eMCeeMovement

Helping your dancer prepare to become the director of their path in dance is critical to their transitions through opportunities. Key pieces to this include: audition mindset, healthy boundaries, proactive communication, mentorship, financial literacy, accountability and transparency.

Even though the majority of your dancer’s training and performing will take place in group settings, progression as a dancer is a solo role. So, understanding how to advocate for themselves based on their goals, values, and purpose is critical towards a meaningful experience in dance.

Learn how to make the most out of teacher relationships - from communication to feedback and even becoming a teacher. Teaching is more than just telling people what to do. It is a craft and skill to be nurtured.

Get Melissa’s guide to Summer Dance Programs - Melissa worked for Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet’s summer programs. She created an ebook for Parents with her tips and recommendations from her experiences in different cities with different companies so they can prepare their dancers to have a fun, meaningful experience at summer dance programs.

Matthew Robinson has a diverse background of movement experience in dance and martial arts. He performed with The West Virginia Dance Company and Roanoke Ballet Theatre while studying to receive his BFA from Radford University. In Cleveland, OH he performed with The Dancing Wheels Company. He also choreographed for and worked with The Cleveland Dance Project Company, performed with North Pointe Ballet and MorrisonDance. He currently dances with di Mossa and Nashville Dance Collective - for which he serves as Artistic Director - as well as continuing to freelance choreograph, dance, and teach.

If your dancer is serious about dance and in a pre-professional dance program, you're probably learning that being the best dancer isn't always enough. This episode covers timelines for pre-professional dance training and milestones for dancers planning for a professional career in dance.

For more tools on planning for a career in dance: https://hpdtn.com/thingsdancersneed

A graduate of Florida State University, Michelle Mercedes worked with Urban Bush Women and Dance Lab New York prior to being cast as Clarice in the 2020 West Side Story revival on Broadway. She appeared in New York productions of I Married an Angel and Samson et Dalila, and regional productions of The Wiz, Mary Poppins, Crazy for You, and Footloose. In addition to her performance career, she is an entrepreneur and MBA candidate at the University of Florida. She also worked in the fitness industry both as an educator and as an administrator with certifications as a personal trainer and Pilates Instructor.

Her work is shaped by her love of dance, drive to impact the industry, and as a black woman. She plans to establish a talent agency focused on access and diversity for performing artists of color.

In our conversation she shares the very real joys and challenges in the arts and entertainment industry, and how she shapes her mindset to carve out her space within it. She is direct, grateful, and focused. To learn more about Michelle and her work, check out her Instagram feed @michellemercedes_.

Melissa reflects on her experiences working in summer dance programs - including Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, & San Francisco Ballet - and how those programs opened up other opportunities. You'll be amused, recognize yourself at times, and inspired to think strategically about how you approach summer dance programs.

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Melissa reflects upon her first summer dance programs as a dancer and as an RA with Boston Conservatory (now part of Berklee College), Central Pennsylvania Youth, and Boston Ballet - lessons, losses, and living memories. You'll be amused, recognize yourself at times, and inspired to think strategically about how you approach summer dance program opportunities.

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Mollie Sansone, a dancer with Nashville Ballet since 2004, shares her 17 year history learning one ballet in the repertoire. As the company prepares to debut a digital reimagining of Artistic Director Paul Vasterling’s work, Seasons, Mollie reflects on how the work has transformed, what it’s like being back in the studio with her colleagues, and shares a glimpse of her process bringing her role in the Winter section to life.

Mollie’s dance training began in North Carolina, and she continued to train during the summer at various programs. She is active as a dance educator and choreographer, set to debut two new works for Nashville Ballet. In 2013, she received the Individual Artist Fellowship awarded by the Tennessee Arts Commission. Additionally, she performs as a guest artist in a range of roles.

Christopher Rutt will be retiring this year from twenty years as the Dance Coordinator for New Trier High School in Illinois where he leads the Menz Dance program. He completed undergraduate studies in literature at Cleveland State University and graduate studies in dance at California State University-Long Beach.

Chris shares about his start in dance, his love for movement, and anchoring his work in respect for every body in every kind of movement. He reflects on building a legacy through dance including alumni from his program who have danced on Broadway and joined ballet companies. If you’re curious about building and sustaining programs that make a difference with dance as the pathway, his story will inspire and encourage you. 

Barry Blumenfeld honors the joy and delight of moving with a dedication to creating spaces for students to express themselves. In this episode, he shares about integrity in dancemaking, defining one’s own path, and boldly embracing challenge. He has been a dance educator in a wide range of environments from pre-schools, studios, public and private K-12 schools to universities, including American University, Gallaudet University and New York University. Barry is currently on the faculty of Friends Seminary School in Manhattan. He holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Dance from American University and is a graduate of the Dance Education Laboratory of 92nd Street Y; a certified yoga instructor; and a Registered Dance Educator. Barry is president-elect of the NY State Dance Educators Association and was a recipient of their Outstanding PreK-12 Dance Educator Award in 2017. For 10 years, he was Artistic Director of TAPFUSION, a dance company combining modern dance and tap. Barry also started the Men in Dance group in NDEO and co-chaired the Men in Dance Symposium at WVU. In 2019, he received NDEO’s Oustanding Leadership Award. He writes a monthly “Ask the Experts” column for Dance Teacher Magazine, as well. 

Resources referenced by Barry:  

Melissa interviews Dr. Jessica Herzogenrath, a dance writer, educator, and researcher on her path in academia. Herzogenrath shares about what movement research can look like, creating opportunities in hybrid spaces, and advocating for the field of dance outside its traditional or expected environments.

Melissa offers ten tips as launch pads to continue building your passion, ability, and possibilities as a dancer outside the studio. Taking ownership of a career dance requires constantly feeding inspiration and motivation to uncover the next step in your journey.