Summer in L.A. The Extended Intensive Testimonials

Dear Diana,Wow, what a month!

How do I ever put into words just how grateful we are to you and for your company, Be Discovered. We have all learned so much and have a far better and clearer understanding of how things work in the industry now. Each trip with you is an incredible experience and it opens our eyes and brings us all that much closer to reality. Not only does our daughter gain from her experience, but we, as parents, are better able to understand where it is she wants to go, and what it will take for us to help and guide her and see that she gets there. It enables us to support her in a way that is helpful and positive. Of course the hard work and dedication is up to her.

The Grover Dale workshop was so much more than what was expected! Mr. Dale and his amazing choreographers/staff offered so much invaluable information and advice. I only wish that EVERY dancer who wishes to make it into the business could have the same experience. I'm sure what Savanna learned just from that workshop alone will spare her a lot of wasted time and negative situations and that it will afford her a great advantage at auditions et cetera. How incredible that a man of Grover Dales stature would take the time and have the patience to offer such a workshop! And kudos to you for putting it together!

We are now beginning to see Savanna's hard work paying off and we are all so excited to see where this will take her. Everything seemed so confusing and frustrating before we started attending your programs. There are some great websites out there, but there are no 'humans' to speak to here that could answer our questions. Being in LA, where it all happens, and meeting people that are actually in the business makes Savanna's goals seem so attainable. What was once just a dream, now is becoming reality!

What amazes me even more is the fact that just because your program is over, you still remain a wealth of knowledge and information and you are kind enough to continue to help in any way that you can. I don't know of ANY other program that offers that. Usually it's, 'I got your money, thank you. The program is over now, good-bye!'

Your website is fantastic too! We can only imagine the hard work and dedication it takes to put a program like this together, but you do it so well and it's so nice to see you grow and flourish.
We can't wait to see what you offer next year! We're already thinking we're "Broadway Bound!"

We look so forward to working with you in the future. Thank you again for everything and particularly your professionalism and willingness to help. With much gratitude,Tammy

Tammy Arbeau, Savanna Schulz' mom - Edmonton Alberta
Savanna and family have attended the 2006 and the 2008 Summer in L.A Extended Intensive, Be Discovered's 2006 Broadway Bound! The NYC Winter Intensive and the 2008 Bahamas Sun, Fun & Dance Experience


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Hi Diana, I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to again be part of SILA. The trip this year was amazing. I feel very blessed that I got to work with and meet the people that I did.

You have helped me grow so much in the past four years with everything you've provided me. I think I can speak for all the dancers when I say we are so appreciative that you make it possible for us to come together to do what we love and to expand and learn about the industry.

Compared to the first SILA I attended, I felt so much more stronger physically and mentally this time round. Attending your programs, I feel like I am capable of doing so much more than I was able to before. I loved Tony Czar's house class, and Miss Prissy was an amazing teacher. Duece has such a great energy about him, and JJ Villar really made me think about what it is that I want. Thanks for introducing him into the program.

I would definitely encourage dancers to attend any of your programs. Can't wait to see what next year brings! Thank you.Savanna Schulz

Savanna Schulz - Edmonton AlbertaSavanna attended the 2006 and the 2008 Summer in L.A Extended Intensive, Be Discovered's 2006 Broadway Bound! The NYC Winter Intensive and the 2008 Bahamas Sun, Fun & Dance Experience


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Hi my name is Will Thomas, and i was apart of the Extended Dance Intensive of Summer in L.A sponsered by Be Discovered. I loved every second i was at in L.A and Las Vegas! i learned so much and this is by far a lifetime rememerable experience as i got to do so much in just the two weeks i was their. I can not wait to come back next year and even during christmas time for the New York trip.

Thank you so much Diana for putting all this together to help me get me closer to my dreams!Will Thomas

Will Thomas, Michigan2008 Summer in LA Extended Intensive dancer


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Summer in LA was the best experience I ever had. It is what every dancer needs to further their knowledge in the entertainment industry and further develop their skills as a great dancer.
Cynthia Appiah

Cynthia Appiah, New York 2008 Summer in LA Extended Intensive dancer


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Well, first of all I wanted to thank especially Diana and Jannelle who were there 24/7 and everyone else that helped in this program that did such a great job, thanks guys (Alex & Ben).

Its been an amazing experience which helped me understand about the industry, how it works, and that it needs a lot of determination and persistence to make it in this business.

This experience inspired so much and made me even more eager and determined towards my goal. The teachers/ choreographers where just breathtaking. They have helped us so much, talking to us, encouraging us in everything we did. We could not ask for more.

Next year I am planning to move to L.A if everything works out with my visa and although I know its going to be REALLY difficult (as there is A LOT of competition etc) I still want to do it; and I thank Be Discovered for guiding me and helping me in this, because I didn't even have a clue on how to get there and now I know about visas, studios etc!

Also, through this we made friends,we got to know each other well and most importantly, we worked as a group,as a FAMILY! We have learnt to help each other, and most of all respect our colleagues, our teachers and all of the people.

I cannot say enough about this program, its just..amazing!!!!! Definitely worth every penny!
If everything works out I will be doing it next year too:)

Thank you so much for everything, really appreciate it! Will definitely see you soon! With love Eleni

Eleni Ioannou from Cyprus, 2008 Summer in LA Extended Intensive dancer

Summer in L.A. The Hip Hop Intensive - Dancers Testimonials

Be sure to visit the Testimonials page at www.SummerInLA.com to read what Tony award winner Grover Dale and the Groovaloos founder Shooz thinks of Be Discovered. You can also read more testimonials including an article written by Cassandra (2005 SILA dancer) on her experience. The following are some of the Testimonials sent to us by this years Hip Hop Intensive dancers. The testimonials from the Extended Intensive dancers will appear following this blog.

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Thank you so much for the Be Discovered Experience. It was definitely one of the most memorable experiences of my life, I can't believe it's already over! Thanks again, I hope to see you guys in the future!
-Jessie

Jessie Levine, California2008 Summer in L.A. Hip Hop Intensive dancer


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Hey Diana,

Hope you are doing well. I just wanted to thank you soo much for this AMAZING opportunity and experience. Words cannot explain how thankful and blessed I'am to be apart of this program. The whole week went by so fast, I didn't want it to end :( I learned so much about the industry, but more importantly about myself.

Thanks to Alex, Janelle, and Ben for helping and making this experience unforgettable. But most importantly thank you Diana. You did so much for this program and for us. You are a thoughtful, hardworking, and caring person. You have inspired me to work even harder as a dancer and as a better person. Thank you!

SILA was an amazing experience and helped me get out of my comfort level and grow more independently. Thank you once again and I hope to work or travel with Be Discovered in the future. Take care and thank you once again :)

Peter D'Souza, Ontario 2008 Summer in L.A. Hip Hop Intensive dancer


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"Diana, thank you so much for creating the SummerinLA program and giving young dancers like myself the opportunity to learn about the industry. This was an unforgettable week and the amount of knowledge I have gained was amazing.

I finished the week feeling that I have grown as a dancer and as an individual. I look forward to attending throughout the years to come.

Ashley Archer, Ontario 2008 Summer in L.A Hip Hop Intensive dancer


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Dear Diana,

We want to thank you for the wonderful experience of summer in L.A. We had such a great time and felt very lucky to be able to share the excitement with the whole group.

My husband, Lauren and I got to see things we never would imagine. The mountains, the palm trees and night life scenery at the city walk was picture perfect. The earthquake was a shaky experience but all went well no one was hurt and no damage done. Mother nature is so powerful it makes you think and appreciate the good earth when things are calm. HA HA!

The part I enjoyed the most was watching the workshop with the group of dancers. You can notice how some have amazing potential and others are really just trying their best.The choreographers all have a different style and I wish I could dance like them. WOW.

Lauren loved everything! I didn't get one complaint out of her about anything even if she was tired. She just kept going, but then again she loves to dance. She dances everywhere we go the grocery store..the malls..etc.

She made some wonderful friends that she will keep in contact with by computer. She is a people person and she's not shy so she fit in really well. She loves excitement because she gets bored quick so this was all in her pace.

You had so much to do to keep all the group on schedule and all together I hope us parents didn't trouble you in anyway.

Lauren is going to write down some good notes of what she learned and will practice the moves. The training was awesome!!! It really was an inspiration for her. She really loved the hip hop championships at Planet Hollywood. I noticed her eyes were glued to the dancers on stage.

There is so much to say, but mostly this message was to thank you for everything. Thank you also goes out to Alex and Ben they are such nice guys and were a real joy. Thank you also to Janelle who worked hard with the group and Lauren really liked her. Thank you Diana !!!!

