Summer in LA The Dance Intensive: Day 2

Today was the day that all of the dancers had been waiting for. The group will be working privately with some of the industry's top choreographers. We have 22 dancers so the classes are really small and intimate and this you can't get at a convention with hundreds of dancers.

We rented out one of LA's newest and nicest dance studios right in the heart of Hollywood. Right outside its door, you see the Hollywood Walk of Fame which was great to just come out and see all the stars.

IDA, International Dance Academy was the spot and we were there from 10 am - 10 pm. This is where America's Best Dance Crew shoots as well so this was exciting for the dancers.

JJ Villar was the 1st industry pro to work one on one with the dancers. He was an amazing instructor and dancer but he also brought a wealth of knowledge to the dancers eager to learn and soak in as much as they could. He was very refreshing as he gave the dancers a reality check that most had never received or would receive anywhere else. JJ is an artistic director whose credits include Toni Braxton's Las Vegas show.

We had JJ hold mock auditions and an industry chat where he cut dancers and the 2 remaining won scholarships for future Be Discovered workshops including Broadway Bound! The 2 dancers were Canada's Savanna Schulz and Jessica Lynch from the U.S. All the dancers worked really hard but these 2 really stood out to JJ. Congrats ladies. Again, these are the dancers that he felt were the strongest to represent the choreography and style that he taught.

Janelle Vaccaro, a dancer from Australia who now resides in L.A. was recommended to us by Michael Schwandt to work with us during Summer in L.A. Janelle sat in on all the workshops today taking photos as well as making notes for everyone's assessments. Janelle will be around all week as well assisting as a chaperone and also taking notes on everyone, not just while dancing but watching them at all times. At the end of the program we will give out assessments to all to help them focus on what they are doing well and what needs improvement.

Today will be a hectic day for the dancers as they only have a few minutes for a break in between classes. The private Jazz workshop led by Rob Schultz. Rob's credits include MTV and Billboard Awards, Back Street Boys and more. Rob is a fun teacher who Be Discovered has had in Ontario for workshops in 2007 and recently he was one of the faculty for our Bahamas dance program.

For more on all the choreographers, visit the Faculty page at www.SummerInLA.com

During lunch, the dancers had a chance to relax for a bit but JJ was back to share some more industry knowledge with the dancers. Today they also had the chance to learn about auditioning and learning to get in front of the camera. Overall todays experience not only brought to the dancers world class training and new choreography to take home, but they learned a lot about the business and about themselves.

Nancy Paradis was the Ballet teacher and she was amazing. It was great to see the dancers be able to do this and then be able to do so many different dance styles. Although we do not see a lot of ballet in the commercial sector, it is a technique and a foundation that all dancers should work on.

After ballet, we decided to add something fun and different that most of the dancers had not trained in before and this was salsa. JJ stayed for this class to be able to be a male partner for the dancers as we only had 2 male dancers and Nancy's husband who instructed the salsa workshop with her. This class had the dancers letting loose and having a great time. At the end of this workshop, they all looked like pro's.

We are so excited that Maryss from Paris is in town so she taught Hip Hop to the dancers. I love Maryss! We had Maryss in Canada for workshops in Quebec and Saskatchewan. For the past Summer in LA's, she has been touring the world with Chris Brown or working on Step Up 2 so we had not had the chance to have our dancers work with her. Maryss teaches at Debbie Reynolds with her partner in dance, Rino.

Greg Poland joined us for his Tap class. Greg has performed on Broadway and is a great teacher on faculty with many dance conventions and also teaches at Millenium.

It's now 9 pm and the dancers have been going non stop since 10 am. They are troopers and we are very proud of them. JJ was back with his Contemporary which some dancers considered Lyrical and although they had been dancing all day, this class was phenomenal. The dancers did extremely well and so much emotion could be felt. I was really impressed by everyone and very happy that almost everyone did every single class. In the past sometimes dancers injuries act up or they are very low energy that they choose to sit out. Sometimes a style is new for a dancer so they won't even try it, but all in all, this was a great group who did really well.

Hollywood looked exciting at night when we left the studio as so many lights were everywhere. It was almost 10:30 pm. The dancers took the shuttles back to the hotel to unwind for the day and get their r & r for their photo shoot the next day.

