If you haven’t heard of The Pulse yet, just wait because this weekend long dance intensive is sweeping the nation due to their MAJORLY talented staff. The Pulse is for anyone, regardless of age, who’s passionate about wanting to dance or just be around it. In the words of Tricia Miranda (choreographer for Beyoncé, Missy Elliott, Rhianna and more), “at The Pulse you’re not only going to learn choreography, you’re also going to learn what it takes to become a working dancer in our industry.” This company wastes no time training and guiding dancers towards their next big step.

What makes helps young artists advance is the people teaching the classes, like Tricia. “Have you been to a concert? Have you seen a movie? Was there dance in it? These people did it,” says another famous Pulse instructor Tucker Barkley. According to multiple Pulse alumni, the wealth of knowledge dancers go home with outweighs any other convention out there. This knowledge comes from working professionals who know they’re sculpting what is going to be the next great movement in dance. For them, this responsibly is no joke but rather treated like a promise. The Pulse is described in a number of ways yet paradoxically it’s truly unexplainable. If you value dance it’s up to you to come a witness the web of variables that go into making The Pulse the incredible life-changing force it has become.

Camp Pulse vs. The Pulse

The difference between Camp Pulse and The Pulse is age appropriateness and experience level. Camp Pulse is geared towards younger students and is best suited for 7-13 year olds. The Pulse is faster paced and contains more mature content in terms of music and choreography. Also, The Pulse includes 3 skill levels and Camp Pulse contains two. However, they both occur in the same city, like Atlantic City, NJ, the same venues, and the same weekends.

The pulsating faculty

The main reason anyone comes to The Pulse and Camp Pulse is to learn from the faculty, whose accomplishments are jaw dropping. One of the most famous teachers to grace the tour is Tricia Miranda, who according to the New York Times is “one of pop music’s top movers and shakers.” She was a lead choreographer for Missy Elliott’s surprise appearance at the 2015 Super Bowl halftime show. She also created several of Beyoncé’s hip popping, body thrusting, in-your-face dance moves from the 2008 “Diva” music video. But Miranda’s true claim to fame is her status as one of the internet’s most viral choreographers. She started recording her students dancing to various songs using her signature moves and sequences. The first video she uploaded set to Nicki Minaj’s “Anacada” has over 36 MILLION views. YouTube is now full of Miranda’s videos, all with millions of views.

While Miranda’s success is incredible, she’s far from the only teacher at The Pulse who makes the crowds go wild. Gil Duldulao, a Hawaii native, made the impressive leap from back up dancer to Creative Director in a relatively short period. He recently helped Janet Jackson bring her vision to life for her “State of the World” tour, which kicked off October 2017. In addition to directing Janet Jackson’s shows and tours since 2008, Gil choreographed Nicki Minaj’s “I Am Music Tour,” and “Femme Fatale Tour.” Gil’s creativity is all over the world and continues to be in high demand.  To find out where to meet some of the most influential choreographers and teachers in dance today, check out the end of the article for Pulse events arranged by month.

What’s in store for parents and teachers during The Pulse and Camp Pulse weekends

At Pulse and Camp Pulse weekends, there is an activity or class planned for dancers, teachers, AND parents. After all, dance is something that impacts everyone, not just the performer.

Teachers

The Pulse truly gives meaning to the phrase “everyone is family,” by giving teachers access to EVERYTHING. That’s right; teachers have the freedom to dance in any Pulse or Camp Pulse class with students of any level. To satisfy those uncontrollable dancing feet even more, there’s a private class just for teachers! It’s typically the most talked about experience all weekend, so expect to leave with some amazing memories. However, if you’d rather leave the dancing to the students, sit in during the Business and Bagels and Off the Record discussions.

For Business and Bagels, The Pulse invites teachers to meet the Directors and ask any questions that come to mind. This is a terrific opportunity to pick the minds responsible for one of the most popular dance conventions in the country. It’s also the time to give the Directors any feedback (good or bad), which they value immensely. To develop deeper/closer relationships with the faculty, join them for lunch during Off the Record. Faculty from both The Pulse and Camp Pulse attend this open floor discussion. But remember to ask specific question because this is a popular, time sensitive event.