Lauren Peletier, OntarioMom of Lauren, 2008 Summer in LA Hip Hop Intensive dancer


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First and for the most i want to say WOAO! everything was just a WOAO factor for me. Starting from day one, just meeting all of the dancers, sharing their stories was great, because not only you get to be apart of this program but you can also meet this cool people.

For a dancer, who's passionate about taking this a life career it is truly life changing if you have the oportunity to do this and hear words from specialists in the area that also inspire you in real life. Because it will only help you grow, and realized what you really want and desire.

I took every word, every experience, every energy, every power and vibe i could get from this program. And i think i speak for everybody when i say this. Coming from far away, doing this was just something i couldn't take for granted. I had dificulties at first taking the choreo's because i wasn't a quick learner, but this just helped me on every area you wouldn't imagine. Everything was a lesson to learn, EVERYTHING its in your mind, and every thought will eventually turn into a reality either as a positive reaction or a negative one. Its all about mind controling, believing in what you got, and what you can do with it. Do not think while your dancing, just enjoy, and be worried about NOTHING. Just take everything you can from all of this.

I humbly want to say THANK YOU to Diana, Alex, Janelle and Ben, because they took care of us really good, they never mind answering our questions, and they were always giving us the best tips, and advices to survive in this business. They were heaven sent, and i am gratefull for every moment that was presented to us on that week.

I came with another life perspective, i came here motivated and inspired having that hungerness to be as successfull as i wish to be and make that dream i breath, come true. I have been given now a chance and a tool to start progressing, and being at my best in what i want to do.

Thank you,-Melissa, from Venezuela.

Melissa Perez, 2008 Summer in L.A Hip Hop Intensive dancer


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It was an experience that I will take with me forever. I could not be happier about what I experienced in S.I.L.A.

The food was great, the people were awesome and the dancing was amazing. This program helped me figure out what I want to do and have to do to pursue my dance career.

I could not be more thankful to Diana for giving us this opportunity to expose us and teach us about the industry. Overall my summer in L.A. couldn’t have been better!

Axel Villamil, Ontario 2008 S.I.L.A. Hip Hop Intensive dancer

Summer in L.A. The Hip Hop Intensive - Final Day

Alex and I didn't get a chance to get to sleep last night. The two of us and Ben joined the parents in the lounge for a bit and had some fun. Alex, Tammy and I stayed up all night just chatting and when we realized it, it was almost 4 in the a.m so we saw no point seeing that I had to meet Martel and Desiree as they were leaving.

I met them in the lobby at 4:30 am and it really hit home again, the program was done. We said our good byes and Desiree gave me a lovely card. It was said to see them drive off in the cab to the airport.

Tammy was awesome and she kept us company and then before we knew it, it was time to meet everyone in the lobby. Most of the dancers were taking the shuttle to the airport while a few were staying back as they were with parents and their flights were leaving at later times.
We all said our good bye's, took some photos and the dancers left on the shuttle to Vegas International airport. This is the airport where the dancers will fly out of as there is no point to drive back to L.A. This is the 1st year that we did Vegas during Summer in LA and it was really cool. These dancers not only got to see and dance in LA, but Las Vegas as well.

Ben and I went on the bus to make sure everyone was ok before it left and then we got out as they had to leave. As the bus pulled away, I waved and I just looked at Ben and I had tears in my eyes. I hope that I have the chance to see all these dancers again in the future. They were awesome and a pleasure to have. During the week you just get really caught up in the program and you never really think about the last day.

I hope that they too thought that we were awesome and that our program was worth their time, energy and money. I can't wait to be able to read the thank you letters and testimonials that we get every year after the program. I love these but I also love feedback on what worked, what didn't and what we can do to improve the program for next year.

From some of last weeks dancers, some of the feedback is to add some extra foods to the menus that they recommended as well as to have some reading materials on choreographers for the dancers waiting at the photo shoot. Every year we learn so much from the dancers and this helps us make year the best year yet.

After the dancers left, we had breakfast and Alex, Ben and I drove back through the dessert back to L.A. as we had to drop Ben off. Ben was supposed to teach at The Edge that afternoon but wasn't able to make it.

Alex and I will be in LA for a few more days enjoying the beautiful sun and ocean before heading back to Toronto. We are planning some more Summer in LA weeks for 2009 so have to get working on this now to make sure that we can make it happen. We hope to have 3 - 4 different Summer in LA weeks and each year, grow more and more. Again from learning each year from the dancers, we come up with more ideas and new programs to help dancers.

Another year and another successful Summer in L.A. This year, we had 2: The Dance Intensive and The Hip Hop Intensive. For 2009, we hope to have some extra weeks including Summer in LA The Triple Threat Intensive and maybe even Summer in L.A. The Teacher Intensive.

Be sure to visit www.SummerInLA.com as in a few weeks the Dancers page and the Gallery will be updated with your photos.

If you have any photos that you want us to post online, be sure to email them to us at info@summerinla.com

The Hip Hop Intensive - Day 7

Today we booked the private dining room again in the restaurant. The breakfast buffet was enjoyed by all the dancers and Ben.

The Urban Moves workshops are today and the choreographers are Shane Sparks, Rino and Dave Scott. I am excited that all the dancers will have the chance to work with these top choreographers.

Ben will be sitting in today watching the dancers and taking notes that will be incorporated into the dancers assessments. Hopefully he will be able to get some photos of the dancers too with the choreographers.

I got a call from Ben letting me know that Dave missed his flight and was unable to make it to Vegas. It's disappointing that one of the headlining choreographers was unable to make it but I am sure that they will have someone else that will be great for the dancers to work with. This is really part of the industry so although it's not good, it works out as it helps us to learn to be more flexible.

I came in and out of the ballroom to watch some of the workshops. I heard that the sub for Dave is Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation choreographer. This is definatelydifferent so this will be great for the dancers as they worked with 3 totally different hip hop choreographers.

After the workshops, we left the resort and headed to the Vegas strip. We decided to stay at the Planet Hollywood Resort tonight so that after the show, we don't have to travel almost an hour back to Henderson. The show is at Planet Hollywood. Then tomorrow morning we would have to travel to the airport again when it's so close to the strip.

It was exciting driving into Vegas as you saw the Luxor which is a big pyramid hotel, you saw the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower and everything just looks so cool. Driving in during the day is also very different than at night as we missed all the lights but hopefully tonight after the show we will have some time to see that.

When we got to Planet Hollywood, we were in for another surprise. The place was packed and checking the rooms in, took forever. The dancers were starving and tired but we had no choice but to wait. This reminded me of the industry again. Sometimes you are on a set and there is so much waiting. For example, on the movie Honey shot in Toronto in 2002, the dancers were on set for 12 - 14 hour days. They were shooting in the basement of a church with no air conditioning and lunch was a burrito. Being on set since 6 am and having lunch at 2 pm is grueling. I was doing everything in my power to be able to get everything set up quickly as I wanted the dancers to eat and then have time to get ready for the finals of the World Hip Hop Championships. I was starving too, I didn't even get a chance to have breakfast this morning with the dancers.

Finally, we were able to get the dancers into their rooms but guess what? Room service would take 2 hours. I am telling you, this Vegas trip was all about the wait. I guess this happens seeing that although these resorts are so big, we are there at a really busy time and have no choice but to wait.

2 hours was too long so I ordered some food from PF Chang's, I love this Chinese Restaurant. I wish there was one in Canada. Alex and Ben went to pick up the food and deliver it to the rooms to all the poor hungry dancers. PF Chang's was worth the wait and some of the dancers told me that they loved it and it was one of their favorite meals during the program. Again, lots of food as they aren't dancing tonight.

After dinner in their rooms, there wasn't too much time to hang out as we had to go to the Planet Hollywood theatre to watch the long awaited and much anticipated finals of the World Hip Hop Championships. At least we are right on site and don't need to travel to the show.

Our friend Shane, was one of the judges for this event. Our seats were pretty good seeing that we had to get about 35 tickets altogether as the parents were also joining us. Ben and Alex were also with us and we had a good time. It was great to see so many talented crews both kids and adults from all over the world come out. Some didn't even speak English but the love of dance brings us all together regardless of the language we speak, our race, creed or color.

MC Hammer received the Living Legend award so it was cool to see him. I remember when he was quite popular but maybe most of the dancers didn't as it was a bit before their time.

I won't comment on the winners as 1 of the crews deserved their win but the others, I don't agree with and speaking to so many dancers, they too didn't seem too pleased with some of the choices but what can you do, we aren't the judges so it's out of our control.

