nuevo, I rediscovered my passion for dance and why I wanted to be a dancer. Being here has given me the right tools to develop into a much better and well-rounded dancer.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class? [Read more…]

Student Spotlight: Max Azaro

February 11, 2013 by Rebecca H. Walker

In this week’s Student Spotlight, we’d like to introduce you to dancer Max Azaro from Princeton Dance & Theater Studio…

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

My mom tells me that I’ve been dancing around the house since I was a toddler. In fourth grade, she started asking me if I wanted to try a dance class, but I refused. Naturally, I thought that dance classes were for girls, so I didn’t really consider it. At the time, I was content with gymnastics which I had been doing for a few years. But as the year went on, her suggestion kept coming back to me and I decided to try a ballet class. I’m not really sure how I came to that decision – maybe I thought something different would be a good idea. My mom took me to a trial class before I had time to change my mind. My first class was a boys’ class with Henri Valendia at Princeton Dance and Theater Studio. I have little recollection of the class, but what I do remember is that I fell in love with ballet instantly.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?

The part of class I enjoy the most is petite allegro, or small jumps. Even though this is not one of my strengths, I find it particularly fun because it challenges my mind and my body to coordinate at a very fast pace. Sometimes, the quick changes of direction make my brain go numb and my feet get tangled, but a good petite allegro combination makes me determined to do it again and again until I get it right. There is nothing more satisfying than mastering a mind-boggling combination that makes me have to change my position and weight on a dime. Petite allegro is the perfect physical and mental challenge.

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you?

The hardest aspect of dance for me is flexibility. I am not naturally turned out, I don’t have natural splits, and I don’t have perfect feet. I had to work extremely hard to get where I am now, and I still have more work to do. These things don’t feel natural for my body like they do for some dancers, so I have to work much harder to achieve them. Every dancer has strengths and weaknesses. The challenge for me, and probably most dancers, is to train the weakness instead of always working on what comes easy.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers? [Read more…]

Student Spotlight: Ana Porta

February 4, 2013 by 4dancers

This week our student spotlight is Ana Porta from Chicago Ballet Arts…

Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

I initially began dancing at my preschool, and I also took classes at a couple studios in the area. That was before my mom found out about Chicago Ballet Arts from one of its current co-directors, Leslie Saunders, who happens to also be a mother of a family in my school district. Nobody else in my family had danced before, so it started out as just a hobby.

What do you find you like best about dance class?

For me, the best part of dance class is at the barre. I love taking the time to see how my body is feeling, what hurts, and what feels good. It is a time to become centered and focused, and it lets you think about what you want to accomplish that day. I love being intricate with my movement, and barre helps me find my core to perform for the rest of class.

What is the hardest part about dance for you?

The hardest part of dance for me is overcoming the physical obstacles that stand in my way. Ballet has never come easy for me; I have always had to work very hard to keep up with my peers. Being born with limited turnout and knee problems has always been a barrier for me, but the rewards that come from hard work are irreplaceable.

What advice would you give to other dancers?

My advice would be to keep working, no matter how difficult it may seem. Dance teaches discipline and grace, which are both qualities that everyone can benefit from. Not everyone is cut out to be a professional dancer, but nothing is more rewarding than having a blast in class and on stage.

How has dance changed your life?

Dance has had a huge impact on my life. When I was going through difficult times, ballet was a haven for me, and an outlet where I could release my anger and sadness, as well as joy and excitement. Ballet has always been there for me, and it has helped shape me into the person I am today. I hope that I continue to learn from dance and grow as a person, and I know that the lessons I have learned in my dance education will stay with me for the rest of my life.

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