Movement Lifestyle The Tour - LA

Movement Lifestyle - Tour Los Angeles November 2013

WOW! that pretty much sums up my experience at the mLtour weekend in Burbank, CA. Three days of classes followed by the mL show made me more inspired than ever by the talented people in the dance industry.

My weekend began with classes with Bam Martin, Lando Wilkins, Anthony Lee & Pat Cruz, Andye J and Vinh Nguyen. Each class was 1:15 long and covered lots of challenging choreography.

On Saturday we had classes with Koharu Sugawara, Mykell Wilson, Kyle Hanagami, Amanda Grind and Parris Goebel. In the evening, thePhotoOpp and the inSight gave attendees the chance to ask questions of and get their photo with the Faculty.

On Sunday classes were with Laura Edwards, Miguel Zarate, Jilly Meyers and Quick Crew.

A SOLD OUT, ticketed show at the mL Studio in North Hollywood followed that evening. It was an INCREDIBLE evening of dance with some of the industry's most brilliant choreographers, dancers and film-makers.

The show opened with a performance by the mL Workstudies. I loved seeing friends and many new faces dance all night. Catch my friend Anna dance front and centre above - she is an amazing dancer and the awesome Manager of the mL Studio. The show featured choreography by Brandon Dumlao, Tamara Levinson-Campos, Hollywood, Erica Sobol, Issac Tualaulelei, Amanda Grind, Frenemies, Team Japan, Brian & Scott Nicholson, Mykell Wilson, Jose Boy Boi Tena, JekaJane, Kyle Hanagami, Miguel Zarate, Jillian Meyers & Megan Lawson, Andye J, Baby Boogaloo, Koharu, Dana Foglia, Parris Goebel, Daniel Cloud Campos and Quick Crew.

What a line-up! The three-hour long show left the supportive audience wanting more.

Jillian Meyers, one of my favorite dancers performed a duet called "Green Garden" with Megan Lawson. It was a funny take on playground friends and had intricate hand and foot work, crazy timing and amazing musicality. She is so creative with her movement - I loved it.

My two favorite performances of the night were by Daniel "Cloud" Campos pictured above and the three member crew from Norway called "Quick Crew". I had never seen either performers before and I was blown away by their creativity, technique and musicality.

Daniel told a story of how he met a woman in three acts. There were no lyrics to the music but the story from beginning to end was completely understandable. His technique and story-telling ability is unreal! You might recognize Daniel from the Microsoft tablet commercial. As I've come to learn since the mL show, Daniel is an amazing dancer, known for his b-boy skills. But he is admired not only for his dance abilities but for his film-making abilities.  In the new year he'll be premiering a musical on film entitled "Today's the Day" about a dancer getting his big break. It features some familiar faces and was produced by Jon Chu.  The show audience was given a sneak peek of the movie...needless to say it is AMAZING! I cannot wait to see it when it premieres at film festivals next year. Check out Daniel on youtube...he is an unbelieveable talent and you'll become a new fan too.

My second favorite performance was by Quick Crew. They performed their act called "Asian Concept 2013". This group is so aptly named...watch this performance and you'll see why!

 * photo credits to #abadimage

It was an amazing weekend and I'm grateful to have danced alongside some of the most talented dancers from different parts of the world. Be sure to make an mL tour stop on your must-do list next year...you won't be disappointed!

If you want to find out more about mL...check out their website and www.themovementlifestyle.com or youtube "mLSPOTLIGHT" or "54321" for informative spots on some really amazing people. Good watching, laughs and inspiration on a rainy day!

Fall 2013 - Master Classes & The Pulse (Dallas)

OIP Dance - Miles Faber Popping Class

On Monday nights I continue to take class with Eryn Waltman and Miles Faber. More new faces are coming to class and it's great to see Toronto dancers taking advantage of the training that's available to them through OIP. It's always a fun night...check out a sample of class with Miles where we work on grooves, popping and isolations. And if you're in the area November 22-24th, check out Conteur The Company show (re)Act at the Fleck Theatre! Good luck to Eryn and the whole Cast!