The Phillipines took 1st place, well deserved and it was cool as Axel, one of the Summer in LA dancers is from there and he was very excited. I am glad that he was there with us to share the excitement. They really were the best crew there no doubt.

It was a lot of fun nonetheless and the dancers had a great time watching this show. I was happy that I was able to stay and watch the show as I have missed the last 2 years as I had a lot of work to take care of. I made the time this year and it was worth it.

After the show, we decided to take a little walk on the strip just to get some photos taken as well as to see how it looks when all lit up.I am not a fan of Vegas as I don't agree with a lot that is promoted on the streets so we tend to stay away from this area. Vegas is great for its shows and shopping, but other than that, it really is not a place for families.

I wish that we had made it to Vegas earlier as it would have been cool for the dancers to walk around the Miracle Mile shops. Maybe next time.

Before heading to our rooms, the dancers started to say their good bye's as a couple of the dancers leave before the rest of the group. This was the last time that they would see each other. Martel and his uncle Larry will be leaving really early and so is Desiree. It's sad to see that the dancers are disappointed that it's time to go but at the same time, I feel great to see how well the dancers connected and got along. It really would be worse if the dancers didn't care that the program was almost over or that they weren't going to see each other again.

I hope to one day have a Summer in LA reunion where all the dancers from 2004 - 2008 would get together for a workshop and a party. I wish I could do it right away but we have had dancers from all over that it would be hard to get everyone together. We have had dancers from Canada, the U.S, Australia, Cyprus and Venezuela.

I know that the main thing of my program is for dancers to train with the industry's best but one of the most important things as well, is that they make friendships that will last a lifetime. It really is up to each individual to make this connection and regardless of whether you keep in touch or not, you will never forget these moments and all these people that you shared so much with in just 1 week.

Do you remember how nervous you were before the program before meeting the rest of the dancers? Can you believe it now how well you got along and how close you have bonded?

The dancers headed to their rooms. I hope their luggages are packed as it's quite late and we have to meet really early in the a.m. to take the shuttle to the airport.

I can't believe that SILA is pretty much over.

The Hip Hop Intensive Day 6

Today was another early day as the charter bus is picking us up at 8 am. We want to head out early so we can have some extra time in Vegas.

Ben Allen is joining us today and for our weekend in Vegas. We will miss Janelle but it's great that Ben is back in town as we really wanted him to have the chance to meet and work with the dancers and now he will be.

Ben will be on the bus with the dancers and the parents and Alex and I will follow the bus to Henderson Nevada to the Loews Lake Las Vegas resort where Hip Hop International is hosting the World Hip Hop Championships.

At 8 am we met all the dancers and parents who were ready to go. At this time, we gave out the dancers who did the photo shoot with Lee their photos. The bus was waiting for us and it looked a bit small so I went to speak to the driver. He reassured me that the bus was fine and that everyone would fit. The concern were the luggages and soon we realized that they did not fit.

Boy oh boy! I am a control freak as I want everything to be perfect for my program. I want the parents and the dancers to get everything that Summer in LA promises them so I was not pleased when they told me that they had no other buses available to take us. To make a long story short, I was very upset and a bus was found but it would be an hour by the time it picked us up.

My clients God bless them are awesome! By clients I mean all the dancers and parents who were with us as no one really cared about the wait. They were all having a good time chatting, the dancers were dancing and everyone was having a good time, except me. I was not pleased.
Anyways, 3 hours later our bus arrived and we were off to Vegas. Will never work with this bus company again that was recommended by the Hilton as they sent a small bus knowing the amount of people and luggages we have. It's terrible when businesses don't deliver that which they promise. This is why we pride ourselves in trying to make sure that everything that we promise, we deliver. I would have prefered to have had the dancers sleep in if I knew we weren't going to be off until 11 am but this was out of our control.

We crossed the Mohave dessert which I think is great and even past a ghost town. All these places are so close to L.A yet seem a world a part.

Our shopping trip at the Primm Outlets was cut a bit short but it's ok as this group had a lot of time to shop in L.A. Much more so than all the other past dancers including last weeks. When we got to Primm, it was HOTTTT! Wow. No joke that it was the dessert. You can really feel it.
We got to Henderson and experienced a bit of a delay with checking in. Today was one of those days.

While waiting for the rooms, one good thing happened and that's that Shane Sparks was walking by and he noticed me and the group so he came by to say hi. All the dancers were so excited to be so close to Mr. Sparks himself. Shane is such a big star yet he is so down to earth.

He called out my name so all the dancers looked around and when they saw it was him, their looks on their faces were priceless. Later that day, Alex told me that one of the dancers said "I wish he knew my name". lol This was in reference to the fact that Shane called my name.

Shane has been working with Be Discovered now for about 5 years. I met him during our 1st Summer in LA program. Every year after, we have been working with him. We also took him to Toronto twice a few years ago and had him do some workshops in the Ontario area. We have had the chance to hang out a few times during dinners as well as we went bowling with him once during one of our SILA programs.

The dancers headed to their rooms and it was exciting to be able to stay at another high end hotel. First it was the Hilton and now this resort. Really beautiful place. Check out the photos in the Gallery at www.SummerInLA.com They will be posted after the program.

The dancers went to their rooms but didn't have too much time to be in their rooms as it was dinner time. We reserved a private section in the restaurant at the hotel for the group and it was a buffet dinner. The dancers really liked this as they had the chance to eat a lot of food seeing that they weren't dancing.

After dinner, we headed to see the finals of the World b-boy crew battle that is organized by Poe One, the choreographer who taught breaking to the group on Tuesday. Poe unfortunately was not there as his grandpa passed away. RIP. I called Poe on our way to Vegas as he wanted to hang out with the group and that's when he shared the news with me. We missed him in Vegas. Zulu Gremlin, his partner for the event ran it. Zulu came in on Tuesday as well during our full day of private workshops to say hi to the dancers and did a small industry chat. You can see a photo of him with the dancers in the Gallery page once they are posted.

I had some work to do so the dancers stayed with Alex and Ben watching the show which is awesome and it was cool to have the U.S and Canada be the top 2 break crews in the world.

After the show, there was a live DJ in the lounge and I thought it would be great for the dancers to check this out even if just for a little while. I hadn't seen the dancers having so much fun all week. They were dancing and laughing and really enjoying each others company. It's funny how shy and reserved everyone seemed on day 1 so it was great to see them really get comfortable with each other.

It was getting late and tomorrow is an early day again so we decided to call it a night. I know some of the dancers wanted to stay but some were anxious to go to their room. They must have been tired. If they had all wanted to stay and dance or at least just hang out, we would have stayed longer.

Tomorrow they are dancing and will be a long day so after walking around outside for a bit and taking some photos, we all went to our rooms.

1 more day and Summer in LA The Hip Hop Intensive will be over. I can't believe that the week is almost done. You know what they say: Time flies when you're having fun!

The Hip Hop Intensive Day 5

Since we leave to Vegas tomorrow a.m., we decided that this morning the dancers would go to Universal Studios Citywalk for some sightseeing, walking around and more shopping.

I decided to stay back at the hotel and get everything ready for our Vegas trip. I can't believe that I have been at the Hilton for almost 3 weeks. I was in LA a week before as we had a private 3 day program for a studio followed by Summer in LA. I had so much to organize and pack so the dancers headed out with Alex and Janelle. I know I wasn't missed. lol. jk

Although the outing was short, at least the dancers had the chance to go out and see Citywalk.
The dancers had lunch at the Hilton and then we headed to Millennium Dance Complex. Here they would spend most of the day from 2 pm - 10 pm.

The dancers pick and choose the classes and levels they wish to take and what choreographers they want to work with.

Janelle stayed on site with the dancers all day. I am glad that she was able to be around and be a friend to the dancers. I wish that I had the time and energy to do this, I really do. If I did this, then unfortunately there would be no Summer in LA. as then I would have no time or energy to organize every detail of the program.

The master class tonight was Gigi Torres as Wade Robson unfortunately didn't make it to Millennium tonight. The dancers loved this class. Well it's hard to say which they didn't as they loved everything. All the choreographers have their own different styles but each dancer I hope learned something from each one.

While in class, Lil Mama was at Millennium and a ton of kids with cameras in hand waited for her to come down but she didn't. She probably was waiting for everyone to leave for her to be able to come out.

After the master class, it was time for all the dancers to say their good byes to Janelle as this was the last time they would see her. Janelle was not coming with us to Vegas as she had an audition. She offered to join us, but I decided that it would be in her best interest for her to stay and audition. This is the reason why she is in LA from Australia and just because of my program, I didn't want her to miss this chance.

