Masterclass Dance Company

By: Brooke Wilson After over a decade and a half of being a professional actor, I am certain I have the secret to true success. It isn’t something you have to pay for, or go to school for and study at length. It is not a magic tool or secret that someone gives you. It is within you… It is simply being yourself. Now, how many times have we heard that??  It seems so cliché, which is probably why I had a hard time applying it at first. I was always trying to be true to what makes me happy, but I would sometimes feel I needed to apologize for the things that made me who I am, the things that made me different. Things that made me stand out. Things that made me…ME!! After spending 8 years in New York City, you find yourself trying to fit the mold of what you think a casting director or choreographer wants of you. “What leotard should I wear, what song should I sing, should I curl my hair or wear it straight?" All questions that race through our minds at lightning speed as w

There’s nothing like being a part of a high school dance team. The camaraderie. The Friday Night Lights. The thrill of contest season. The rhinestones on rhinestones. And we can’t forget the unforgettable memories made with lifelong friends. We’re totally feeling the nostalgia! One common misconception is that those things leave when you graduate high school. It doesn’t have to! Well, maybe no more Friday Night Lights, but they could potentially turn into a College Game Day…or even Sunday Night Football! High school dance doesn’t have to be the end all. It can be the basis for an incredible dance journey, and there are several paths you could venture down: College Dance Teams   College Dance Programs Kilgore College Rangerettes   Tyler Junior College Apache Belles   NFL Cheerleader   NBA Dancer   Semi-professional Dance Companies   Professional Dance Companies   Dance Teaching   Dance Directing And that’s just off th

Judges start judging the minute you take your first step into the audition room. Don’t let that freak you out! Instead, use it your advantage. After all, first impressions are everything! Here are five easy tips (in no particular order) that will help ensure you get a second glace from judges at team tryouts: 1.     Make eye contact.   Ok, don’t be weird, though. When you take your first step into the room, look at the judges’ table and give a friendly smile or nod. Acknowledge them. They’re humans, too! Even while dancing, give a smile in their direction. Don’t stare them down… be warm and friendly! J 2.      Stand proud. When you’re standing for evaluation or in between performing the audition routine, smile and stand tall! Roll your shoulders back and down, send your chest forward, and lift your chin high. It shows confidence! 3.     Recover like a boss. Mess-ups happen. It comes with the territory. But it’s not about the fact that you made a mistake, it’s ab

I think we’ve all heard the quote: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Think of this quote when it comes to achieving that goal that you believe is unattainable. Or that dream job that’s already turned you down once. Take Jeannine Watson, Director of the LaPorte High School Chatos Dance Team, for example. She just wrapped her first year at the reigns, and she’s living her dream. But, it took Watson 17 years worth of steps to get where she ultimately wanted to be. That was when she first interviewed for the position. Unfortunately, she didn’t get the job. She could have viewed it as a bump in her path but instead, it was the first step in her journey. Watson, a former Chato herself, had been choreographing the LaPorte High School musicals, so she continued her work there. The former Kilgore College Rangerette and University of Houston alum also had the opportunity to study in New York for a summer at the Broadway Dance Center, and she performe