The Adorable Chelsie Hightower

Who doesn't love the quick-stepping, bubbly Chelsie Hightower? At just 21, she has achieved more success in a few years than some do in a lifetime - she just has that IT factor. From "So You Think You Can Dance" to "Dancing With the Stars", this article explores where she came from and how she got to where she is today. I love knowing how successful people worked to get to the top, and this article, "Face to Face: Chelsie Hightower" in Dance Teacher Magazine doesn't disappoint!

Amazingly, Chelsie won her first national ballroom title at age 11 after only dancing for two years prior to that. She says that all of her dance studio training in Orem, Utah prepared her for a professional career - "the biggest thing is learning that people will want to work with you if you're a good person, show up on time and have a good attitude."

Her future plans include opening her own dance studio an hour north of Orem that will include everything from competitive jazz and hip-hop to ballroom.

National Dance Day - July 31

It's time to really get excited about National Dance Day! What exactly is it? Many of us rabid "So You Think You Can Dance" fans are already clued in, but it was started by SYTYCD producer and judge, Nigel Lythgoe, as a day to get the country to move and raise awareness for dance. What a fabulous idea! Dance is finally getting the attention it deserves, thanks to T.V. shows like SYTYCD and "Dancing with the Stars."

So, here's the deal. It's only 10 days away, Saturday, July 31, and is a great opportunity for you to get your friends, family, dance studio, and fellow dance friends together to have a dance party. Get creative and submit your ideas to: http://www.fox.com/dance/ndd/. Once you submit, you may see a SYTYCD camera crew at your event and be featured on the show!!

Don't forget to learn the hip-hop routine choreographed by the awesome NappyTabs duo to dance on the big day. Check out the video:


Here's a bit more info on the day, from the SYTYCD website;

WHAT: NATIONAL DANCE DAY, a grassroots initiative that encourages the nation, young and old, to move!  Individuals, families, organizations and communities from across the nation come together through their creative expression in dance.  Any style of dance is welcome and imagination is recommended in order to get the most out of this celebratory day.


WHY: To continue to generate national awareness for dance, a medium of expression and storytelling which, through shows like So You Think You Can Dance, has proven its value in bringing individuals from all walks of life together through a positive platform that has no boundaries and cultivates imagination and passion. Most importantly, the day is intended to promote health and wellness nationwide.

Nigel has been tweeting up a storm about National Dance Day, a.k.a. D-Day. He said the goal is to “prove that the ‘Power of Dance’ can MOVE an entire Country!” So get up off the couch and put on your dancing shoes on July 31^st. Share your D-Day ideas in the SYTYCD forums and stay tuned to this site for more information to come.

Twilex - More please!

It's been almost two days since "So You Think You Can Dance" aired, and I still can't get Alex and Twitch's hip-hop routine out of my head! Who knew a ballet dude could thrust his hips like a gansta? It was ingenious choreography from the hottest hip-hop team out there - NappyTabs (Napoleon and Tabitha).

Here it is again, for your viewing pleasure!

Billy Bell - The Lunge Dance Collective - Part III

Sick of Billy Bell yet?! Well, there's so much to write about him, that I couldn't stop! Here's an interview that ran in Dance Spirit, about his dance company, The Lunge Dance Collective. He created the company as a transition company for dancers trying to break into the NYC dance market.




Just for fun - here's another great Billy performance. Here he is at the JUMP convention where he toured and danced this past year.

Billy Bell - Dance Training - Part II

Not only has Billy Bell made it to the Top 11 on this year's "So You Think You Can Dance," but he is also a professional dancer with the DeMa Dance Company, a Julliard dance student, runs the Lunge Dance Collective (his own dance company), has performed with Liza Minelli and other off Broadway shows! In other words, his resume is packed! Here's all the details, from the DeMa Dance Company's website.

Billy Bell was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Fl where he first started dance at the age of 12. He attended the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Fl and graduated in May 2008. There he worked with many prestigious choreographers including Kathy Posin, Margot Sapington, Jeff Satinof, and Jan Hanniford-Geotz.

Now, at age 19, he has done more than most his age: He has danced with Broadway’s Liza Minnelli, and Joel Grey in “Back to Back to Broadway”; toured with Broadway Arts Productions as “Baby John” in their production of “West Side Story;” and was on season six (and is now on seven) of FOX’s hit television show So You Think You Can Dance. He has trained at Alvin Ailey, Joffrey Jazz and Contemporary and participated in Springboard Danse Montreal, where he has had the pleasure of working with many dance companies and choreographers from across the world. Billy also started his own ensemble at Dreyfoos School of the Arts called the Dreyfoos Dance Ensemble, and was lucky enough to be selected to be awarded a Silver Award and Presidential Scholar nomination from NFAA YoungARTS. He also was in an HBO documentary with Jaques D’Amboise called “Master Class”.

