FROM MODERN TO BALLET
DANCE This has given me the opportunity to perform
at a professional level and to understand more about dance than
I ever could have learned anywhere else.

I was dancing in my living room at a very young age and started taking modern classes when I was seven years old at Kaleidoscope Dance, which is where I found out about the DANCE This company audition; I was accepted as an apprentice.

DANCE This opened doors and gave me the opportunity to meet artists like Savion Glover and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. I also remember seeing wonderful jazz dancers for the first time, and then there was one classical Indian dancer I will never forget. It was incredibly eye opening.

I loved working with the different choreographers but at one point everyone started telling me I should take ballet. I was really reluctant. But through DANCE This, and my meeting with New York choreographer Jamel Gaines, who inspired me and saw my potential, I finally agreed to get the classical training I needed and went the extra mile.

My road to becoming a professional dancer was due in part because of the doors DANCE This opened. It was a consistent through-line from age 12 to high school. Over the years my dance experiences got more intense and more rewarding, and the ability to perform at the Moore and Paramount was the icing on the cake.

Aaron Loux, Dance Major at Juilliard School, 6 years DANCE This

FROM TAP TO HIP-HOP
With DANCE This you get to meet other young dancers trying to
accomplish the same thing you are.

The very first time I participated in DANCE This was 2003. My background was tap and I was extremely nervous when it came time for the modern piece. I remember that first day of practice I cried in the bathroom for 10 minutes because I felt like I was doing such a horrible job. But after hours of practice, almost every day, my skill level really jumped and I learned a lot about myself as a dancer and as a human being. After that first year of DANCE This I began to take dance more seriously.

The second year I was given the chance to perform a solo during the finale and I was just completely honored that everyone believed I could pull it off. But the third year was really the year that changed my life. Savion Glover was the guest choreographer. I was so excited because I love Savion, and tap is what I do! I couldn't believe it when I was selected to lead the call and response sections of the dance. When it finally came time to perform I was really pumped. I fell in love with that piece and I still listen to the song almost every day. That single performance opened lots of doors for me. This past June I danced with Savion and some of his other dancers on TV’s Dancing with The Stars.

My fourth and last year with DANCE This was all about Hip-Hop. It was great to try something different. Looking back I can say, without hesitation, that DANCE This was a wonderful program. There is nothing else like it in the Northwest –maybe even the country!

Shaina Mitchell, NW Tap Connection Instructor, 4 years DANCE This

FROM TAP TO MODERN
DANCE This breaks down barriers.

DANCE This opened my eyes to new forms of dance and I really became interested in modern dance. Plus in order to be in the finale – which is one of the best parts – I had to learn everybody else’s dance style.

There were so many great moments but I really remember dancing with Savion Glover. To be able to work with him for a week on a choreographed piece was like, WOW! I can do this! That was pretty cool. It was amazing working with him. He is one of my idols.

But now I know that if I had stuck with just tap my professional job options would be so much less. I would never be able to compete or stand out professionally without the training that DANCE This exposed me to. I never realized this until I went to college, but programs like this are so important.

Brian Davis ,Dance Major at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, 3 years DANCE This

FROM TAP TO HIP-HOP
DANCE This is not just a show, it is a true experience.
DANCE This has expanded my mind and taught me to appreciate and
respect the artistry in everything.

When I was nine, I saw my best friend tap and instantly fell in love. I was first introduced to DANCE This in 2003 when my dance company, TTAAPP Central, was asked to perform in the show and I have performed every year since then. DANCE This has provided me with a great network of dance connections and has helped me strengthen my technique and expand my repertoire as a dancer.

The cross-cultural workshops are always an amazing experience. I discover a newfound love for dance every year and respect for each form. I love seeing the relationship between all of the different cultural groups.

The dedication to youth in performance and giving young people the opportunity to work with professionals in a professional show really make DANCE This unique. It’s not just a show, it is a true experience.

DANCE This has given me the ability to expand my mind and has taught me that I love cultural art! It has also taught me to appreciate all forms of dance and to respect the artistry in everything.

Pamela Yasutake, NW Tap Connection Instructor and sophomore at Parsons School of Design,
6 years DANCE This

FROM TAP TO BULGARIA
DANCE This is a show that has the ability to change lives.
It changed mine.

I started dancing tap at age five with Dr. Darrilyn Smith who came to MLK Elementary and picked me out to join her class. She was strict, and to start out with she gave me girl tap shoes with a ribbon and told me, "you're gonna be my little star." After that I felt supported and stuck with dance.

While working with PNB's Discover Dance Program, I saw a sign for the DANCE This audition. That first year, 2002, I danced with TTAAPP Central, Discover Dance and Sonia Dawkins. Since then I’ve been in every performance and every intensive.

It has been amazing to learn cultural dance styles and get to know other teens. It is so beautiful to get to grow in dance, technique – and as a human being. DANCE This can be hard, but it’s had a huge impact and has made me strive to be a professional dancer. I have gained more confidence but I have also become more humble. I think of my body as my instrument.

Over the past few years, DANCE This has opened doors for me. I’ve gotten to work with Debbie Allen in LA and perform with the choreography of Sonia Dawkins in Bulgaria!

