On Saturday, January 18, several of our AMA Dance Force left for the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and attended the “JUMP” Convention! The JUMP Convention is a dance workshop that is taught by the industry’s top choreographers, including So You Think You Can Dance choreographers Mia Michaels and Mandy Moore, and So You Think You Can Dance winners, Nick Lazzarini and Melanie Moore! Company co-directors Amy Probasco and Kimmy Ehlke accompanied the girls to this experience of a lifetime!

The workshop ran two full days and included seven hours each day of classes in all types of dance, such as ballet, tap, lyrical, and jazz.

Miss Kimmy says, “There is nothing like the experience of a dance convention; utter exhaustion after seven hours of the most strenuous classes, dancing in a room with 500 other kids, standing three feet from the next person… sounds great, right? Ask any dancer if they’d do it again and 99% of the time, the answer is going to be a very enthusiastic YES! It’s really inspiring to be in a room full of other dancers who share the same passion and drive to become better. It’s also important for dancers to experience different styles and techniques of dance, as well as different teaching methods; they learn to adapt, pick up choreography more quickly, and become all-around better dancers.

I grew up attending conventions and they are some of my fondest memories of dance, but it was really fun to be on the other side, as a teacher, for the first time. I got to see my dancers experience all kinds of new things and really push themselves; I’m so proud of each of them for putting themselves out there, stepping out of their comfort zones, and seizing the opportunity to learn something entirely new.

As a teacher, what I hope they have come away from the experience with is a little extra inspiration and reignited passion, to push themselves and work harder everyday in their classes back home at AMA, and striving to be the absolute best you can be; that is what dance conventions are all about.”

Would you like to see some awesome photos from this convention?

Miss Kimmy & Miss Amy attended the JUMP Convention
with Seven of our ADF Company members!

AMA Dance Force members and teachers attend the JUMP convention in 2014.

Tap choreographer, Mike Minery, takes a moment to pose
with Julia and Carolyn after the Advanced Tap Class!

Mike Minery poses with two AMA students at the JUMP convention.

Michelle focusing on some jazz choreography taught by Melanie Moore!

AMA student Michelle attends the JUMP convention in 2014.

Then Miss Moore posed with her after class!

Melanie Moore poses with AMA student at the 2014 JUMP convention.

During the lunch break, Miss Ann Marie poses
with the AMA students who attended JUMP!

Ann Marie Frank joins AMA dance students at the JUMP convention.

Zoe, Adriana & Michelle take a moment to pose for the camera.
Tired, but happy smiles!

The dance students pose together.

Adriana gives the camera a big smile and Miss Amy a big hug!

AMA students love their teachers!

What did AMA students have to say about attending JUMP?

Carolyn, one of our advanced students said she “loved meeting the amazing choreographers and learning their dances! Probably the most valuable thing I learned at JUMP was from Mia Michaels when she gave a pep talk saying, ‘Be vulnerable, be frightened and put yourself out there.’ And I loved when Bobby Newberry said, ‘No one will judge you. And if they do, they think they’re better than everyone else and shouldn’t be here.”

Katie, one of AMA’s intermediate students, said that “It was a great learning experience. It was fun to learn new steps and new styles of dance! I had no least favorite part. I loved it all!”

All AMA attendees agreed that they would definitely go again. It was unanimous that the quick-paced classes really helped them pick up choreography!

 


 

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