Everyone was very sad as now too to them it was dawning on them that the L.A. part of the Hip Hop Intensive was coming to a close. After the sad good-bye's, Janelle left and the shuttles left for the hotel.

Tomorrow is the big day. The dancers will get their photos as well as we will head to Vegas.

The Hip Hop Intensive Day 4

Today is an early day as it's the taping of So You Think You Can Dance.

After breakfast, the dancers took the shuttles to CBS Studios where we will meet up with the parents who are joining us as well as Janelle.

Performing today live is Lady Gaga. Some of the dancers know of her but she is not that well known here yet. I have a feeling that we will be hearing her song a lot soon. The song that she will be performing is "Just Dance".

Every year we never know who will be performing but I always hope it's someone cool who the dancers will love to see. I hope that they will be excited to see her.

At CBS Studios, I got the parents, Janelle and the dancers in and then Alex and I left to take care of lunch and the rest of the weeks plans. We were back to meet the dancers after lunch and they were so excited about having been a part of the audience. The parents were really grateful to have had the chance to also attend this.

Desiree I heard had the chance to get up on stage for a dance battle so that's awesome and great to hear. Wish we had been there to have been able to see this.

We went to The Grove for lunch at the Farm of Beverly Hills. We had a VIP section reserved for us where the dancers had lunch. We also had a section for the parents too who joined us.

After lunch, the dancers had the chance to separate into smaller groups to be able to do some shopping. Luckily, they had a few hours off before having to return to CBS for the 2nd half of the SYTYCD taping. This means, lots of shopping. The Grove is awesome as it's an outside mall so you get a lot of sun while shopping.

After lunch and shopping, the dancers headed back to CBS. Now they will get to see Lady Gaga as well as 2 of the dancers will be elimated. They will be a part of the live results show.

At 7 pm, the dancers were done and the shuttles picked them up and we headed to Debbie Reynolds. The dancers are excited as they will get to meet and work with Miss Prissy.
Miss Prissy is the 2nd pregnant female choreographer to work with our Summer in LA dancers. In 2006 it was the Groovaloos KeeleyLock 'N' Key and now Miss Prissy. She is married to Dwain Murphy who plays Bishop on How She Move. The Dance Intensive dancers had the chance to meet and be photographed with him as well after her class.

After the studio, we headed back to the Hilton. Our time in LA is almost done as Saturday a.m. we head to Vegas.

Tomorrow I get the photos from Lee. I am excited to see how they turned out.

The Hip Hop Intensive Day 3

Today is the photo shoot with Lee Cherry. 15 of the 20 dancers are doing the shoot. We hope to be able to find sponsors for future programs so that everyone is able to do a professional photo shoot.

This is a really special opportunity to be able to be photographed by someone like Lee who photographs Brian Friedman, the Pussy Cat Dolls and Step Up's Jenna Dewan.

Half the group stayed at the hotel and hung out by the pool and relaxed and lounged while the other half left for their shoot. Janelle met with the dancers at the photo shoot studio, McCadden Space, a very special place for the shoot.

Alex and I left with the group that stayed by the pool for our walking tour of Hollywood. We saw the Walk of Fame, did some souvenier shopping and also more shopping at the Hollywood and Highland Mall.

Some of the dancers especially the boys were really happy as Alex was able to help them wheel
and deal with the vendors and they got some great discounts. Thanks Alex!

The dancers at the photo shoot also had a great time and got some great prints.

You can view the photos online at www.leecherry.com/bediscovered730

Everyone's photos can be seen online in The Dancers page at www.SummerInLA.com

Today I wasn't at the photo shoot as I had a lot to take care of for the rest of the week.
Right before lunch Janelle called me to let me know that Carmit Bachar was not able to drop by to meet the dancers and for the chat. :-( She had to rush a friend to the hospital and there was nothing that she could do. I was very disappointed as I know that the dancers were really looking forward to this. Instead Kevin, Lee and Scarlett conducted the chat and Q & A. All 3 have been in the industry for most of their lives so they were able to share a wealth of industry info and tips with the dancers.

After lunch, we took the dancers who had stayed at the studio for their tour of Hollywood.
Be sure to also check out the 2008 Gallery to see photos of our tour.

After the tour, we headed back to the studio to pick up the rest of the dancers. We were heading to The Edge to take a few classes this evening. Originally, The Edge was not one of the studios that we were attending for the Hip Hop Intensive but seeing that we were close to it, we wanted the dancers to have the chance to train here.

The Edge is not really seen as a Hip Hop studio like Millenium and Debbie Reynolds, but they have some great choreographers.

The dancers had dinner on site at the studio and had some time to relax before taking classes.
I am glad that we chose to attend The Edge tonight.

After the studio, we headed to the hotel. The dancers are excited for tomorrow as it's So You Think You Can Dance. Can't wait to find out later who will be performing tomorrow.
Last week was LL Cool J and The Dream and tomorrow...????

The Hip Hop Intensive Day 2

Today is the full day of our private workshops during The Hip Hop Intensive.

I am excited to work with the amazing faculty that we have scheduled for today. We have some choreographer changes but our line up is even better than ever.

After breakfast, off to International Dance Academy on Hollywood. Love this place right in the heart of Hollywood, outside it's doors is the Walk of Fame.

You have to check out our photos in the Gallery at www.SummerInLA.com

We will be at the studio from 10 am - 10 pm. This week it's all about Hip Hop so our full day of workshops includes different styles of Hip Hop as well as Krumpography, Breaking, Old School Funk/Locking and more...

To start the day, we have JJ Villar do the 1st workshop which includes a mock audition and an industry chat. For the mock audition, JJ taught a class and then the dancers had to perform it for JJ and Be Discovered. At the end, JJ would select 2 dancers who he felt represented his choreography properly. These 2 dancers are the dancers he would select to work with if this was a real audition.

The class was great and the 2 selected dancers were Marie Odile and Desiree. Coincidentially, both these dancers have participated in Summer in LA. Maybe it's not a coincidence and just the world class training that we offer that have assisted these ladies strengthen already the talent that they have. Marie Odile did the 2006 program and Desiree the 2007.

After the audition, we had an industry chat and Q & A with JJ which was very informative for the dancers. We also had a surprise that we weren't expecting and that was an earthquake. We were on a 2nd floor so we did feel it but it was quick. The dancers didn't really know what was going on but after a second, we had realized what we were in the midst of. Thank God that nothing happened and everyone was safe. The earthquake was a 5.4 and took place at 11:42 a.m.

Both JJ and I are from Colombia so we did experience this as kids back home so it helped us be cool during this brief moment. I hadn't been in one for a long time and it's a scary thing. Thank God as well that construction in California has changed so much and has made buildings be really safe. Did you know that the Hilton hotel where we stay at is on wheels? How about all the downtown L.A. buildings? They all are. How crazy is this. This is what also keeps them safe so it's all good.

This was a reminder that things can happen at any moment anywhere. The dancers were all very professional and some were excited that they had "survived" an earthquake. Speaking to some of the parents who were in LA with us, they too thought it was pretty cool, only because nothing really happened. They felt it too while they were at the Hilton.

Some of the parents called to make sure that their kids were ok and we were pleased to be able to assist them right away by letting them know that it really was nothing. Sometimes CNN has a way with story coverage where they made it seem that it was worse than it was.

If you plan to move to L.A., you need to keep in mind that this can happen but then again, there are many cities in Canada where this too can happen. We just need to trust and know that we are o.k. no matter where we are.

JJ finished his chat and we took some photos of him with the dancers and took a few minute break. Next, was Groovaloos founder and choreographer Bradley "Shooz" Rapier.

Bradley arrived and the dancers were excited. Bradley is originally from Canada so some of the dancers had worked with him back in Canada in the past. See the Faculty page in The Program page for more on Bradley. Bradley taught Hip Hop. He is an amazing teacher as he takes it back to the basics as well. This workshop was challenging but this is great as this is what Summer in LA is about.

We will be posting photos on our site of all the choreographers with the dancers. Bradley signed some autographs and had pics taken and then we wrapped up for lunch.

After the dancers finished their lunch, we had JJ join us for some improv games and exercises that would help the dancers come out of their shell and aid them for auditions and more. The dancers were taught how to slate and be professionals. The dancers had such a great time with the fun activities that JJ included in our experience.

After lunch, Poe One joined us for his Breaking workshop. We know Poe through the Groovaloos and he is one of the top breakers in the world so we are honoured to have him work with our group. Poe is also the organizer of the World b-boy battle that is part of the World Hip Hop Championships. This is a challenging class as it really works you and most dancers don't have a lot of break experience. We at Summer in LA feel that you need to be versatile and take as many classes as you can and use this experiences to help you be well rounded.

