What makes a master?…

Dance Directive Master Class season is well underway. I have heard amazing things about our outstanding teaching staff. In one of the emails I had a teacher ask me, “What makes a Master Teacher?” It seemed like a fair question. I’m going to address our thoughts on the question, and include thoughts on Master Class trends in the industry.My favorite dictionary definition of the term master in this context is: “To acquire complete knowledge or skill in a technique or art.” You may have noticed in our master classes we have many different genres of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, Latin jazz, jazz funk, hip hop, music theater and improv. Each of these genres has different teachers. web contacts . Some teachers do overlap as their skills dictate, ballet/lyrical/contemporary, tap/music theatre, jazz funk/hip hop, etc. Are these teachers masters of all… nope! I would gather that in many cases our Ballet teacher might struggle in the hip hop class down the hall. Our teachers are selected because of their degree of skills in the classes they teach. I decided I would go back and reread the bio clips of our teachers. I am sure glad I did because after this I will bow in my tutu to the teachers that grace our TOP platforms. No, not really, because they are the kindest, most humble group you can find and would not expect that or even want that. I however, found myself humbled by their talents. Our teachers have danced beside Madonna, Michael Jackson, JT, JLo, Britney, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce to name a few. And I do not mean they paid to dance halftime entertainment at the Super Bowl with 10,000 other dancers, but they were paid to dance with them, chosen by the star themselves on world tours, videos and  award shows like the Grammy’s, Oscars and Emmy’s. You watch your TV and see them on Glee, Big Bang Theory, Saved by the Bell,  or in favorite dance movies like Stayin Alive, Footloose, and Coyote Ugly to again name a few. Others have been cast members in original cast of Chorus Line, STOMP or other famous Broadways shows. In addition to all the “star” factors, most have owned studios for years, some 20-30+ years. They teach at The EDGE, Broadway Dance Center, and Luigi’s in NYC.Meet-Babes.com They are authors of dance books and graduates of some of the finest dance programs in the country. And, most of all for me, they have a love and passion for the art of dance and are great with kids. What you will not find with our classes is a 12-year-old meet and greet. As talented as these reality stars are, they are not by every definition of the word from Webster to Wikipedia yet “Master” teachers. Like your dancers, they still have many dance bridges to cross to earn that title. Nothing wrong with a meet and greet of a TV star, but I can’t call it a master class, nor could I charge you money for it. I do not also believe that just 15 minutes of reality TV fame earns you this title either. Perhaps because I am “seasoned” I prefer the wealth of knowledge that comes with those who have lived the industry. My youngest Master Teacher is in the early twenties, but with a bio that is well rounded and growing every week. The fact is, a master teacher will always be growing and adding to his or her bio.My staff is also going to be there, which with the way our airlines are run now days is often a frustrating feat on our end. Yes, sometimes, a professional will have a conflicting event that makes their schedule impossible. It happens. But, we will not advertise a “Star” teacher on our tour that only actually shows up to one or two events. It is a gimmick to get you there. I think all of my teachers are “Stars”. I advertise them as team! And nine hours for $99 dollars, you do the math. The pay back is all yours!