Take everything you know and have come to expect from dance conventions and throw it out the window. Watch out world because DanceMakers is reinventing the wheel. Looking at their website, viewers won’t immediately see the traditional photos of dancers posing with their trophies or old award ceremony videos. Instead, the first seen photos feature the staff in the serene outdoors surrounded by tall pine trees and mountains, embracing one another. The DanceMakers directors, Brad and Felicia Taylor, pride themselves in their atypical convention dancers are not used to.

What makes this convention atypical is their approach to education and guidance. They offer a space that motivates kids and young adults not only to improve their artistry, but to become better people. Attending students should expect to learn both dance and life lessons during the convention weekend. Gearing up for their upcoming Trust the Journey Tour, DanceMakers welcomes artists to embark on a spiritual journey, and re-discover who they are as individuals in a loving, supportive and welcoming environment.

DanceMakers introduces a new journey/ new tour 

To keep things fresh, every few years the directors introduce a new tour with an overarching theme. This time, they’re introducing the Trust the Journey Tour- an offshoot of Find your Truth Tour, which was the biggest tour to date. This new tour is about trusting in the process of self discovery journeys (achieved through artistic expression), while also finding life’s true calling. “We don’t just pick a cool name for our tours and sit back. We really try to think about what our mission is overall as a company and how that mission can be broken down a little bit into these specific tours,” says Brad.

While Brad and Vicki realize individual journeys are inevitable, they look forward to seeing how everyone’s journey is connected. They believe various paths can intertwine with one another, resulting in a wonderful team building event. Trust the Journey Tour will travel to 20 cities across the country, like Seattle, WA.  But, remember to register quickly because a majority of their events sell out. For a full list of locations and dates arranged by month, please see the end of the article.

DanceMakers Stellar team of the instructors

Leading students through dance classes and life lessons is an all-star roster of dancers and choreographers. These individuals abide by DanceMakers philosophies and culture; to make every person who walks through the door feel accepted and welcomed as they begin their journey. One teacher to get excited about is Dejan Tubic, a very popular choreographer with over 100 million views online. What led to this stardom is his freestyle fierce moves and vibrant energy (check them out on his YouTube channel iDejANCE, which has over 300,000 subscribers). Dejan’s undeniable talent draws recognition from numerous publications like the The New York Times. Celebrities like Ryan Seacrest, The Black Eyed Peas, and Adam Lambert mention him in their blogs as well.

Another choreographer worth mentioning is Brooke Paulson- Zeulus, who specializes in tap and has worked with tap masters like Jason Samuels Smith (winner of an Emmy and American Choreography Award). Shortly after her move to California at the age of 17, Greg Russell’s Tap Sounds Undergroud recruited Brooke. This companies sole purpose is finding and educating talented tap dancers. Since this recruitment, Brooke performs on tours with musical artists like Pink. She also had the honor of being the only female tapper, in “Beats Per Minute” an LA tap show which originated in Australia, created and directed by Glen Gray.

To find hotel rooms for your gym or parents closest to where your team is playing in ANY city, visit https://www.hotels4teams.com/. Hotels4Teams – The Best Hotels at the Best Prices, Closest to the Action!

DanceMakers “The Collective” mentorship program

Each year at Nationals the faculty selects dancers to travel with them during the upcoming tour season. They base their selection for “The Collective” on who they believe best represents DanceMakers philosophies, in addition to recognizable technique, drive, style, attitude and attendance. These select few dancers have the opportunity to travel across the country while training, studying and performing with world renowned teachers and choreographers.

Additionally, The Collective gets hands on experience of what it is like working in the dance industry. Members are more than welcome to include this experience on their professional resume. But wait, there’s more…dancers also get a free trip to LA Collective Weekend, where members receive a welcome dinner, and head shots. They also get access to private classes and introductory meetings with talent agents. Last but not least, DanceMakers pays for the travel arrangements and/or accommodation for at least 7 cities on the tour list, making this the first and only program in the industry providing financial support towards mentorship programs. Take full advantage of this experience by exploring the cities they take you to, like San Antonio, CA.

Cut off dates and discount information

First and foremost, attendees can save some money by making sure registration is completed before the deadline, and avoid late fees. Registrations completed after the cut off date receive $20 late fee charges for each attendee.

It costs $285 for a teacher to attend DanceMakers, however each paying student gets a $28.50 credit toward teacher registration. Therefore, if 10 students register, the teacher gets to go to that city for free! Also, viewers that are not a part of the studio, but wish to peek in on classes should know there is a cost to spectate. However, the competition is absolutely free to watch.

Recently stepping into the new positions as owners and directors, the Taylor’s went through their own journey to figure out who they were in these roles and how to navigate the waters to make DanceMakers reflect their vision. The mission of this convention is to welcome every person that walks through the door. They want students to feel loved, appreciated and inspired to go back into their normal lives after the weekend, standing a little bit taller because they’ve accepted who they are. Felicia and Brad see this convention as much bigger than dance. They want more than an award or promotion for their students. They view young performers as the next generation of leaders, so their goal is to instill leadership, responsibility, love, trust and acceptance.  They want you to walk away as better version of yourself and you will get there as long as you come to the Trust the Journey experience with an open mind and heart.

October

DanceMakers Inc. – Nashville – Gaylord Opryland Hotel Resort & Convention Center – Nashville, TN

November

DanceMakers Inc. – Mobile – Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel – Mobile, AL

DanceMakers Inc. – Daytona Beach – Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort – Daytona Beach, FL

DanceMakers Inc. – San Antonio – Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa – San Antonio, TX

January

DanceMakers Inc. – Indianapolis – The Westin Indianapolis – Indianapolis, IN

DanceMakers Inc. – Pittsburgh – Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown – Pittsburg, PA

DanceMakers Inc. – Boston – The Westin Copely Place – Boston, MA

DanceMakers Inc. – Richmond – Downtown Richmond Marriott & Greater Richmond Convention Center – Richmond, VA

February

DanceMakers Inc. – Dearborn – Edward Village Michigan Hotel – Dearborn, MI

DanceMakers Inc. – Columbia – Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center – Columbia, SC

DanceMakers Inc. – Kansas City – Kansas City Marriott Downton – Kansas City, MO

DanceMakers Inc. – Branson – Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa and Convention Center – Branson, MO

March

DanceMakers Inc. – Anaheim – Hyatt Regency Orange County – Anaheim, CA

DanceMakers Inc. – Greenville – Hyatt Regency Greenville – Greenville, SC

DanceMakers Inc. – Charlotte – Embassy Suites Hotel Charlotte Concord – Charlotte, NC

DanceMakers Inc. – Seattle – Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center – Seattle, WA

April

DanceMakers Inc. – Chicago – Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center – Chicago, IL

DanceMakers Inc. – Bethesda – Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Convention Center – Bethesda, MD

DanceMakers Inc. – Baton Rouge – Crowne Plaza Executive Center Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge, LA

May

DanceMakers Inc. – New Orleans – Sheraton New Orleans – New Orleans, LA

For updated tournament information, please visit DanceMakers.