The pandemic disrupted many dance-related events, shows, and programming. Broadway went completely dark for the longest time in history, ballet was practiced in tiny living rooms, many awards shows were postponed or canceled, and bustling film sets were few and far between, especially at the beginning of the pandemic. The world has since filled those sets, stages and awards shows— with modifications, of course— with highly skilled dancers, actors, and performers grateful to be back. However, the pandemic left another dance-shaped hole in the world, one so iconic that nothing has been able to f ..read more

Dana Wilson, Megan Lawson, and Jillian Meyers are the three artists that make up the iconic Seaweed Sisters! They’re committed to honest, vibrant storytelling and sharing their treasure trove of accumulated experience and wisdom with dancers everywhere. We recently sat down with The Seaweed Sisters to talk about stage presence, performance, and imagination. They had many great ideas to share with us, so we decided to not only share the full interview but to distill their conversation down into the best tips for you to improve your stage presence and performance quality. Tip 1: How Interested A ..read more

If you had to break techniques down into a few steps, what would they be? Chances are, you might include the basics like tendues or pliés, then you might think of leg extensions, turns, and jumps. Dance is, of course, about so much more than leaps and pirouettes, but there is a reason that we practice them in so many technique classes. The classic pirouette is a base for an infinite number of variations that involve turning your body around an axis. Since the strength needed to accomplish many rotations in a pirouette comes mainly from your core, dancers who can turn well develop the ability t ..read more

One of the most important qualities of any dance performance is the almost unexplainable quality of “stage presence.” You know when it’s there, and you miss it when it isn’t. But what is it? Why is it important? And how do you get better at being “present” onstage? With recital season coming up, we wanted to unpack everything there is to know about stage presence and performance quality. To do that, we brought these questions to some of the most charismatic professional dancers that we knew! Meet The Seaweed Sisters The Seaweed Sisters are known for their ineffable stage presence, charisma, an ..read more

You might still be bundling up for the winter or awaiting your spring break, but summer will be here before you know it.  For a dancer, summer means time to rest, hang out, and… dive even further into your training at a summer intensive. If it’s your first time thinking about the world of summer dance intensives, it may take a little research to find the right fit, but it’s doable! And as far as auditioning and self-tapes go, taking the time to prepare well in advance will always be one of the most beneficial things a young dancer can do. The Audition Many summer dance intensives require ..read more

Tap dance has a long history of development and innovation, and most of that history happened before the creation of Hollywood, in front of live audiences. However, just when the American film industry was entering its golden era of cinema, tap was also enjoying a creative peak of its own. When the two joined forces, tap dance became an unstoppable force on the American cultural landscape, and the world at large. Dancers became actors, and actors had to brush up on their skills to stand out in the scene. Here are some of the greatest tap dancers and the movies that brought them to new heights ..read more

Learning hip-hop dance can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences in your life! The deceptively casual and stylish aesthetics of the genre has more to it than meets the eye.  Hip-hop is a highly stylized and developed discipline that can require a rigorous work ethic and years of physical training to achieve the smooth end result.  Hip-hop dance, like hip-hop music, exists as a developing art form. It’s in a uniquely pioneering position in culture, relying on certain bedrock traditions as well as dizzying innovations. Hip-hop can push the envelope while at the same ..read more