After taking pics with Poe, Lindsey B or Lindsey "Outthere" joined us. This is the first time that we have Lindsay teach at Summer in LA. She is always touring or busy so we are so excited for this opportunity. Lindssey's Hip Hop is different than both JJ's and Bradley's. Again, we believe in variety and today is all about this.

Lindsey was happy to see Keeley Lock 'N' Key at the studio. They are both Groovaloos and Beat Freaks so it was great to have a half a day of workshops by The Groovaloos. Following Lindsey's workshop, Keeley taught the dancers a mix of Old School Funk and some Locking. These are her specialty's as per her name. We had Locking as part of the schedule but the dancers selected the Old Skool.

All of these choreographers photos and bios are in the Faculty page so be sure to visit www.SummerInLA.com for more on these amazingly talented individuals. We are so honoured to have the industry's best work with us and our dancers.

I was really pleased when the office staff of this studio commended me for the choreographers we work with. They found it astonishing that we were able to have so many great people, back to back, come in and work with us. Many of these individuals are very selective as to who they work with so we are honoured to continue to work with them every year.

It was dinner time so we took a break and the dancers got to relax as they have been going from very early today.

After dinner, Mihran joined us for his Hip Hop class. Again, this Hip Hop workshop also very different than all the other Hip Hop workshops today. For the last couple of years we were unable to work with Mihran as he was touring with Madonna as well as Ricky Martin. We are happy that he is in town. Thank God that he turned down Madonna's latest tour otherwise we would have missed him again. Mihran also has a music CD out so he is also quite busy touring with his music. Did I mention that he also has a clothing line? Madonna as well as some other artists have been photographed sporting his gear.

After photos, Duece the prince of krump arrived and taught Hip Hop to the dancers. Some of the dancers had worked with Duece before at our Canadian and the Bahamas workshops. Duece is Miss Prissy's brother and is a great teacher. He was voted #1 choreographer during the 2007 Summer in LA.

After a short break, Duece's Hip Hop class was followed by his Krumpography workshop. This is a very intense class and really makes you work. What a cardio workout and what a way to end our full day of private workshops.

The dancers felt great after this workshop and I think that tomorrow, they are going to feel muscles and body parts that they didn't realize existed. lol.

Janelle sat in and took notes all day and these will be added to the assessments that are given out to the dancers after the program. We hope to have these at least 1 week after the program but sometimes it takes us longer as we are compiling info from many sources.

The dancers headed outside where all the lights of Hollywood make it even more exciting than during the day. They took the shuttles, headed to the hotel to get some r & r for the next day. We have the photo shoot with Lee Cherry as well as a walking tour of Hollywood.

The dancers had a great day today

The Hip Hop Intensive Day 1

The Dance Intensive dancers left and Alex and I headed to LAX airport to meet up with the Hip Hop Intensive dancers. The dancer liaison for the week Janelle Vaccaro is also meeting us at the airport to help meet and greet the dancers.

I got to the airport early and Marie Odile, Melissa and Allison were already at the airport waiting for us. I had a chance to sit and chat with them for a bit and the other dancers starting coming in. We were only meeting half the group here and the others at the hotel. 5 of the dancers are with us already at the hotel as these dancers did the Extended Intensive which is the 2 week program of both the Dance and the Hip Hop Intensives.

I was a bit concerned about 1 of the groups coming in from Toronto as Jenny had texted messaged me earlier that day letting me know that their flight had been changed. Luckily, everything worked out and they too arrived safely.

Got the dancers on the shuttle and headed to the Hilton. I find it so exciting to have the dancers come in to this area as you're entering Universal Studios and it just looks so grand and exciting. You see a sign that says Universal Studios The Entertainment Capitol of the world.

We got to the lobby and met up with the other dancers who were there with some of their parents who had traveled with them. We then headed to the Club Room for the meet and greet with staff and all the dancers.

Janelle shared her 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 and we found that the dancers were really quiet and shy. Maybe it's the jet lag and since it's the 1st day, everyone is just getting settled. It's important though for those looking at getting into the industry to be more outgoing and confident and by the end of the week, these dancers will be.

Janelle and I spoke and it seemed that this group was here more for training and less for wanting to make it in the industry. This is what our program is about so for those dancers wanting both things, they get even more out of the programs. Again, maybe they are shy and jet lagged but in the industry, shyness has to be overcome as there is no room for this and jet lag is part of a dancers life especially those that tour.

We would prefer that they are shy than too crazy on day 1. This also is good as by the end of the week, we see a 360 change in everyone. Love it!

Our chat and Q & A was followed by a meeting with US immigration lawyer Kevine Levine who specializes in assisting dancers obtain their US work status.

The Canadian dancers as well as Eleni from Cyprus and Melissa from Venezuela 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. This is something that we have every year as it's priceless. We hope that the dancers take notes and take in as much as they can during this opportunities that are only possible with Be Discovered.

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 after dinner, we headed out to our 1st dance studio of the program. We had planned on attending Millenium but Shane cancelled his class there as he was busy with ABDC so we decided to go to Debbie Reynolds instead. It was disappointing to not have the dancers work with Shane tonight as I know this is everyone's highlight but it's ok as we are working with Shane in Vegas later this week.

The dancers headed to their shuttles on their way to the studio with Janelle. Janelle will be assisting SILA 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. So glad that she was available to join us. The dancers last week loved her and so will this new group.

Debbie Reynolds is a very cool studio where a lot of top choreographers teach at. Most of the choreographers who left Millenium a couple of years back now teach here. This is one of the 3 studios that we attend to take classes from their open schedule during SILA.

In the Past Program page we will have details on the choreographers that the dancers worked with tonight.

After a long day and being at the studio until after 10 pm, the dancers headed back to the Hilton. Keep in mind that many of the dancers arrived in LA today and are jetlagged.

The dancers all took class and kept up nicely. We are very happy to see that the dancers are given it their all during this dance experience of a lifetime.

Off to plan day 2 of the intensive. Excited that it's our full day of private workshops tomorrow. I can imagine how excited the dancers must be.

Until tomorrow....

The 2008 Summer in L.A. The Hip Hop Intensive Dancers are...

The time is here for the Hip Hop Intensive week. Other years we had just 1 program but for this year, we decided to have 2, 1 week programs. 1 that focused on all dance styles and the 2nd, Hip Hop only.

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

From Cyprus: Eleni Ioannou (also did Dance Intensive week)

From Venezuela: Melissa Perez

From the U.S: Will Thomas, Cynthia Appiah (also did Dance Intensive week)
Also for the U.S: Jessie Levine, Martel Stewart, Brandon Wilbur

From Canada: Savanna Schulz, Desiree Williams (also did Dance Intensive week)
Also from Canada: Quincy Pipella, Shawna Parker, Ashley Archer, Peter D'Souza, Allison Irwin, Ryan Maisonneuve, Lauren Peletier, Jenny Reynolds, Axel Villamil, Marie-Odile Haince Lebel, Alyssa Ayre

We have some dancers joining us this year who did a previous Summer in LA and this includes Marie-Odile and Savanna who did the 2006 SILA and Desiree who did the 2007.

The dancers photos will be posted soon after the program in The Dancers page online at http://www.summerinla.com

15 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.

Meliss Perez Blog From Venezuela

Helloooo to all the dancers, or as we say here in my country Hooola muchachos!

So the name is Melissa, i am a 17 years oldie girl turning 18 next week though, from this amazing and tropical country called Venezuela. There is one word that can actually describe just a little about Venezuela, and that is: Beautiful. Putting aside the political differences and problems, people here are great and really receptive. If you are thinking about visiting, do it! haha, you wont regret, it has the best beaches, great sightings, interesting history and culture, you wont be bored. But i dont want to make this long, because it seems im seeling out my country lol.

You know the first time i heard about this program, was me being lucky by accident. I was reading this cool site that im shure you all know, called answers4dancers.com, and as i was reading the work visa info for foreing dancers, i bumped with this advertisement that said something like "experience the summer of your life with Summer in LA and train with the hottest of the show biz" and i was like wooooo! that was so appropriate and heaven sent haha.

So i sent that info to my sister, who was so supportive and still is, that she told me that i should go and speak with my parents and comment them about this and so i did. I have got to say the first time i spoke to them about this, it was NOT easy, specially with that face my dad put. But things got easier and on my side, so i wrote an email to be discovered and after that we were already on track.

