Do you follow DA beyond these blogging walls?
If you do, you know that I (Nichelle) also share great writing from other sources, news, events, and more via social media. A lot of these items get filtered through Nichelle’s Notes, my Tumblr feed.
As a satellite of Dance Advantage, it’s lately become a convenient way for readers and other Tumblr users to ask questions, also. Really good questions!
So from time to time I’ll feature the best of the best here on the mother ship.
(Please note, questions are unedited — I’ve republished them here just as they were submitted.)
The Road To Juilliard
Question:
Answer:
Attending college for dance is an excellent goal and Juilliard is a fantastic program. Reaching these goals, you are right, will require money but will also take a lot of hard work.
While they are available, I’d suggest you make the most of the free classes. You say that they are just the basics, but the basics are VERY important in dance. Professional dancers work hard at the basics every day. So while you have that opportunity (which many dancers do not) work very hard in every class and become stronger in the basics so that you can succeed in whatever paid classes or programs you join.
Above all, you’ll need quality technique classes, especially in ballet, to be prepared for Juilliard (or any college dance program) and most dance performance careers.
Acro classes provide a unique set of skills that are nice to have but are not crucial – they are “extras”. So if funds are tight, to get the most out of the money you are able to raise, you should look for the best possible ballet instruction you can find/afford.
And as for raising funds, this article on funding summer intensives has creative ideas for earning money to pay for training. Many could probably work for you, too. These ideas were shared by someone not much older than you!
Best of luck!!
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
