Masterclass Dance Company

Michelle Mayo You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take. This statement is a good one to hold in the back of your mind for every day life. It definitely can apply to your dance dreams/dance auditions, as well. I know a lot of dancers, myself included, who hold themselves back from auditioning for dream roles because of fear and anxiety. THAT ENDS TODAY. Take our staff member, Michelle Mayo, for example. If she let fear get in the way of her dreams, she would have never tried out to be a Klein Oak Strutter. She would have never been a world-famous Kilgore College Rangerette. She most certainly wouldn’t have performed at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston or Casa Manana in Fort Worth. Instead, Michelle went after those goals. That’s why she’s currently performing at the most magical place on Earth! Check out her journey here: MCDC: So, how did your gig with Disney World come about? Michelle Mayo: I’d just finished a contract with Casa Manana in Fort Wort...

Let's be real. A flawless, made up face will 99.9% of the time give you confidence like no other on a performance or audition day. When you look good, you feel better and you do your best. It's just how it goes, right? Well, the struggle that we dancers have most of the time is maintaining that flawless face throughout a dance day. Think about it. How many times do you reapply powder, blush, shadow, etc. on any given performance day? At least 2834 times. It's exhausting! If you haven't incorporated setting spray into your makeup routine, do yourself a favor. I discovered it a few years back while performing as a NFL cheerleader. I kid you not, I could go a full game day without reapplying my face. Just a few dabs for the sweat plus a little extra color on the lips, and I was ready to keep it moving! I'd still get compliments AFTER the game about my "flawless fresh face". No melty face. No smudges. No problem. I understand that no two people ha...

“Before we start the combo, you have about six 8’s of improv…” How many of you got anxiety just from reading that statement? Trust me, I get it. I was the dancer that cringed at the thought of improvisation. It wasn’t something that I was used to, and all I could think about was how awkward I felt and probably looked. So, I kept doing it. Sounds crazy, right? It’s actually pretty sane. They say the thing that scares you the most just may be the thing that gives you the most reward. So you better believe I was doing improv every chance I had in class! And I finally got to a comfortable place in my movement. You, too, can get to that point! Take it from a girl who struggled (with a capital S) in that department. Below are some things that helped me out in this dance journey. See if they speak to you, or comment your own experiences! ·       Don’t think. But instead, feel. The beauty of improvisation is that it’s YOUR piece. It’s YOUR m...

It hit me out of nowhere. I went from being the sassiest of sass in this cute Jazz number to barely being able to put one foot in front of the other in a matter of minutes. I was dizzy, nauseous and extremely hot. My pride wouldn’t let me stop myself from dancing, but my body had had enough. Guys, I was dehydrated. It’s real, and it happens to the best of us. With contest season underway and audition prep around the corner, the aforementioned symptoms are ones you want to avoid. Learn from my mistake and drink lots of water during this time to stay in your best dance form. Here are a few easy ways to drink more water daily: Get a super cute water bottle. C’mon. Every girl loves a cute accessory. Why not get one that benefits your health, too? If you enjoy looking at it, you just may enjoy using it even more! Set alerts and reminders on your phone. If you keep forgetting to drink your recommended amount of water, let your phone be your accountability partner! Set several remin...

Do you ever hear a song that just resonates with your soul, makes you want to move, and you start to consider the solo possibilities for it? Then, you remember you aren’t a bomb contemporary dancer and the song screams contractions and extensions. Total buzz kill, right? Well, let me tell you. Kudos to you for having self-awareness! Because there’s nothing worse than seeing a killer jazz funk mover trying to execute a poor contemporary piece to a moving song. I’ve come up with three things that every dancer should keep in mind when selecting a song to perform to (this can apply to solos, duets, trios, ensembles, etc.): Stay true to yourself.  You know what you do best, and you know your best work. That’s what you want to put out there. Trust me, I get it. When that new Adele drops, you can imagine the most beautiful contemporary piece. But if it’s not what you’re best at, leave it in your head. Focus on songs that match your dance style and best fits you. Stay away from Top 4...

TDEA Convention 2017 Recap Last week, MCDC had the pleasure of attending the Texas Dance Educators’ Association Convention. This year’s theme was “Be The Light”, and boy, did it shine bright this year. Some remarkable educators and directors were honored, including Distinguished Service Award recipients Jon Fisher and Sandi Hinton, and Karen Searles for Dance Educator of the Year. Acclaimed choreographer Shelly Hutchinson set moving choreography on the All-State dancers, and I could go on about the incredible energy surrounding the place. But, I digress. MCDC had the opportunity to host at team building activity with over 200 dancers that encompassed the theme and I thought I’d share some takeaways. The activity, itself, required reading directions, taking initiative, effectively communicating, working together towards a common goal, and appreciating each other’s ideas and differences along the way. They had little to no instruction from us, and about 15 minutes of the...

At the beginning of the month, we asked our staff to share any stories they may have of family or friends who have been affected by breast cancer. Now, as breast cancer awareness month comes to a close, we are honored to share the story of Connie Bates’ bravery. Connie was 2-years-old when she was introduced to dance. She grew up in a faith based dance studio in Houston, and trained there for 16 years before relocating to College Station where she began teaching and transitioning into a hip hop and contemporary dancer. Dancing was her passion. It introduced her to new elements of life and brought her all over the map, from Houston to Dallas and South Africa to Europe. Dancing was also her release from the reality that breast cancer was also in her path. Connie has had six active generations of breast cancer in her family. She had a cousin who was diagnosed in her 30s, and her grandmother and great-grandmother both died from the disease before the age of 40. At 18, most people a...