Things weren't easy from the beginning because of all the rules and procedures i needed to make for the payment to be done because of political reasons and rules here in my country, and i was about to loose my spot but Diana being amazing and all she waited and trusted in me since the very first moment and decided to be patient tilt the very last moment. And that's the point when you realized how much you want something, and how determined you are to get it.

I know i speak for all of you when i say how excited and impacient it is for us to do this, because i know it will be such a rewarding experience, we wont never forget. I think this is a shared dream for us dancers, that dream, breath, talk, feel and have in our bloods the passion of dancing the same way.

I cant wait to meet you guys, and have the moment of our lifes! Be prepared to learn, observe, and grow as better human being and dancer. Have a safe trip, and get your shoes on, because we are going to dance it out all day long!

See you soon, adios. -Melissa, Venezuela.

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive 2008 Testimonials

Be sure to visit the Testimonials page at www.SummerInLA.com to read what Tony award winner Grover Dale and the Groovaloos founder Shooz thinks of Be Discovered. You can also read more testimonials including an article written by Cassandra (2005 SILA dancer) on her experience.

The following are some of the Testimonials sent to us by this years Dance Intensive dancers. The testimonials from the Extended Intensive dancers will appear following the Hip Hop Intensive blogs.

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Hi Diana,I just wanted to thank you for the amazing opportunities that your program gave me and the other dancers this past week. The entire experience has opened my eyes to the industry in LA, I thought I knew a lot about what dancing was like there but I had much to learn. To be honest, I was a little intimidated of you at first, which I think is a good thing, but after being involved in your program, you are extremely, if not the most professional person I have ever worked with.

Everything that was promised about the program happened, from dancing in the best studios in LA to the SYTYCD outing, to the healthy food (which I am still trying to adhere to eating) to the respect I now give to other dancers and myself. You truly have a work ethic that is unmatchable, and I appreciate how hard you work because I can tell you love doing it and the results are evident because of the improvement I have seen in everyone in the program.

I am so fortunate to have found out about Be Discovered because it has changed the way I think about dance. It has motivated and inspired me to work to my fullest potential while boosting my self esteem and thickening my skin to deal with the harshness of the industry. Every class I took and every teacher I met had something to offer which I learned from, and there is an energy in LA that surpasses any other place I have danced in. What I have gained from that one week will affect me I think for a long time to come.

I am still soaking in everything the day afterward and resting a lot. Thanks again for everything, I appreciate it so much. You are honestly shaping the dance world with this program educating dancers and pushing them to be the best they can be. We'll keep in touch. Thanks.

Jessica Lynch, Massachusettes 2008 Summer in L.A. Dance Intensive dancer

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Hi Diana!

I just wanted to let you know how much i appreciated everything you did for us on the trip, and that I had the time of my life! I will never forget this past week and everything that I've learned from it. I honestly feel like I've grown as a person and a dancer in just that short amount of time, and I really want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so.

Your program is the greatest gift any dancer could recieve and I truly value every second I spent in LA. Thank you for everything!Kira:)

Kira Poon, Ontario2008 Summer in L.A Dance Intensive dancer

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Hi Diana,

I just wanted to thank you for this years 5th annual Summer in L.A dance intensive week. It gave me the opportunity to dance and train at amazing studios with amazing choreographers. The information that i learnt about heath and the industry of dance allowed me to be aware of the important matters and what it takes to become a professional or working dancer.

Again, i just wanted to thank you for putting in your time and creating this amazing event for kids to get the chance to be apart of a amazing opportunity that we wouldn't of got without SILA.
It was a life changing and unforgetable event.

Tell everyone i wish them luck on this week and to have a blast!
Thank you so much , Mario

Mario Fugnitto, Ontario 2008 Summer in L.A. Dance Intensive dancer

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dear diana,

wow! I would have never imagined at the age of only 14 years old I would be dancing in L. A . putting an amazing program together like this must not have been easy. But I really appreciate everything .

I never really knew how the industry works but with summer in L. A i got every single detail I needed to know! and now because of this, i really know what I want to do in life. thank you for this experience, and for making it all possible

Briana Baker, North Carolina2008 Summer in LA Dance Intensive dancer

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Marissa headed to LA this summer looking to learn more about the dance industry, possible opportunities, and an understanding of what it would take to make it, including decisions of what to focus on over the next few years in order to get prepared.

Well, she came home with a much better understanding of the dance profession and in her words: "how hard it is going to be to make it - but I want to do it"! In addition to having the opportunity to work with some of the industry's best, other highlights included getting to talk to dancers who have been out there trying to make it, the photo shoot, and meeting the other dancers.

The true benefit of the program shows in her new determination to do what it takes to be successful - this new attitude evident by her director at CDC upon her return.

All in all a valuable experience and one we would recommend to others!

Thanks,
Jane & Marissa Duchscher

Ontario mom and 2008 Summer in LA The Dance Intensive dancer

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive. Final Day! :-(

After breakfast, we met in the lobby. All the dancers had their luggages and were really sad to go home.

A couple of nights ago many of the dancers said that they were not looking forward to going home as they were not going to be able to dance and train the way they did while in L.A.

They weren't going to be pushed as much, they weren't going to be able to be exposed to so many different dance styles, levels and choreographers.

They were also going to miss their new friends a lot.

Although this is really sad, at the same time, it is great that the dancers had the chance to experience this. They have grown so much and have learned so much, not only about dance, the industry, each other but most importantly about themselves.

They have so much now that they can take with them that they did not have before. So much changes in just 1 week.

The shuttles arrived so the dancers said their bye's to each other and to me. They had to head off to the airport.

I am excited that this week was a success and that we had a great time and even I learned a lot this week. I learn a lot from the dancers, they teach me so much and help me be able to make the programs even better and really, me too as a person.

Dancers, thank you so much for being a part of this dance experience of a lifetime. It allowed you to experience LA's professional dance world. the opportunity to train with the industry's best and we hope that you did have the summer of a lifetime.

Thank you to all the parents, those who joined us in LA and all those who are back home. Without you, most of the dancers would be unable to join us. Thank you to all the dance studios who encourage their dancers to take advantage of our workshops and also to all the dance competitions that give out our scholarships.

Can't wait to update the SILA site and see all your photos online. Your assessments will be emailed as soon as we receive them from the agents and will also have some tips and advice from Be Discovered as well as some of the other industry pro's you worked with during the week.

Dancers, all the best on your return trip home and we look forward to keeping in touch with you.

Until next time, keep dancing and always REACH FOR THE STARS with Be Discovered!

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive - Day 7

Today is the day that all of the dancers have been waiting for.

After breakfast, the dancers headed out for day 2 of the Career Power Workshop at Ography.

They would learn a new routine as well as rehearse everything for the 3 pm agents showcase.

Again, I chose to not stay at the workshops and just return for 3 pm.

At 3 pm, I arrived at Ography just on time for the showcase. The agents were there and they included reps from Bloc, MSA, DDO, Clear Talent and ACME. There were also choreographers there including Free, who the 2007 Summer in LA dancers worked with at Millenium and also Jae Blaze was in attendance. Jae is with Bloc and she is a choreographer from Toronto who now resides in L.A. A few years ago, I referred her to Kevine Levine, the US immigration lawyer who the dancers met with on day 1. He assisted her in getting her papers and as a result, she has toured the world choreographing videos, movies and more.

It was great to have a Canadian on the panel as she was quite excited when the dancers were introducing themselves and saying what city they are from. Most of the dancers who join us for Summer in LA are from Canada and that's because we are based in Toronto. This is changing for us now with having so many dancers from the US as well as other countries wanting to do our program. It really is for dancers worldwide.

I was really impressed with the energy that the dancers brought to the showcase. Their hair and make up was made up and they were all giving it their all. For next years Summer in LA we are going to introduce a lot more helpful tips for the dancers as we saw this year where the dancers need some work and this was in regards to hair, make up and wardrobe. The agents stressed the importance of having an "image" that works for the industry and this is something that we will add to our programs next summer.

All of the dancers did really well and everyone was impressed. At the end of the showcase, many of the Summer in LA dancers were called out by the agents and were critique. For some, it was great comments while for others, they were great too as they were notes and comments to help them for future auditions and consideration.

How lucky these dancers are that they were not only seen by these key players in the business but they were actually spoken to, critique and even written assessments will be given out. They won't be giving out today but I will receive them within a week or so.

At an audition or agents open call, you audition and you leave. The agents will never offer any feedback and for these dancers, this is priceless as they received tips on hair, make up, wardrobe, confidence, technique and much more.