*photo cred: Eryn Waltman
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The Pulse Dallas - 1st Tour Stop on the 2013-2014 Tour

The weekend started off with an amazing Master Class with Willdabeast Adams and Janelle Ginestra (otherwise known as Beautyndabeast)! Over 200 dancers came out and it was such a fun class. It was amazing to be reunited with my friend Tori and be surrounded by the great people who make the Pulse so special. Check out facebook for "Beauty and The Beast" tour cities and their new immabeast clothing line! For Toronto area dancers, Will is hosting a workshop in Kitchener on December 1st...hope to see you there!

It was a new experience as an Elite Alumni and I was so happy for the new elites to begin their journey in their first Pulse city. I had a great time with Teresa and Tori and of course being reunited with Faculty -they inspire me every time our paths cross.

And who can forget MVP and the rest of the Pulse Security team...here we are with our best serious faces on...but it didn't last long of course.........

Always great to be in Tessandra's class again. She has a unique way of pushing each dancer artistically and athletically.

With my buddy Nike Tratree, Dom Battiste, Robert Green & Tori, Jake Landegrebe and Mama K, Ben Ritter, Sean Lew and Tori Apuzzio the mastermind behind Pulse Stage and Tech! I love all these people.

And last but not least, some belated birthday fun with Tori. I surprised her with a Hello Kitty pinata...since we didn't have a bat, we had to improvise with hangers. Imagine two dancers trying to break a pinata.....

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During a recent visit to Los Angeles, I took part in a Master Class hosted by the Industry Voice at mL Studios. The class was taught by Rhapsody James...check out highlights of the class.

And because I can never have enough Pulse in my life, here's a video from the Summer event in NYC from the Intermediate Room. Check Brian Friedman, Zack Venegas, Joanna Gomez and myself dancing Brian's combo.

Fall 2013

Soul Escape The Company - Summer Intensive

I'm so excited to share video from "Old Pine', the first scene from the Soul Escape Summer Intensive closing show. The video was really well done and it captures the feel of a Soul Escape event. If you missed the summer intensive, don't worry...they now offer a 3-city tour where you can experience Soul Escape for yourself. The dates are Atlanta October 4-6th, Los Angeles October 11-13th and St. Louis October 25-27th. Check http://thesoulescapeintensive.com for more information!

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VIP Dance Event Toronto

On August 31st and September 1st, Blake McGrath hosted the first VIP Dance Event in Toronto. Faculty for the two-day event included Marty Kudelka, Ian Eastwood, Napoleon D'Umo, Twitch and Allison Holker. It was a great weekend of dance and it was fun to see some familiar faces in class! Below is video from Marty and Blake's Advanced room combos:





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TOES New York

On September 20th, I had the pleasure of watching the sold-out, premiere performance of TOES in New York City. Four Toronto based artists collaborated with six NYC based artists on four pieces for the first show of the 2013-2014 season.

TOES Artistic Directors, David Norsworthy and Kristen Carcone were born and raised in Toronto and created the Toronto Outreach and Exchange Strategy to bridge the NY and Toronto dance communities. The evening consisted of eight works by "new generation and established choreographers in a program curated to make contemporary dance accessible to new audiences".

Upcoming shows include Toronto - October 5th, Mississauga - October 8th, Markham - October 10th, London - October 15th and Ottawa - October 19th. Check out toesfordance.ca or info@toesfordance.ca for more information.

The highlights of the evening were the solo performance of "when I start" by David Norsworthy and "Now Is The Time", a spoken word piece by Alejandro Rodriguez; choreographed by Cindy Salgado! They were stunning works of art. Congratulations to the whole cast for their brilliant performances.

Check out the promo reel for the upcoming shows and a peek of my mom and I intently watching the show in the picture below!

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A Night for Sick Kids Hospital

On September 22nd, I was honored to dance as an Apprentice in Mitchell Jackson and Lisa Hupe's night of dance entitled "into the past" in honor of Sick Kids Hospital. The night featured eight pieces of choreography by Mitchell Jackson, Linda Garneau and Tiffany McLachlan.

