nuevo school of contemporary dance

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: 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: Hannah Keife

January 28, 2013 by 4dancers

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

I began dancing at a very young age; however, I did not realize how passionate I felt toward the art until I was about 13 years old. Before I joined my current dance studio, Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance, I was dancing at a studio that had a very negative vibe. I was never excited to dance and was scared of the teacher. When I joined Nuevo, my love for dance grew tremendously and I immediately knew it was my home.

2. What do you like best about dance class?

What I like best about dance class is the satisfaction you feel knowing you did your best. When I am in class, it is the time for me to train, practice, but also have fun. If I ever have something on my mind then I can go into class and let out all of my feelings. I understand that no one is judging me and I can dance just because I love it.

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you? [Read more…]

Student Spotlight: Julio Sierra

November 21, 2012 by 4dancers

Yesterday we featured dancer Jamie Sierra, and today we have his twin brother, Julio…

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

I’ve always wanted to study ballet when I was younger but never tried to do so because of financial issues. This is until my mother called a local dance studio in our city and I received an amazing opportunity from the artistic director, Francisco Gella, to study at Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance under a scholarship. I immediately started dancing during the last week of August 2011. Taking my first ballet class at Nuevo, I can honestly say I instantly fell love with the art. I now train for at least 22 hours a week at Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance taking as much ballet I can take. I’ve also joined their pre-professional performance company in August 2012.

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

The thing about taking classes is you can never learn too much, that there is always room for improvement. Especially since I’ve only just started dancing, classes are the best way to try out new things that will work best for your body.

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

Learning different styles of dance. Trying to switch gears from classes like Ballet to Hip Hop is the most difficult thing for me. Ballet feels so pure and elegant that when I try to do Hip Hop it constantly throws me off. Hitting hard beats and the fast choreography confuses me a lot. Also the musicality of it is so different. I played an instrument and I listen to a lot of classical music so it makes it a bit easier for me to count to Ballet music, while Hip Hop can be so random that I often won’t hear the beats as clearly.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

When I first started dancing, I noticed how amazing others were so I paid close attention to them. Aside from learning from my teachers, I also learned from my peers. However, I started to get discouraged because of the fact that I started to compare myself to others who were far ahead of me. The only advice I can give to dancers is try not to compare yourself to others. Every dancer is different and worrying how others are doing does not benefit you in any way. Focus on what you’re learning, improve on what you do best, and work on your weaknesses. You should always pay close attention to your peers and get as much from them as you can, but never compare yourself to others who may or may not be better.

5. How has dance changed your life?

Dance has only entered my life recently, but has changed almost every aspect of it. I believe that dance is my escape, it is a way for me to truly express the way I feel. It has changed the smallest detail about me, like from the way I think and to what clothes I wear. Without dance, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. It has turned me into a better person and has only been a positive influence in my life. Dance is my passion. It is my love and my dream. If I wasn’t dancing now, I would be truly lost. I believe that dance has found me and is leading me to a better path.

Bio: My name is Julio Sierra and I am 17 years old. I am from Chino Hills, California attending my junior year in Chino Hills High School. I am a conservatory and pre-professional company member at Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance.

Student Spotlight: Jaime Sierra

November 20, 2012 by 4dancers

This next student spotlight is a bit unusual in that it will have two parts…you see, the featured dancer has a twin who also dances. Tune in for his post tomorrow! In the meantime, here’s Jamie Sierra:

Well, when I was little, as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved dancing. I would dance to any song that I heard. But in later years I started playing sports and sort of just forgot dancing. But I realized that I was missing something. Although I love sports, dancing was my passion. So I started dancing in 8th grade. I learned to break dance with some friends. Even though it was on and off I still danced. And later on I started taking dance class from Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance. I changed my whole style of dancing. I went from only breaking to a variety of dance styles.

2. What do you find best about dance class?

What I really love about dance classes are that you can learn so much from each class. Making yourself more diverse and learning different techniques, just expanding your knowledge in dancing itself.

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

The hardest part about dancing for me, would probably be all the stretching and flexibility. I’m not as flexible as my twin. But I’m trying my best to get there.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

My only advice to dancers out there is remember the first time you danced; that it was fun; remember how you felt when you first danced. Even though it’s hard work and sometimes stressful, you can inspire those in the future when you’re a great dancer. So remember to have fun with it!

5. How has dance change your life?

Dancing has changed my life in many ways. It helps me through to all my hard times; even though I’m only 17 there’s been a lot of stress. It made me a better person and has helped me make friends. I’ve had friends before but I now have more friends that I can connect with. Dancing changed a whole lot of stuff in my life. In every single part of me, dancing changed me from my limbs to my heart itself. I wouldn’t be the person I am now without it.

Bio: I am Jaime Sierra and I am 17 years of age. I love to play sports, instruments but most of all dancing. Dancing is my passion and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I dance at Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance

. And my dream is to be a successful dancer someday.

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