Masterclass Dance Company

Thanksgiving is one sleep away, guys! It's tradition to take a moment to take stock of what you are thankful for in the holiday season. And who are we to break tradition?!  We took a moment to reflect on the year and managed to narrow it down to a list of five things we are thankful for. And who doesn’t love a good list, right? Check it out! 1. The hundreds of talented dancers we’ve had the privilege of working with on a regular basis. (And the silly selfies made in the process!) 2.   The recent opportunity to expand our reach and target dance teams and programs in Houston, Austin and now DALLAS! 3. The lifelong friendships formed through dance and the wonderful memories made along the way. From the laughs to the cries and everything in between. 4. That moment in a master class when you see everyone living in the choreo and enjoying the moment. No overthinking. No judgment. Just FUN! 5. Celebrating FIVE YEARS of bringing the pr

By Jacie Scott TRICK QUESTION!   You don’t! Take it from me… a 26-year-old dancer who recently got a great reminder of this sentiment. Last week I began my career as a Radio City Rockette, prepping for the 85 th season of the Christmas Spectacular performed at the iconic music hall. (I’m still trying to let all of that sink in, by the way.) Talk about hitting the ground running! New Rockettes had to participate in a “boot camp” where we learned a small chunk of the show before cast rehearsals commenced. Let me tell you. No matter how much I thought I was prepared for those three days, I quickly realized that NOTHING could have prepared me for them!  Yes, I learned show choreography. Yet, I was also reminded of the beauty of corrections and the skill it takes to not only take them, but also apply them the first time around. I learned things about my body and body placement that I hadn’t before. I pushed myself mentally and physically. I learned to properly p

    In our last post, we discussed the importance of dance officer workshops with insight from our Director of Curriculum Courtney Nelson. Well, we brought her back to discuss our Social Officer Workshops! Social Officers are the heartbeat of the team. They are the motivators, the moral boosters, and the branch that links the team to the dance officers. When the social officers know their roles and are prepared for the year ahead, things run smoothly. We've designed our workshops to do just that! Social officers walk away ready to give the best version of themselves all year long.  Learn more from Courtney below:   What happens in a social officer workshop? Workshops can be as little as four hours to however long the director feels the line needs to meet the expectations of the director.   We focus on leadership, planning, follow through and team building.  Social officers may walk away with notebooks, planners, room decorations (such as locker signs, room décor to match

  In addition to providing quality dance classes to our clients throughout Texas, Masterclass Dance Company offers dance officer workshops for dance teams!       So, what exactly is a dance officer workshop?  Our Director of Curriculum Courtney Nelson took the time to answer a few common questions about our dance officer workshops.        Courtney has over a decade of director experience, and we're proud to have her knowledge and expertise when it comes to developing these workshops.  Check out what she had to say below:        Q1: So, what happens in a dance officer workshop?         Courtney:  D ance Officers workshops are customized to the needs and desires of the director.    We work through leadership lessons, situational expectations, goal setting and planning.    We also work on how to choreograph, teach and polish dances.  During these workshops, students may walk away with an officer notebook and planner.    Workshops can be scheduled anywhere from 4-8 ho

By  Kelsey Richardson Taking a  dance class  can be both exciting and intimidating. There are numerous techniques a dancer can use in order to get the most benefit out of a dance class. The ideas that the instructor simply wants you to succeed and that no one is there to judge you are the first things a dancer must accept when entering a dance class.  With that in mind, you should absorb everything the instructor says. Whether the dance style is hip-hop or contemporary, as a student, you should try to mimic the instructor as closely as possible. For example, if the instructor teaches certain moves hard-hitting and others smooth, your approach to the choreography should be the same as it was taught. You should also keep the precision of the choreography in mind . Meaning, you should make sure that your body placement is correct. Each instructor has his or her own style, you should attempt to master each one. By mastering the style of each instructor, you become a more

Staying in your comfort zone is easy. It’s, well, comfortable.  But, is the comfort zone beneficial to your growth as a dancer? Yea! Only if you’re ok with growing in age and not in technique/quality of movement!  T ake it from a girl who LIVED in her comfort zone as a young dancer. I loved my dance studio. I loved my dance instructors. They were home for me. I thrived there because I was comfortable. Or, so I thought. Guest teachers gave me anxiety. Master classes made my stomach turn. I literally hid at conventions, and I rarely took advantage of summer intensives or scholarships offered to me. I was scared! And that fear was only hindering me.  In a sense, I was thriving at my dance studio, but only in my studio's style. I knew how they moved, how their choreography worked, what the combos would be. I was mimicking that one style instead of cultivating my own. (This was my own fault, as my studio provided me with ample opportunity to step out of the

[in- ten -sh uh  n] :  an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result.     [ ak- sh uh  n]: the process or state of acting or of being active. You know, there’s something to be said about the combination of intentions and actions. It’s one thing to think it. But to think it AND do it… well, that can open several doors.  Let’s take Allison Fields, for example. The Mesquite, Texas native knew at a young age that she wanted to be a teacher. When other kids wanted to play tag, Allison was the one who wanted to play school. And the older she got, the more specific this goal became. “When I got into high school, I realized that my drill team director had the coolest job,” said Allison, a former Belle at Poteet High School. “She got to dance all day, and I wanted to do that!” Her intention was set. She just needed to put it into action. Allison, who had been dancing since the age of 4, attended Texas Women’s University and earned both