Last year ADC held it's first annual ARTistry Dance Convention, and we are so excited to be hosting it again this weekend! The ARTistry Convention is a weekend long dance convention for intermediate and advanced dancers ages 10 and up. All dancers in the Atlanta area are invited to come take class from professionals who are currently dancing, teaching, and performing around the nation. We have been looking forward to this convention since the season began! So who do we have on faculty this year?
We're happy to announce that Jason Kalish will be returning this year to teach tap. Jason was a favorite last year, filling the room with his explosive energy an innovative choreography. Jason Kalish performed in “Tap Dogs” and has tapped with legends Gregory Hines and Jimmy Slyde. Everyone loved Jason's class so much last year, that we had to bring him back again.
On Jazz faculty this year we have Alyson Tolbert. Alyson is currently dancing in New York City and was most recently on the Broadway tour of Catch Me if You Can! She received her BFA in Musical Theater Performance from the University of Florida, and has been performing ever since. We are excited to have her on faculty this year!
For ballet we have University of Georgia Department of Dance Head Lisa Fusillo. Ms. Fusillo danced with the Washington Ballet in Washington, D.C. and has studied ballet all over the world. She has received countless awards for her teaching and choreography, and has trained ballet dancers all over the nation. Find her full biography here, and get ready to learn from one of ballet's best on Sunday morning!
Melia or “Mel B.” will be teaching classes in both Hip Hop as well as Contemporary this weekend. She currently lives and dances in Los Angeles! She graduated early from the St. Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts and moved to L.A. to pursue a career in dance. Her career in L.A. has flourished and she has worked with companies such as Cirque Du Soleil, America's Got Talent, Macy's, and the TLC network. She has also danced with notable artists such as Brian Friedman, Travis Wall, and Tabitha & Napoleon D'Umo.
Beth Lewis and Marlayna Locklear will also be teaching contemporary classes. Beth Lewis is currently dancing with Pilobolus Dance Theater and will be including some partnering work in her classes. Marlayna Locklear currently dances for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and teaches Horton technique. Even though both will be teaching modern based classes, their classes will show our students just how different contemporary styles can be from one another!
We have a lot to look forward to this weekend for the ARTistry Dance Convention. Each class is an hour and a half long so students can learn technique as well as choreography. In addition to taking class, students will participate in a “mock audition,” and be able to interview faculty members at the “lunch with the pros” session. Parents can see everything the students have worked on all weekend at the end of the weekend performance! Have we mentioned that we are excited yet? Our students always leave ARTistry weekend happy, energetic, and enthusiastic about class, but most of all it leaves them inspired to follow their dreams. See you this weekend!
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