It's only the end of day 2 and the dancers have already experienced so much and so much is yet to come.

Tomorrow is the photo shoot and following that, we have a surprise planned for the dancers that they are going to love. They deserve it as they have been working very hard for two days.

Until tomorrow....

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive - Day 1

Day 1 of Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive

As expected, we met all the dancers with no delays who we were to meet at LAX airport and they were very excited.

We then headed to the Hilton Universal Studios hotel to meet up with the other dancers.

At 1 pm, we met up with the other dancers and some parents who were waiting for us. We then moved into the Club Room for our luncheon and meet & greet with staff and the other dancers.

Ben Allen shared his industry expertise with the dancers this afternoon along with Diana Uribe on her expections from all on the program. There was a Q & A session followed by a 1 hr meeting with US immigration lawyer Kevine Levine who specializes in assisting dancers obtain their US work status. The Canadian dancers and Eleni from Cyprus really benefitted from this time as their questions and concerns were addressed. For the US dancers, it was great for them to see what non residents of the US need to learn and go through to be able to get that dance gig.
Room mate list was announced and all the dancers were excited to meet their new living mates for the next week. They had about an hour to get settled into their rooms before meeting up for dinner and heading to their 1st L.A. studio.

Dinner was onsite at the Hilton and then Ben had to leave as he was leaving the city that afternoon but the dancers had fun with him and learned a lot as well. We wanted to make sure that the dancers had the chance to at least work with him for a day as he would be away all week. Ben is quite busy and had just recently returned to L.A. from teaching for a few weeks in Japan. The dancers headed to their shuttles on their way to Millenium Dance Complex.

For many even though they were not Hip Hop dancers, they could not wait to meet one of their favorite star choreographers, Shane Sparks. At Millenium, we were met by Janelle Vaccaro who gave the dancers a tour of the studio and wanted to meet with them as she would be working with them all week. Janelle will be assisting me with chaperoning, has CPR/First Aid certification, is a working dancer in L.A. from Australia so knows the struggles of being a foreigner and working in the U.S. and is a great lady to have around for support all week.

While taking photos up front, Shane drove by to the back to park and the look on the dancers faces were priceless. Wish we could have captured that as it was beautiful. Out back, Shane came up to me and to Alex to say hi and welcomed the dancers. The dancers were all so excited to be this up close and personal to Shane, who they have been watching on shows like So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew.

Each dancer took 2 classes this evening at Millenium which is considered the studio to the stars. I miss The Dome at Millenium. That really was what made Millenium exciting for me and for the dancers who did Summer in LA in the past who had the chance to dance there, they feel the same way. Also with so many of the top choreographers no longer teaching there also is quite different. A few of the dancers took Jazz Funk with Brooklyn and all the other dancers took 2 of Shane's classes. Technically the dancers under 18 were not to do the 18 and older class as this is not permitted by Shane or the studio. Due to Diana's connection with Shane, he allowed all the kids to do both his classes which they really loved. :-) This is awesome as the studio had said no to us.

In Shane's classes, Alex was able to take a few photos but it was packed and pretty dark so will post the ones we can at http://www.summerinla.com/ asap in the 2008 Gallery. There was a video crew in there shooting the class and we will try to get some info on them soon to also post online.

I told Alex to go up to Shane near the end of the class so he could group all of the Be Discovered dancers together. We also got this on tape so if it's good enough to post, we will post a Youtube link soon. It was exciting to see all our dancers together in front of the man himself, Shane Sparks. After the programs, we will be able to go over all photos and video as we are just too busy right now.

After the class, a few quick pics were taken of the SILA dancers with Shane before we had to leave the studio. The shuttles were taking the dancers back to the hotel.

This is one of the best groups of dancers we have had and what better way to celebrate the 5th Annual Summer in L.A. They were jetlagged and sweaty and were still so excited to be here. It was almost 11 pm LA time so for many dancers, their bodies thought it was 2 a.m.

Way to go dancers! We are very proud of you Summer in LA dancers as you have just embarked on one of the most challenging but great weeks of your life. Make the most of it!