The evening started with a tribute to four On The Floor "Honorees"- Stefania Colangelo, Madison Scott, Kayla Johnston and Alexandra Eismont. These girls are four young dancers who shared their heart-wrenching experiences with medical trauma and how Sick Kids Hospital helped them on their paths of recovery and rehabilitation. They are all so inspirational!

The evening offered a red-carpet reception at the Markham Theatre with candy bar, custom cupcakes, raffles and live auction with all proceeds to Sick Kids Hospital.

Mitchell prepping us before the show and rehearsal photos with some of the cast.

Photo credits to Leslie McConnell

And here I am with my big sister, Bianca Melchior

Thank you to Mitchell and Lisa for the opportunity to dance with some of Toronto's most-talented dancers and to be part of an evening that celebrates how fortunate we are for our health, the amazing strength of the four Honorees and the wonderful work of Sick Kids Hospital.

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JUMP Miami

I attended JUMP Miami September 27-29th at the Miami Convention Centre. It was a large event and I loved taking class with my best friends Payton Johnson and Jacqueline Ashley. 

There were bonus classes on Friday evening with Andrew Winghart for Contemporary and Benoit Swan for Contemporary Ballet. Workshop Faculty included Teddy Forance, Andrew, Katy Spreadbury, Nick Lazzarini, Bobby Newberry, Benoit Swan, Kenny Wormald and Mia Micheals.

I loved Mia's classes, especially when I shared the stage with JQ and Payton, Chaz Buzan and Morgan Burke! Watching Chaz dance, fresh off the Madonna Revolution Project is so inspirational...I love him so much!

Good luck to everyone this dance season...hope to see you somewhere on the convention circuit!

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Now that the dance season is underway and you're planning what events to participate in for the 2013-2014 season...you have to check out Rock The House Dance! It's a four-day winter intensive December 27-30th in Park Ridge, NJ. It's an amazing workshop with limited enrolment featuring Faculty that will leave you inspired. 

Take classes in contemporary, hip hop, ballroom fusion, horton technique, rhythm, jazz, poppin', commercial, house, contemporary ballet, improv, stretch and conditioning. Faculty includes Jeff Lapes, Chaz Buzan, Comfort Fedoke, Talia Favia, Cheslie Hightower, Sasha Mallory, the meta'fizikal, Taja Riley, Noel Bajandas and Dha'sean Serrano. 

Check out the trailer featuring the tour Faculty and the website at www.rockthehousedance.com for more information! Reserve your spot today!!!

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Last but not least...just a quick reminder that there are just 25 days until the first Pulse on Tour City - Dallas! Here's a reminder of how amazing your time at the Pulse can be. I'll miss being an Elite Protege this year but can't wait to reunited with friends and Faculty soon!

Summer 2013 - Part 1

It's September and the reality that Summer 2013 is over! I had an amazing three months filled with new experiences, dancing, learning from educators across the country, dancing alongside talented dancers who share my passion and special time with family and friends.

Not all of my experiences were fun but with each experience, there were lessons to be learned...from how to ride the NYC subway, how to properly flag a NYC taxi and life lessons regarding people. It was a summer full of growth and I am grateful to everyone for the lessons learned.

First up I attended Andrew Winghart's show "Out of Darkness".

Congratulations to Andrew who choreographed, directed and produced his first show! The cast was comprised of ten dancers and four guests who performed solos and group choreography at Six01 warehouse in Los Angeles on August 2nd. I knew several of the cast members and enjoyed watching them perform Andrew's choreography. Special shout out to Sammi Farber, Angela Cifone, Alisha Lucchese, Anthony Westlake, Bianca Melchior my friend and room-mate and to Eryn Waltman, guest choreographer. Can't wait to see many more shows in the future from Andrew!

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Next up was The Pulse on Tour in Las Vegas!

This tour stop marked the beginning of the end as my turn as an Elite Intermediate Protege. It was a busy four days of classes and rehearsals, learning new choreography for Fashion Show and The Elite Piece to be performed in New York City. This Nationals stop took place at Bally's Hotel from July 4-7th. It was a well-attended event and I performed my self-choreographed good-bye solo as an Elite Protege to spoken word. It was by Mia Micheals entitled "You're the Only You."



