At age 12, Jakob Karr stood mesmerized in his first jazz dance class as the teacher demonstrated the mechanics of a ball change and kick. He tentatively mimicked the footing before letting his long, gangly leg fly above his head. “Oh! I have to do that again,” he said, smiling, feeling a freedom that matched […]
Dee Tomasetta was 7 years old when she decided what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She’d come to New York City for the first time to attend the Access Broadway Nationals competition, and as she drove down the Hudson River on her way home, watching the city skyline pass by, […]
My mom put me in my first dance class at 7 years old and I immediately hated it. I begged her to let me quit, but of course she’d already paid for the entire year, and she made me stick it out. I cried about it all the way up to the recital, when everything […]
Karla Puno Garcia’s success has followed a trajectory laid out by her many mentors and heroes. In the next phase of her career as a choreographer, she is forging her own path, creating work—entire musicals’ worth of work—that turns heads in the best way. Garcia grew up as a competition dancer at Fran’s Studio of […]
Ballroom phenomenon Lacey Schwimmer was born into a dance empire. Her parents, Buddy Schwimmer and Laurie Kauffman, are noted choreographers, dancers and teachers in the industry. (Laurie got her start as a classical dancer, Buddy got his in ballroom.) Together they opened a studio, choreographed for film and television, and did just about everything in […]
For Jaimie Goodwin, finding new music is like a scavenger hunt. Using Spotify’s Discover Weekly feature (which recommends new music based on her preferences), she will spend a day listening to playlists, exploring new artists and waiting for inspiration to strike. “I’ll play a ton of songs until one absolutely moves me and I have […]
Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing is still very much part of our reality. What does that mean for two of the most highly-anticipated dance events of the year: the 17th season of summer-TV staple “So You Think You Can Dance,” and National Dance Day, planned for September 19th? We caught up with the […]
Deep in the throes of “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 16, the euphoria of summertime and live shows is causing us to reflect on seasons past. While much has undergone change since the show’s inception—movement trends, choreographers, dancers, judges and fashion—the positive impact it has on the trajectory of the winner’s future remains […]
Nigel Lythgoe makes it clear that he is not a dance teacher. The one time he was invited as a student to teach little kids, he scared the hell out of them. He was impersonating a jack-in-the-box, and when the kids approached, he jumped up and shrieked. “Three of the little girls ran off,” says […]
In 2015, Houston Ballet demi-soloist Jim Nowakowski made a shocking career about-face when he soared into the heart of pop culture and made Top 6 on Season 12 of “So You Think You Can Dance.” The commercial world was taken by his flawless technique and perfect lines, while at the same time classical dancers were […]