I am honored to be nominated for both Best Dance Studio and Best Studio Performance Company. As an educator, you hope to grow your students, but it is truly a privilege for that growth to be recognized. I believe that teaching children is a gift. There is no greater joy than to envelop a child into a world of creative expression, movement, and passion for the art of dance. Children are the next generation of dancers and without diversifying their training, dance would never evolve.
Read More“To be considered for this award is a huge honor, I would just like to thank the community of Richmond for nominating me for Youth Dancer Of The Year. I’m so excited to be nominated with all of the amazing dancers in our community because we are all equally dedicated to our craft. At different points on my dance journey, I have danced with all of the young ladies I am nominated with. I would have never thought that I would be considered for this award. It is so incredible to see that my passion, hard work, and dedication I put towards dance is showing.”
Read MoreNow I’m very particular about “community”: the way I serve communities, which communities of artists I’m a part of and how I impart knowledge about community on the people in my sphere.
Read More“I know that no matter what I do, dance will always be a part of me, affecting the way I think, feel, and experience. Everyone has a groove somewhere within them. Our stories are in the way we carry our vessels, the way we interact with others, with the soul of the world. That’s all I’m really here to do anyways.” - Taylor-Leigh , The BRAND
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”What helped me to fall in love with Richmond was the abundance of arts and culture everywhere. “ - Jason S.
“When I dance, nothing else exists; I am able to leave the whole world behind me. Dancing heals my soul.”
My dance journey began like many others. I begged my Mom to sign me up for a local ballet class. I wore the leotard and tights around the house for weeks, months, maybe even years but I never did get into the class. I remember asking my Mom years later and she said she tried but the class was full. Meanwhile, I never lost my desire to dance. I explored moving on my own. I would dance in front of mirrors and make up routines with friends. I would watch Madonna on MTV and try to mimic her moves.
Read More“My story with dance seems to be one that has had an unlikely path. For a girl that received her formal dance training through a parks and recreation program, obtained an accounting degree and became a CPA, found purpose through the challenges of life, and is now leading a vision to give God glory through all of the arts . . . the one thing that I can say with assurance about my journey is that it is one of destiny. This is the path that I was always supposed to be on. It’s the path that God created just for me. I’m humbled daily and forever grateful for all the moments that God had me in “the right place, at the right time”. I look forward to this next season, just to see what God will do.”
Read More“There are shortcuts to happiness and dancing is one of them”
“It all began when I was four years old and my mom took me to the ballet to see Richmond Ballets “The Nutcracker.” I was mesmerized by the movement, the colors, the characters, the lights, but most of all I was in awe of the ballerinas on pointe. I wanted to go up on my toes like that and float across stage as all the dancers did.”
Read More“Dogtown is everything to me. Watching the tremendous growth we’ve seen over the last three years since I became Director, I have truly come alive. The same ferocity of spirit that got me through the car accident filled inside of me, and I knew I was going to do whatever it took to make Dogtown successful, and something amazing for the dance artists in this community. Now, we have a year-round program dedicated to providing RVA artists with the resources they need to be successful. And everytime I see a new instructor fill a workshop, or a young company shine on the mainstage at Dogtown, I see my future. I know that even when that expiration date does hit, I will always be able to dance. Dogtown, and the artists that fill that space with so much love, energy, and spirit, will keep me dancing forever.”
“Choreography is magical because in each moment a dance is revealing itself to you.
I am a deep thinker and choreography allows me to reveal my intrinsic thoughts and feelings through abstract expression. My work is not obvious in its content. You may not know exactly what the subject matter is but I like it that way. It challenges you to think beyond the obvious. You have to dig deeper and develop your own understanding. You relate to it in your own way based on your own life experiences.”
Read MoreRead MoreYou must create your own path, tell your own story, make your own mistakes, and learn your own lessons. You are an individual, with a heart, a soul, a brain, and you must fight for what you want. Allow others to help you, influence you (positively), inspire you, support you. Strive to be a well rounded dancer, it will benefit you in the long run.
“The power of dance is that it truly can be for every child to express every emotion and connect to every subject.” -Melissa Rickey, Binford Principal
Read More"When I try to reflect on my dance journey, it is hard for me to remember a time that I have existed without dance in my life. Dance is and has always been innately a part of me and who I am. " - Stacy
Read More"As dancers, the impulse to be in motion is strong. Whipping up shapes, slicing through space, stirring the air around us, we know that the capacity for movement is endless. After all, our entire planet is in constant motion, rotating around its axis in a perpetual dance with itself."
Meet IMPETUS by RADAR
Read MoreDance is among the most primal experiences encountered as humans. Movement, however pedestrian in nature, transcends cultural barriers and creates a language, raw and paramount in character. The simple movement of a hand, or step in a direction surpasses superficial meaning and dives into the essence of the human experience. An experience so relatable that it can be understood by varying cultures around the world. With history instilled by generations of our ancestors, these movements bare weight sometimes larger than word. Creating a vocabulary of emotion and aesthetic, through dance. A vocabulary that knows no bounds, and is always pushing towards new meaning. This is how dancers communicate. This is how I communicate.
Read More"Dancing is how I experience the world and all it has to offer. It’s cathartic, it’s invigorating, it’s demanding, it’s exciting, and it offers endless possibilities."
Meet Kara | Be Inspired
Read MoreI most importantly want you to know that, as dancers, we all spread our message and our story because, like all artists, dance makes us feel alive. It makes us present and it allows our creative thoughts to wander from our minds. We dance because we want to continuously spread its beauty, its connectivity and physicality. And what’s special about dance as its own art form, is that all you need is a floor under your feet and a mindset to move. I’ve been thankful to have this feeling all my life, so I’m excited to share my pathway and own growth as a “Dancer of RVA.”
Read MoreThe older I have gotten, the more I am living out what I was taught as a young dancer. I believe everyone can move. Dance can convey emotions and feelings to express what words cannot. This philosophy and who I am today as a dancer and teacher is hands down due to the inspiring, loving, and compassionate teachers and mentors of my past. Meet Laura | Be Inspired
Read More"My dance journey has come full circle. I started as an enthusiastic 6th grade student and now I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. I love performing, choreographing, and teaching and I’m excited to inspire the next generation of dance artists."
Read MoreI am currently in a place in my dance journey, where I have never been more in love with dance. Each week is full of learning, creating, and just completely going for it.
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