See you tomorrow bright and early for day 2 of Summer in LA The Dance Intensive

The 2008 Summer in L.A. Dance Intensive Dancers Are...

July 21, 2008 - 9:30 a.m.

written by Diana Uribe

We are just heading to the airport shortly. It's almost 10 a.m. and Alex and I are at the Hilton Universal Studios hotel, where the 2008 Summer in L.A. dancers will be staying at. This is the Entertainment Capitol of the world! We are waiting for Ben Allen, an industry professional who will be assisting Be Discovered on day 1 of the program.

We are meeting the dancers at LAX airport at 11 a.m. We are confident that all the dancers will make it on time. Some of the parents and dancers are nervous as maybe they are flying out on their own, maybe this is the first time that they are leaving the country or flying and they are worried about being on their own, meeting us for the first time and some were even worried that they would be robbed or mugged. We are excited to inform you all that we have always found all the dancers quite easily at the airport, everyone has always been ok flying for the first time or on their own and no one has ever been robbed, mugged or harrassed during our program. We are very happy about this and wish to reassure all that there is nothing to be worried about. Be careful and cautious but be positive and trust that all will work out the way it is meant to be.

22 Dancers from Cyprus, the U.S and Canada are the 2008 Summer in L.A The Dance Intensive dancers. Half will meet us at the aiport and the other half will meet us at the hotel at 1 pm.

These dancers have traveled a day or two to L.A. before the rest of the group and or traveled with parents and/or family.


In no particular order these are the 2008 S.I.L.A. Dance Intensive Dancers:

From Cyprus: Eleni Ioannou

From the U.S: Will Thomas, Cynthia Appiah (born in Africa), Taylor LaRocca, Jessica Lynch, Anabel Gray and Briana Baker

From Canada: Savanna Schulz, Desiree Williams, Sommer Bornemann, Amanda LeClaire, Chrisanna Yan, Kira Poon, Kora Lee Bruno, Lindsey Mortimer, Marissa Duchscher, Megan Henry, Monika Kilic, Mario Fugnitto, Carley Borza, Amber Hurion and Kelsey Jerome.

5 of these dancers: Savanna Schulz, Desiree Williams, Will Thomas, Cynthia Appiah and Eleni Ioannou are very lucky dancers as they are doing the Extended Intensive which is both the Dance Intensive and the Hip Hop Intensives combined. They just couldn't get enough of L.A.

The dancers photos will be posted soon after the program in The Dancers page online at http://www.summerinla.com/ 21 of these dancers will be photographed by Lee Cherry, Pussy Cat Dolls photographer so you will get to check out some of these pics in the next week or so.

This is the pre-meet up with the dancers blog. Stay tuned for the blog with updates on the rest of the 1st day for the dancers.

L.A. traffic is always nuts so leaving now to meet my kids for the week. I am asked all the time why I don't have kids or what I am waiting for. This is one of the reasons. Can you imagine me with a baby and then running a program like Summer in LA? During Summer in LA I don't eat or sleep much and I love it as it doesn't happen all the time and I don't even get that tired or hungry during the programs. I love kids, I love all my 6 nieces and nephews and love my big baby Be Discovered. This is so much work that for now, this is my child and the Summer in LA dancers all my kids, regardless of their age. In the future when Summer in LA can run without me, then maybe this is the time when I will want to have a baby.

Until a few hours from now, I look forward to meeting my new kids for the week and hopefully for life I can continue to enrich their life and they mine. I always learn something new from each dancer and I try to use that the following year to help the new dancers and my programs.

Off to LAX with Alex and Ben.

Summer in L.A. Dance Intensive Starts Tomorrow

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive

written: July 20, 2008 by Diana Uribe

Tomorrow is the big day. I was really excited about the 1st dayof Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive. I sound like one of the dancers even though it's my program and this is my 5th annual. I know I won't be able to sleep tonight as I can't wait for tomorrow to come.

I am also excited as we are welcoming new faculty and staff that will assist me during Summer in LA including Ben Allen and Janelle Vaccaro. We are excited to meet and work with them as this is an added bonus for all the 2008 Summer in L.A. dancers. Every year we hope to grow the program more and more so that it will be more than just a 1 or 2 week experience, but a full summer in L.A. This too is nerve racking as I am a perfectionist and I want everything to be perfect for the dancers.