Here's a picture of Me, Taye, Tori and J performing the new Intermediate Elite part in Fashion Show. It was so fun!

It was also my birthday while in Vegas...not much time for celebration due to rehearsals but thank you to my mom for the cupcakes for everyone and to my BNFF, Jacqueline, the best friend I've ever had! She always thinks about me and sends me the best notes even if we can't be together all the time! Here is the collage she sent me on my birthday:

Thank you JQ...I love you!
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Up next was a week at Complexions Contemporary Ballet at Marymount Manhattan College. Thank you to Desmond Richardson for the Scholarship!

I roomed with my friend Bianca while we both participated in the Division 2 - Pre-Professional Division. There are three levels offered by Complexions over the course of three weeks. I attended the first week from 3-7pm each week day. Division One ran during the day 10am-3pm and Division 3 Professional Division from 7-10pm.

I was so happy to see fellow Alumni ASH assistants and friends Maycee Steele and Montana Dalton at Complexions too. Shout out to Amiee Otte and Mikayla Hicks as well!

When we arrived, organizers divided attendees into two groups for the week. Each day my group had Technique Class with Desmond Richardson and then learned Complexions Repertoire from Christina Dooling and Edgar Anido. The second group had technique with Dwight Rhoden and two different company members for repertoire. The classes were held in a beautiful room in the college off 3rd Street and 71st in the Upper East Side.

Here is a sample of repertoire from my last day at the workshop. Thank you to the Complexions staff, Micheal Leon Thomas, faculty and the amazing Desmond Richardson for this experience! Check out www.complexionsdance.org for information on their upcoming season.



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Up next was The Pulse On Tour New York City Nationals!

The New York City event ran July 24-July 28th. It was five days filled with amazing classes, intensive rehearsals, Performance Showcase and Final Gala where we passed the torch to the new Elite Proteges!

I assisted in the Intermediate room at this event. There were four levels plus Camp Pulse and the Teacher Workshop. The Pulse Staff is so amazing...I don't know how they manage to pull off all they do each time!

Everyone auditioned for the Faculty and were selected to be in an intensive piece by either Ian Eastwood, Dave Scott, Dana Foglia, Dee Caspray, Tessandra Chavez or Gil Duldualo. I was selected for Ian Eastwood's piece and loved every minute of "Versace". Ian was really fun in rehearsals and he was so happy at the end of his piece at the Gala; that he personally congratulated every dancer as they came off the runway!

Each Pulse Protege performed in a piece choreographed by Tricia Miranda. There were over 100 proteges!



In addition to Ian's intensive and The Protege piece, I also danced in the NEW Fashion Show directed and choreographed by Brian Friedman and the Farewell Elite piece called "Producing" by the talented Tessandra Chavez. Catch me at 2:52 and 5:25  in Fashion Show:

It was an emotional end to our journey as Elites. And we proudly stood before the Faculty who selected us one year ago, hearts filled with gratitude for the amazing opportunity.

And then it was time to pass the torch to the new lucky Elite Intermediate Proteges. Congratulations to Trinity, Sean, Larsen and Kherington! I hope you have as wonderful a year as I did being an Elite! And remember as Mia says "You're The Only You!"

I enjoyed dancing alongside and assisting the talented Faculty that comprises the Pulse. Thank you for the opportunities, encouragement and support along the way. I can't wait to work with you in the future! I was proud to be an Elite and consider it an opportunity I will never forget. To the Pulse Staff and Crew, I loved getting to know you and seeing you in each city. I will miss you all but look forward to the next time I can see you for a big hug. And to my fellow elites, thank you for being the (big) sister or big brother to me! I love you all. Thank you to everyone who made this year a dance year I will never forget!

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This summer also marked the launch of a video I danced in choreographed by Toronto's own Leon Blackwood. The song is by Young Avz, a Canadian Artist entitled "That Song On the Radio".



Catch me at 1:25, 1:32, 1:38, 1:58, 2:13, 2:55, 2:59, 3:03!

Thank you to Leon Blackwood, Young Avz and his mom (who is so sweet) for the opportunity!

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