I was a bit disappointed with what some of the dancers were wearing. They looked like they were taking an informal class somewhere. All week, they have been hearing from me, from JJ, from Janelle and even Ben how image is really important. They were saying that you should even get made up to go to the grocery store as it's Hollywood and someone is always around.
Also Grover had suggested that body conscious clothing be work and most of the dancers were wearing very baggy clothing that did not fit what was required. If this is what the agents want, you have to give to them.

Nonetheless, the dancers did extremely well. Once again, they were one of the best groups ever even in regards to their assessments and feedback from the agents. Can't wait to get that email with the full assessments from the agents and choreographers. I am confident that most are going to be so positive as you can see today how well they did and how much potential the dancers have.

Can't wait to see who the agents are interested in.

After the showcase, Grover and his team of leaders continued chats with the dancers and then we headed back to the hotel for the dancers to get ready for dinner and our final outing of the program.

I can't believe that today is the final day of the Summer in LA Dance Intensive. 5 of the dancers will be staying with us for the Hip Hop Intensive. These dancers are lucky as they get to stay for another week in LA and will even travel to Vegas. These dancers are part of the Extended Intensive and they are: Will Thomas, Cynthia Appiah, Eleni Ioannou, Desiree Williams and Savanna Schulz.

After dinner, we went to Citywalk at Universal Studios for some sightseeing and shopping. It was fun and we also had Mercedes Guzikowski (dancer from Ontario) who is now living in L.A. join us. Mercedes was one of the dancers who did our 1st Summer in L.A. That year we had two programs one in July and 1 in August and she joined us for both. Check out the Testimonials page to see her photo and read on her thoughts about Be Discovered and working with us. We booked Mercedes on jobs including The Perfect Man with Hillary Duff.

Mercedes moved to LA to pursue her career as an actress. She has trained at the NYFA and is now living in LA on her own. She spoke to the dancers after the outing to Citywalk on her experience with Summer in LA and how tough the industry is. It is great for the dancers to be able to hear this from one of their peers. Mercedes is only 18 and living her dream. It is tough, but she is making it happen.

Some of the dancers shed some tears in the hotel lobby when it hit home, Janelle is leaving and won't be seeing them again so pretty much, this is it. They said their good bye's to Janelle and she left. She won't be joining us for breakfast in the a.m. so this will be the last time the dancers see her. They are also realizing that the program is almost done. Tonight is their last night in LA and in the a.m., they are off back to their city. A few of the dancers are staying with family for a few days, but again, this is the last now of the program.

I can't believe that the program is almost done. This has been a great group and I am already starting to feel sad that it's almost over. For them at least, as we still have the Hip Hop Intensive coming.

Summer in L.A once seemed so far away and now, it's almost done.

In the morning after breakfast, we will say our good bye's to all the dancers who are leaving and send them off in their shuttles to the airports.

I know that many of the dancers won't sleep much tonight as tonight is the last night that they have with their friends that they have made from all over the world.

I am glad that everyone bonded as they did. Day 1 everyone was so nervous as they didn't know anyone but meanwhile, look at now. They are inseparable and starting to cry about having to leave this new family that was part of the Summer in LA experience. The friends you make all have something in common, a passion for dance in a non competitive environment. It's odd as you would think that everyone is wanting the industry so much that they would not want to bond with others who really are their competition. Instead, Summer in LA opens up opportunities for dancers to grow together even though in the future, they may be competiting for that 1 job on a video, a tour, a film or a show.

I love the fact that the dancers get so close to each other every year. This is priceless.

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive - Day 6

Today is the Career Power Workshop with Tony Award winner Grover Dale at Ography Studios. Ography is owned by Chopper, who is a choreographer. Some of the past Summer in LA dancers had the chance to work with him at Millenium as well as at last years Career Power Workshop.

Grover's company Answers4dancers are behind this 2 day workshop. http://www.answers4dancers.com/ Annually this has been a 1 day program but this year, it is 2 and will give the dancers more time to learn about the industry but also be better prepared for the agents showcase tomorrow.

Janelle will be on site all day today taking photos and as well assessing all the dancers.

Grover's faculty is amazing and included Chopper, Liz Ramos, Christian Vincent, Aisha Francis, Michael Schwandt and more. We will cover this in the Past Programs page soon. Visit the Faculty page for the Dance Intensive to learn more about Grover and our faculty.

This was a huge day for the dancers as they also had their photos which is a must for any dancer wishing to get into the industry. These are your tools of the trade. Everyone was happy with their photos. Each dancer in addition to getting a CD with all their pics, also got 2, 8 x 10 photos (1 headshot and 1 danceshot) with their name at the bottom. Not all dance shots were action shots and they don't need to be. If you look at a lot of dancers and choreographers photos, they aren't action shots and they still work. As long as your photo gets you the audition, that is what matter. Your dancing will land you that job at the audition so if you didn't get a dance shot, it's ok. In the future if you have the chance to do another shoot, try to at least get one just to have versatile shots as you never know that a client may ask for this.

I didn't stay on site watching the classes as I wanted the dancers to have this time on their own with the leaders. I knew that they are in good hands plus I actually want to see the final result along with the other agents and choreographers tomorrow. It will be a better experience for me to see this.

At the end of the day, we had Chopper stay for a while along with Janelle and spoke to the dancers about the business but also offered some tips for tomorrow which is the agents showcase. The dancers are real nervous about this so we want to reassure them that it will all be ok as it's not about whether the agents will like them or want to represent them, this should be a learning experience so that they can grow from this and learn to work on what will help them get to that next level.

The dancers then went to their rooms for dinner. We decided not to have an outing tonight and we are leaving it for tomorrow night instead. Tomorrow is the 2nd day of the Career Power Workshop and at 3 pm is the agents showcase. Want them to rest and just be prepared.

I know that the dancers are very nervous and some are even not wishing to do the showcase but the showcase is informal and it's small. Imagine going out to an audition with 3000 other dancers. This is small and intimate in a positive and encouraging environment. This is only a small taste of what the industry really is like.

If this is hard and intimidating, imagine being out there on your own in the real world.

This is why our programs are important for dancers considering a career in the industry as it lets you see the reality of the business. You then have the tools and the experience to move forward with or you can decide to maybe teach or consider other career options.

There is only 1 way to find out and that's by giving it a shot and that is what you're all doing here and for that, kudos to you as many people never, ever even attempt to go after their dreams and try to make them reality.

You are all on your way and you are discovering who you are and where you fit not only in the entertainment industry, but in the world.

That's why we are here and we are all making it happen. We are all doing what we want and doing it well.

I can't believe that the program is almost done. This has been a great group and I am already starting to feel sad that it's almost over. For them at least as we still have the Hip Hop Intensive coming.

Tonight we had JJ come join us at the hotel and he spoke to the dancers, critiqued their photos and gave them a pep talk for tomorrow's showcase. He did an amazing exercise where he had them just close their eyes and meditate for a bit. He asked them to take in all that they have been through all week, good and bad and just let it go. It was great for the dancers to see him today as they worked with him the day of the private workshops and they have been through so much in just a short period of time. His chat and being with them really helped them ground and find their center and be ready for tomorrow.

The dancers said their good-bye's to JJ as this was the last time that they would see him. He really made an impact on them this week and what they have learned, not only from him but from all the professionals and experts that they have encountered is a once in a lifetime experience. These professionals have taken the time to be here to help show them the way. Something that they do so gracefully as many of them, did not have this when they were getting into the industry's themselves.

The dancers headed off to their rooms I guess to rest and prepare for the next day. Sometimes it's all mental and being in the right frame of mind is what you need. It's like the Olympics, you have to not only train physically but you need to be ready and strong both emotionally and mentally. I hope that they do take the time tonight to do this. I know that they are all excited with their new friends and room mates who they have bonded with and sort of become a family but the showcase is all about them as individuals. This is what the industry is about. Each agent will be assessing each dancer individually and not as a group or by rooms. I also hope that they will prepare their wardrobe for tomorrow as image is everything in the business.

Can't wait til tomorrow.

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive - Day 5

Today the dancers are spending a full day at The Edge where they will take classes of their choice. They get to pick the dance style, choreographer and level. Again, we encourage the dancers to take as many classes as they can. You can take up to about 7 or 8 in the day which is a lot but you only have this chance once this week. Some of the dancers only selected to take about 4 or so and that's ok too.

Janelle will be on site all day with beverages, snacks and First Aid, just in case.

Dance classes today started at 10 and end the last one is set to end around 8'sh. First day all week that we can actually say that the day will wrap up so early. Usually it's after 11 pm so it's great to have a bit of time to not rush.

We decided to not plan anything for tonight as tomorrow is an early day and we will do our Universal Citywalk then. Tonight will give the dancers time to just hang out after dinner or get to bed early.