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Parents

The level of involvement as a dance parent is substantial to say the least. Not only do they dry the tears of sorrow and praise the victorious smiles, but also drive to every competition, recital and rehearsal. Yet unfortunately parents hardly receive the recognition they deserve. Well, The Pulse is changing this by giving parents their own private class, personal time to meet the faculty, and a dance off.

Knowing the last thing they need is figuring out their schedule in addition to their child’s, The Pulse offers Parent Packets. These packets list all the information pertaining to the various events The Pulse has in store for the weekend. Included in the itinerary is a Q and A session with the faculty, the Directors, and Alumni Pulse Parents. Topics include industry opportunities, talent agencies, college vs. career, and the various paths available to dancers today.

In addition to receiving answers, parents enjoy a 45 minute dance, teaching them some of the same dance moves the children learn. Also, towards the end of the weekend the ballroom is cleared for Camp Pulse Parent Show Off. This event allows students to show off what they learned all weekend, followed by a Scholarship Ceremony. What better way to end the weekend than see the kids smiling ear to ear on stage, showing off new skills?

No closed audition process for scholarships

Scholarships at The Pulse are fair game to any dancer. However, unlike conventions that hold formal auditions, dancers pick up a number during check-in and wear it for the entire weekend. During classes the faculty keeps their eyes on students with noticeable drive, technique, style and/or enthusiasm. At the close of the weekend, the staff selects students from all ages they consider highly impressive. Doing the scholarship selection process this way as opposed to closed auditions leaves more time for classes and takes stress off the students.

Two of the scholarships up for grabs are The Pulse and Camp Pulse Summer Scholarships. These give FREE tuition to one summer event for either Camp Pulse or The Pulse. Another neat scholarship is the Choreography Award. Winners of this award submit their routine in a pool of other top routines, in hopes of being the Pulse Featured Choreographer. The final chosen Pulse Featured Choreographer has the honor of choreographing and planning a set for a summer event. For a dancer to have their chorographical skills recognized and awarded by this professional faculty is an incredible achievement. In addition to those awards, one of the most popular scholarships dancers compete for is the Pulse Protégé. This award includes free tuition to any Pulse regional event for one year and eligibility for an Elite Protégé membership.

The Pulse Protégé’s

If you want nothing more than to dance with The Pulse faculty as much as possible, work, work, work to become a Pulse Protégé. Dancers with varying skill levels are chosen in every city on tour. The Pulse Protégé program gives dancers the opportunity to train with The Pulse choreographers in every regional city. Plus, members receive free tuition for a FULL calendar year (once they submit membership dues). At the end of the season, all Pulse Protégés are invited to Las Vegas, NV to compete for the title of Elite Protégé. Previous Elite Protégés work on today’s hit TV shoes, movie sets, and music videos.

In addition to going on tour with The Pulse staff, Protégés make invaluable connections with some of the industry’s biggest names. These connections are theirs to keep for a lifetime and definitely come in handy down the road. Protégés also get discounted rates to attend classes at the Broadway Dance Center in NYC. The discount is good for up to one year from the date it was given and can be used an unlimited number of times. Working alongside choreographers and creative directors like Tricia and Gil is an award that keeps on giving. Anytime spent with this faculty is an opportunity hundreds of thousands of aspiring dancers desperately want.

Although the tour for The Pulse and Camp Pulse is not as large as other dance conventions, the knowledge students go home with makes up for that completely. As Tucker Barkley says, if you’re watching any recent production that contains dancing elements, chances are The Pulse faculty members worked on it. Another great thing about The Pulse and Camp Pulse is any dancer can participate and learn. Whether you’re just starting dance or working towards the Elite Protégé status, The Pulse gives their resources to everyone. These resources land their dancers gigs with artists like Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and many more. To feel the rush The Pulse’s environment brings to your body, come join them this season.

The Pulse – Atlantic City – Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City – Atlantic City, NJ

The Pulse – Atlanta – Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel – Atlanta, GA

The Pulse – Las Vegas Summer Finale – The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa – Las Vegas, NV

*For updated tournament information, please visit The Pulse.