He is currently in the class of 2012 at The Juilliard School, in New York City, where he studies dance, and has been able to choreograph and perform the works of José Limon and Sidra Bell. Most recently, Billy set his first work, “Burgeon,” at Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Billy joined DeMa Dance Company in November of 2009, and is excited to grow with this new opportunity.

SYTYCD's Billy Bell - Part I

I was so excited to see Billy Bell back on the show this year, and he so deserved a place in the top 10 (scratch that - the lame top 11)! There aren't too many guys out there who have his incredible extension and flexibility, and he seems like such a nice guy. He's the real thing as a Julliard dance student.

This article ran in Dance Spirit, and gives us more insight into his great personality and talent!

Billy Bell Talks About His "SYTYCD" Return

Here's his video from his first SYTYCD audition!

SYTYCD Stars' Signature Moves

I love learning new jumps, turns and moves and was not disappointed with the new videos on the "So You Think You Can Dance" website! All of the past star contestants who are partnering with this year's top 10 demonstrate and teach their signature moves. Check it out, starting with Allison Holker.

Tune in Tonight for "So You Think You Can Dance"

Tune in tonight again for "So You Think You Can Dance" on FOX, as they wrap up the audition tour in Nashville and Dallas, then onto callbacks in Vegas! It airs at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central time in a two-hour special episode.

I'm excited about the new format, bringing in stars from the previous seasons to partner up with the remaining top 10. I think the competition will be more fair, since everyone will have a strong partner and a crowd favorite, as opposed to being partnered with another contestant. What do you think?

I'm so excited that Mia Michaels is back, and eager to see what how the latest contemporary choreography is shaping up this year. I must say that I'm getting rather tired and bored of contemporary, as it all seems to be so heavy, depressing, and even ugly, especially in competitions. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I love to see some beautiful dancing, and a lot of contemporary is spastic and contrived. I want to see more variety, more dynamic themes and choreo. Bring it on!!

Wanna Dance Like Jakob Karr (from "So You Think You Can Dance")?

 Jakob Karr from "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 6

Wanna dance like Jakob Karr, runner-up from "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 6? Well, you need lots of ballet technique, according to a great article in Dance Teacher Magazine this month featuring the dance studio where Karr danced and trained. The owner of Shooting Stars School of Performing Arts dishes about competitions, the importance of ballet technique, and advice for teachers. Check it out here or read below!

High Five

By Alison Feller

With Melissa Stokes of Shooting Stars School of Performing Arts

Melissa Stokes started out on the competition circuit 18 years ago with four dancers. Now she boasts a roster of more than 100. Last year her studio, Shooting Stars School of Performing Arts in Clermont, Florida, earned recognition when former student Jakob Karr was named runner-up on “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 6.

How do you turn out such technically trained dancers?I teach more ballet than most competition studios, so when my kids win, it’s because of their technique more than anything. I don’t care what the latest trend is in choreography or on the convention circuit—I care about keeping the kids in ballet class.

For four months, starting in August, I teach solid technique. We don’t even begin learning the choreography for our competition routines until the last week in December. Then, as soon as competition season ends in May, we get back into the serious technique classes—including a ballet camp—before we go to Nationals. 

What do you do with an exceptionally gifted dancer—like Jakob Karr—to keep him or her challenged and growing?If you want them to grow, you as the teacher have to continue to grow. You have to challenge yourself in order for your studio to prosper. I do that by taking classes whenever I can. Over the summer I go to NYC to take classes at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway. I also bring in guest teachers for my students, so we can all stay on the cutting edge. 

As a teacher, what do you find to be the most rewarding part of competition?The reason I first got into competition was to make my dancers more serious so I could take them to a more experienced level. Competitions teach the students discipline and focus, and, if you handle your team correctly, they help form tremendous friendships.     

What are the biggest mistakes studios make at competition?They can let it become too competitive and, as a result, lose their focus. You can’t let go of your technique. So many studios also focus on following the latest trends and suddenly everyone is wearing the same thing, performing to the same song and looking identical.  

What is your advice to teachers for their first competition?Don’t go in expecting to win. Sit, learn and watch the other dancers at each event and really keep your eyes open. Get a feel for what competitions are like and understand that hard work will pay off. Competitions are also subjective. The results at any given event are one group’s opinion. It can simply depend on the group of judges you have that day