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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I met my most formative dance teacher, Lenora Nemetz, at Pittsburgh Musical Theater when I was 10 years old. From that day forward, she has played an outsized role in not just my education but every facet of my life. She is my teacher and my friend. Lenora’s legacy is iconic. As a dancer, she […]
I met Erica Lynette Edwards when I was 17 years old, while training at Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago. She had danced with the company for 15 years before becoming the director of community engagement, and at the time I was training for Youth America Grand Prix with a colleague of hers. I would […]
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be just like my mentor and friend, Natalie Bills Francis. I met her when I was just 7 years old at Hot Shots Dance Studio in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and she was the daughter of the school’s owner, Colleen Bills. She was on senior […]
Ballet Hispánico dancer Gabrielle Sprauve understands firsthand the major impact teachers of color can have on a young black dancer’s career. Over the course of her training, she had two teachers in particular who left a lifelong impression on her dancing. Here, she shares some of her experiences. James R. Atkinson As a 12-year-old girl, […]
The decision to go to college is often difficult for aspiring professional dancers to make, but for Zoey Anderson, attending Marymount Manhattan College made all the difference in achieving her goals. Aside from the great education that she says honed her technique and refined her artistry, Anderson was able to meet MMC Dance Department chair, […]
When new Cats swing Dani Spieler was dancing at Central Park Dance Academy as a kid, her teacher Maria Bai got her to realize how important ballet technique was to her future. “I started out taking ballet, but after a year or two, it really wasn’t for me. Then when I was 11, Maria could […]
Before joining the ensemble of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Broadway dancer Mary Page Nance learned how to take her dancing to the next level from Pam Turner at Richmond Dance Center. “She just had this energy that was infectious. She was always pushing me to travel more, take up more space […]