Over the last decade, top dancers from the convention circuit have chosen, in increasing numbers, to attend college programs after high school. As students’ pathways have shifted, competitions and conventions are increasingly creating pathways to college, as well, through scholarship and enrollment auditions.

Like almost everything happening right now, New York City Dance Alliance Foundation’s college scholarship auditions looked a little different this year. Rather than sweating it out in a packed hotel ballroom, the dancers logged onto Zoom from whatever space they had available. After taking a ballet class, they learned a grand allegro combination from Ashley […]

If you’re about to graduate high school, you don’t need to be told just how much COVID-19 has taken away from you. You deserve to be celebrated for your accomplishments. And you also deserve a leg up (pun most definitely intended) when it comes to your dance career, since the pandemic has put most traditional […]

June 3, 2016, was a big day for Justice Moore: It was her 19th birthday, high school graduation and the day she found out she’d been cast in the ensemble of Hamilton‘s Chicago production. Her controlled, versatile approach to movement, honed on the competition circuit, has only brought her more opportunities since then. Last summer, […]

Adding another commitment to your already busy schedule may be the last thing you want to do as a college student. But assisting at dance conventions can offer valuable experiences you won’t find in a classroom. Convention assistants help students pick up choreography and rub shoulders with industry influencers. For some, it’s the perfect addition […]

At competitions, the people who are scoring you can be the biggest industry leaders in the room. But is there a way to network with them with these judges? Three top competition judges share their advice on how to do it in the most strategic way—and the pet peeves that turn them off. Mandy Moore—The […]

The iconic New York City dance studio Steps on Broadway has a new leader coming on board: Joe Lanteri. The New York City Dance Alliance founder will be Steps’ new co-owner and executive director. “For me, it’s a big full circle,” says Lanteri, who used to take class at Steps when he first moved to […]

Throughout her years growing up at New York City Dance Alliance, Jacalyn Tatro has dominated the podium: In 2011, she was National Mini Outstanding Dancer, in 2014 she won National Teen Outstanding Dancer and in 2016 National Senior Outstanding Dancer. It’s easy to see why: Tatro dances with a maturity beyond her years—her performance quality […]