Tag: what my teacher taught me

What My Teacher Taught Me: Gibney Company’s Kevin Pajarillaga on Maleek Washington

Maleek Washington was my first-ever contemporary dance teacher. Before meeting him, I had spent my early childhood doing kung fu and my early teenage years doing street styles and hip hop. It wasn’t until I was 16 that I went to CityDance Conservatory in North Bethesda, Maryland, and met Maleek. He introduced me to Afro-jazz, […]

What My Teacher Taught Me: Colorado Ballet’s Mario Labrador on Ronn Guidi

I started dancing when I was 10 years old at Oakland Ballet Academy under the direction of Ronn Guidi. For nine years, he was my only teacher, setting the foundation for what would one day become my professional career. Through him, I discovered my love, passion, and natural coordination for ballet. Ronn’s professional career included […]

What My Teacher Taught Me: Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s Ilaria Guerra on Alicia Head, Maurya Kerr and Sandra Chinn

My life in dance can be divided into three distinct phases, and each one is supported by my time working with Alicia Head. The first was my introduction to dance at 11 years old, at Lauridsen Ballet Centre in Torrance, California. I trained with their pre-professional company, South Bay Ballet (now called Ballet California), until […]

What My Teacher Taught Me: Broadway’s Skye Mattox on Chris Alloways-Ramsey

I come from a long line of dancers. My grandfather, Matt Mattox, was a Broadway legend, both my parents were performers, and my mom had her own studio in New Hampshire called Keri Productions for 17 years. I was practically destined to be a dancer and began my training when I was just 2 1/2 years […]

What My Teacher Taught Me: Pilobolus’ Marlon Feliz on Barbara Delgado Acosta

I always say that I was introduced to dance through salsa, bachata and merengue in Miami. My early formal training came in the form of after-school programs and the magnet dance program at South Miami Middle School. It wasn’t until I was in eighth grade (four years after my first dance class) that I started […]

What My Teacher Taught Me: L.A. Dance Project’s David Adrian Freeland Jr. on Michelle Ottley-Fisher

I met Michelle Ottley-Fisher (“Mama O,” as we like to call her) as a soon-to-be middle-schooler auditioning for LaVilla School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida. The school was looking for students who were confident enough to get out there and move. I had never danced before, and according to Mama O, I was the […]

Subscribe to our newsletters

Sign up for any or all of these newsletters

You have Successfully Subscribed!