Marvels Dance Company @ World Of Dance(WOD) LA 2012!
David Lee and Dimitri Mendez @ Marvels Dance Company Workshops!
Lately, I’ve been noticing a certain pattern with other dancers. They always seem to lecture each other about not forgetting their roots or where their dance skills came from. It’s funny though because I can never do that to anyone else regardless of how big headed they are or have become. Because truth be told that the ones who are preaching about acknowledging your background are the ones who usually don’t give credit to their own teachers/choreographers. I know who taught me how to dance and I owe them so much which is exactly why when I dance, I still picture me and my coaches in the studio drilling every piece or set I have learned. In the past, however, I’ve only had 1 teacher who I regret to say I have learned her ways, Trudy Larson. She taught me everything I have to know about every style including Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Ballet, Ballroom, etc. Don’t get me wrong she has taught me so well but without the concept of being humble about it. I was her star pupil back in my high school days and I was even named the 1st male to join dance team. Growing up from freshmen year and taking classes with her she knew I was always bound to be the best. It’s like Glee. I was her Quinn(lead cheerleader of the Cherrios) and she was like my Sue Selvester(coach of the Cherrios). To her I was a natural born dance leader because every time she would give me tasks they were more difficult among the rest of her other students. It wasn’t really fair, but I guess you can say it made me feel special. Unfortunately, once I was let go of the dance team for bad grades she started treating me differently, more specifically horribly. She chose her dance team over her “star pupil” or at least what I thought I was. For our dance elective class I was ignored, put in the back, wasn’t allowed to talk, and I wasn’t allowed to lead stretches or across the floors which in the end result ended with that awkward phase. I was treated like an equal. Which is why the only part of this experience I’m thankful for is the fact after being treated with both opposites of perspective I learned to be both appreciative & modest to never be consumed with the image I had to have but chose not to be because of dance team. So in all offense, YES, please remember who you are when it comes to dance especially to your teachers because you wouldn’t be where you are without them. If you refuse to accept the education at least respect a deeper lesson from what they failed to teach you like how I learned this lesson for myself. This is not a lecture it’s more for inspirational purposes…
P.S. Thank you Michael Bailey, Jamin Love, Valerie Albania, Joanna Santos, Kym Bisnar, and Marvels Dance Company for having me a part of your family! :)
FAMILY DANCE ROOTS > Famous(Egotistic) Dance Roots