Alex Jackson, 19 years old, six years DANCE This

FROM AFRICAN TO JAZZ,
BALLET AND MODERN
DANCE This has given me the ability to shine.

In South Africa, where I grew up, there were lots of gangs and violence. When I was nine, I got together with a group of girls and we decided to dance to help us stay away from the gangs and get a better life. We started with African dance and drumming – things we knew because we did them as young children. In 2002 we came to the United States for a show which was the first big show of my life. Then we were invited to perform with DANCE This at the Paramount. Now THAT was the biggest show ever! We had so much fun. I will never forget hearing all the people cheering when we started our first song. Amazing!

Now I’ve done six DANCE This performances and I’ve even started teaching with Etienne Cakpo in the DANCE This Intensive. DANCE This has made me realize I don't have to remain in my own culture – that I can open up and allow my body to do other dance forms. Now I am open to learn other styles: even ballet, modern and jazz. I might not always be the best, but I try.

Siya Manyakanyaka-Kelley, student turned teacher, 6 years DANCE This

FROM INSTRUCTION TO CHOREOGRAPHY
If DANCE This never happened, then these kids, myself included,
would all live in a less exciting, less inspiring environment. This
annual celebration is something we look forward to.

I was part of the very first DANCE This and I remember the early discussions about what we wanted to do: showcase all the different youth talent around town. DANCE This represents the wide variety of Seattle communities and allows their cultures to shine.

DANCE This allows two groups of kids to converge: those who have studied dance from a young age, and those who have only been exposed to dance through their cultural heritage or local community. At DANCE This everything is equal and everyone is given equal time. That’s one of my favorite things about the program. The two groups learn from each other and discover what it really means to dance. It is hands-on and respectful of culture: you show us your steps, we’ll show you ours, and we’ll celebrate together. The kids learn that dance doesn’t just evolve out of technique.

I’ve personally seen tons of kids get “hooked on dance” after going through the program. It gives kids a taste of the stage and recognition and I see how much they enjoy it because they show it with their body. I see the pride, the thrill, their confidence.

As a choreographer, DANCE This has made me realize that less is better. I realized that audiences like things in their purist simplest unpolished form. When I started seeing different cultures perform native dances, it broadened my perspective on what moveable vocabulary I could use. I’ve also learned, and I know the kids have learned, that you do not have to have a dozen years of training be called a dancer. I’ve worked with kids that simply don’t have rhythm and physically can’t move in a lot of ways. But they are still very effective in relaying a message or telling a story. That child is a dancer! By being a part of DANCE This you can’t be narrow in your thinking.
Anytime you see other cultures perform, you are forced to redefine what dance is. And I really enjoy the finale –man….that part really drives the idea home.

Chris Daigre, Ewajo Dance Workshop Teacher/Choreographer, 10 years DANCE This

FROM MODERN TO BACKSTAGE
Once you step foot on that historic stage, you become part of
the tradition.

The first time I performed at the Paramount is forever burned into my memory. I can still feel how I was shaking so hard waiting for the music to start that my ponytail was trembling – I was actually getting to perform on the Paramount stage! But once the music started, my muscles took over, relying on weeks of intensive rehearsal, and I was able to relax and enjoy the jubilation of performing. That is why DANCE This is such an incredible opportunity for young dancers: once you step foot on that historic stage, you become part of the tradition, the legacy that includes hundreds of world-renowned dance companies and performers.

DANCE This has been a wonderful venue for me to explore and grow as a performer. Young pre-professional dancers like myself get the chance to study with prestigious choreographers who are masters in their fields. In 2004, I was given the chance to work behind the scenes as Project Coordinator which gave me valuable insight as to how such a multilayered show comes together, and it ultimately made me more understanding as a performer. I would not be the artist and teacher I am today were it not for my experiences with DANCE This.

Jennifer Lin, dancer, choreographer, actress. B.A. in Dance and Communication from
the University of WA (magna cum laude), 6 years DANCE This

FROM BALLET TO HIP-HOP
DANCE This taught me that I am capable of taking risks and bouncing
back from failure.

I started ballet at five because my big sister did it and my mom wanted me to learn to be graceful. When I was 14, Sonia Dawkins introduced me to modern dance and I suddenly had the opportunity to work with people in different ways. I learned to share energy with the other dancers in the room and get energy from my fellow dancers. Through DANCE This I learned to learn from other people – not just the instructor.

The first time I rehearsed with choreographer Jamel Gaines I definitely doubted myself. I had classical ballet training and when I saw his choreography I thought, “There is absolutely NO WAY I can make my body do that! I’m going to make a fool of myself.” Everyone was great about helping me until I got the piece to performance level.

Now that I’m in college I realize how much DANCE This has taught me to persevere, to have the tenacity and discipline to stick with something, to take risks and bounce back from failure, to be confident and have a stage presence. These are all things that have also helped me succeed in my academic and extracurricular activities at Stanford. I can attribute much of where I am today to my experiences with DANCE This; in fact, after 13 years of ballet I'm now in a hip-hop dance group!

Paloma Ochi, Senior at Stanford University, 4 years DANCE This