This is also the 1st year where we allow parents to stay on site and join us for some events and outings. This too can be challenging as some parents don't want to learn about the industry and want to run the program themselves. The problem sometimes is that they aren't in the business and also need to use this trip not only as a vacation but to be better educated to help their dancers.

We have 22 dancers coming from all over the world for our one of a kind dance experience. In addition to the many Canadian dancers that we get annually, this is also the 1st year that we have a dancer from Cyprus join us as well as the most U.S. dancers ever. We are excited that we diversified so much in the last year.

Eleni from Cyprus has been in the city for a few days and so has Cynthia Appiah from Africa who now lives in NY who came early to L.A. to audition for the Lakers. We are glad to hear that they have made it safely. Unfortunately Amanda Howe from Michigan was unable to join us but we look forward to working with her in 2009.

Many dancers this year are attending on partial scholarships as well as with donations from sponsors, we hope to also expand this and help get sponsors for 2009. This should be a dream come true for many more dancers and not only those who can financially do this. To those who helped a dancer join us, thank you and we wish you much success in exchange. You have really helped make someone's summer dreams a reality. We hope to be able to offer a sponsors page for 2009 as an incentive to help more sponsors help a dancer for the 2009 Summer in L.A.

One of the reasons why I was unable to pursue dance training as a child was due to the fact that
my family was unable to help me with this. I don't want this to be a factor from helping someone else give the industry a shot. I would have not made it as a dancer, an actress or a singer, but I would have love to have been able to go further in these areas if I had had financial assistance.

With todays internet, referrals from dancers from past years as well as the dance competitions that we sponsored with our scholarships, we would like to thank everyone for believing in us and our dream which is also that of many, to get to L.A. for a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn about dance, the industry and most importantly about yourself. This was our dream and we have made it happen.

What is your dream? Are you making it happen?

Most of the dancers feel a similar excitement that is mixed with feelings of being afraid, nervous and really exhilirated.Even though I am not one of the dancers and I am someone in the industry having done this for so long, I felt many of these things, of course in a different way but this for me is my life. This is my passion, my career and life path, the same as dance and getting into the industry may be yours.

I take this very seriously. If you want to become a better dancer whether it's for fun, love and your life, then we have met each other for the same reason and we look forward to continuing on this path with you. Thanks again for your support and come back soon to this blog to see who the 22 Summer in LA The Dance Intensive dancers are and what they did from July 21 - 28, day by day.

It gets exciting as they will meet Shane Sparks, Carmit Bachar of the PussyCat Dolls, be photographed by Lee Cherry, attend the taping of So You Think You Can Dance, train at all of LA's top dance studios, tour L.A. hotspots, work with Tony award winner Grover Dale and audition for top dance agents from Bloc, MSA, DDO, Clear and more. They will even be assessed by these professionals.

We will then share with you the experience of the 20 Summer in LA The Hip Hop Intensive dancers also going to Vegas. This program takes place from July 28 - August 4 and has dancers from Venezuela, Canada and the U.S. attending.

For 2009, we look forward to another 1 and 2 week programs: The Dance Intensive will offer less hip hop but dancers wishing to train in L.A. and see if they have what it takes for this industry in Hollywood, Hip Hop is a huge reality of the business and you must get it. You can see this with SYTYCD so face it, that's in and you CAN do it if you want to. If not, there are many other areas of the industry where you will thrive in.

By the time that you're reading these updates could be even a few weeks after the program as I know that we will be so busy that we will be unable to blog daily during the program. Wish I could but running Summer in LA is a full time task and blogging unfortunately takes a back seat. This will be improved in 2009 where daily blogs will be written by Be Discovered, the SILA dancers as well as industry professionals and choreographers.

Until July 21st, the 1st day of Summer in L.A. keep on dancing and checking out the Be Discovered blog about Summer in L.A.


REACH FOR THE STARS WITH BE DISCOVERED!

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive

The 5th Annual Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive a successs!!!!!

We are sorry that we did not update the blog in weeks but things in L.A have been hectic.

This coming week, we will update you on what the Summer in L.A. Dance Intensive dancers were up to July 21 - 28