I just picked up the photos from the photo shoot and they look awesome. One of the best shoots ever. I would like to give them all out tonight time permitting. I want to go over all the photos first as well as spell check all of the dancers names. I am impressed. I know that the dancers are going to love them. They are very glam and also the action dance shots are pretty spectacular.

Lee posted them on his site. You can check them out at www.leecherry.com/bediscovered723
The 1st photo features Carmit, Duece as well as Lee and his staff. Who took the photo? The owner of the studio. I am in the photo too and it looks great as all the dancers are wearing their Be Discovered shirts. We missed Alex in the photo this year as he had to go to pick up water and snacks for the rest of the evening. Thank you Alex. Alex spends all week running around making sure that we have enough beverages, fruits, snacks and food at all times. This is a really tough job as he is lugging around things at one time for about 30 people so it's a lot of hard work.

More on the classes and choreographers from today will be in the Past Programs page once the site is updated later this summer.

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive - Day 4

Another early day, sounds like the life of a professional dancer. Got to bed late again after the tour but at least the dancers are excited AGAIN. This time, for the taping of SYTYCD.

Many of the dancers who chose to do Summer in LA when asked why they want to be a part of SILA, this is one of the reasons why. Another popular reason is to work with Shane Sparks. Even this week that is not the Hip Hop Intensive, Shane is a reason.

We invited Duece to join us on our outing to CBS Studios forthe taping of SYTYCD. I think this is awesome for the dancers as they would never have an opportunity to hang out with a professional dancer who not once, but twice performed on SYTYCD as a guest performer.

The parents who were in LA with their dancers were also invited to the show and joined us.
Janelle was also there and when all the dancer arrived, there were a lot of people in line waiting to get in. By waiting, I really mean waiting as maybe they will get in, but maybe not. Some stay for hours hoping that maybe someone won't be able to stay and they will be able to take their place.

Be Discovered is blessed to have the connections to be able to get the dancers and their parents in without waiting in line. Even Duece was really excited to be able to be on the show, as a spectator. He brought his girlfriend along as well.

The morning taping ended just before lunch and the dancers saw some performances and saw what a taping of a show really is like. You have to love Hollywood! They do their job so well. What you see at home is not what you see in studio and this is why attending this show taping is amazing for the dancers.

You are right there, up close and personal. The dancers were placed in the front rows and on the podiums. This is where we want the dancers to be not only for the best seat in the house but so that their families and friends back home, all over the world, get to see them.

For lunch, we went to The Grove to The Farms of Beverly Hills and after lunch, the dancers were able to walk around and do some shopping. The girls were all very happy after shopping at Forever 21 and Abercrombie. Some more than others especially the ladies that got the polaroids. lol.

Not too much time to spend here as we had to head back to CBS for the afternoon taping of SYTYCD. A short walk later back at the studio and I was excited as this is the segment of the show where they get to see a live performance.

In the past, our Summer in LA dancers saw Busta Rhymes, last year Myka and this week....
LL Cool J and The Dream! Not bad, all the dancers were really excited about this as well as anxious to see which dancers would be eliminated. I won't be able to see this as I have to work and Alex stayed out as well as he needed to watch all the shopping bags from the lunch time. We don't mind though as we get to see the show after. Wish I could see it tonight but there won't be anytime. It will be a few weeks from now but I know it will be worth the wait.

I like to see how the dancers look on camera and where they are placed. It's all about your look in the industry.

At 7 pm the show was done so we picked up the dancers and headed to Debbie Reynolds for some classes. A few weeks ago we were going to substitute this studio for maybe Millenium or The Edge but this is now one of the best studios in L.A and it is important for dancers to dance at as many places as they can. It's good to be able to see what vibe you most like, what classes, teachers and more. When we announced that we were going to change, some of the parents and dancers were not happy about this as they wanted to train at 3 and not just 2 of the LA studios. This way they can see a bit of everything. Some of the dancers wanted to not go here as it was too hip hop based but it is LA and that is part of the professional dance industry here. That really is the reality of the business.

Although this is not the Hip Hop Intensive, as we can see now on shows like SYTYCD you need to be versatile. This evening the dancers were doing a Krump class with Miss Prissy. Although you may not like to try new things, you need to be able to do this in the business. Hollywood's dance scene has a lot of urban styles so get yourself out of your comfort zone and just try it.
Many dancers were getting cold feet. Dancers, it's dance class not an audition. A few of the dancers even requested to go back to the hotel instead of taking dance classes (why are you here again?) as they wanted to rest up for the agents audition. My 1st thought was, rest? During this intensive? I remember the phone interviews where I mentioned that we would be at the studios from morning til night and all the dancers being super excited about this and telling me that they could handle it as they are used to that. Just dance and don't think. You have lots of time to think once you get back home, but for now, just learn and take in as much as you can.

Be a sponge!

My other thought was if you are being seen by the world's top dance agents in a few days, don't you want to be stronger and actually have danced more in LA as you're not used to this. I spoke to JJ about this and without me telling him my thoughts, he sayed the same thing. Why wouldn't they want to dance more to be more in shape, more prepared not only physically but mentally?

Miss Prissy's class was intense and the dancers were Buck! lol. This is a krump term. Some of the dancers had taken krump before with Duece but her style is different as she is a female "the Queen of Krump" so she does have a different approach and they both teach so different. Both awesome though. We had Duece in Canada before for workshops after last year he was named the favorite choreographer of Summer in L.A. He was also one of the choreographers we just had in the Bahamas for our dance intensive there.

Miss Prissy's credits include Rize and Madonna. Visit the Hip Hop Intensive Faculty in the Program page for more on her and the other choreographers.

Dwain Murphy, lead actor who plays Bishop on How She Move was there and had the chance to meet the dancers as well as he is in some of the photos that we took with all the dancers and Miss Prissy. Dwain is from Toronto and you can also see him in Degrassi.

For the krump battle at the end of her class, Duece was there and her other special guest Lil' C which everyone was excited to see in class. He has become more mainstream recently with his work being featured on SYTYCD. Duece was great for the dancers to see as they had been hanging out with him during the week during the tour, at the photo shoot and at the SYTYCD taping.

Some of the dancers sat out of one of the classes while the others were troopers and stuck it out and danced more. We do want the dancers to all train as much as possible but do understand that sometimes, you just don't have anymore to give and you need to take - take some time to just relax and maybe get some food for energy. We want to push you to do as much as you can so you don't have regrets, but we don't want you to be in worse shape in the morning. More on the other classes and choreographers will be on the Past Programs page.

Another late night. But the good news is that tomorrow although it will be an early day, we won't need to be at the studio til 9'sh. Better than 8 a.m. like the photo shoot and the SYTYCD taping days.

Can't believe that tomorrow is already Friday. We are more than half way through the week. At first it seemed like this week would not come and now that we are here, time is flying by fast.

Time flies when you're having fun and dancing your heart out!

Summer in L.A. The Dance Intensive - Day 3

Today was an early day for all of us as we got to bed late the night before following a full day of private dance workshops.

Dancers trust me, it's hard work for everyone in the industry even me. You put in long hours and sometimes it's never enough. If you love what you do which we can see that you do, then it's worth it. It is for me. This is my passion, my life, my love like dance is to you.

Never enough sleep, hours to do all that we want to do in a day, enough time to sometimes even eat but if we are doing what we love, this does sustain us as we want to learn and do as much as we can especially this week which will go by so fast.

It's crazy how for months you wait for this to come and it seems like it won't. Then it's here and it's like, wow, this is it. This is what I have been waiting for. It is an amazing feeling. Make the most out of every day and enjoy everyone you meet and every class that you take.

I could write a book but I have to go finalize all for tomorrows show taping of SYTYCD. I can't wait to find out who the performer will be. They have changed the call time so I need to make changes to transportation, meals, chaperones and more... This is part of the industry as well. Last minute changes but we roll with the punches and learn to be flexible if we can be.

After breakfast, the dancers were separated into 2 groups.

Group 1 is doing the photo shoot 1st and Group 2, the Hollywood tour 1st.

The photographer we have been working with for the last couple of years is Lee Cherry. Lee is photographer to many dancers including Brian Friedman, Jenna Dewan of Step Up and the Pussy Cat Dolls.

Group 1 took their shuttle with all their wardrobe for the shoot and group 2 stayed at the Hilton for a couple of hours to just hang out by the pool and relax.

At McCadden Space, a great location for photo shoots, we met up with group 1 and Janelle who will be on site all day. Lee arrived with his stylists, hair and make up artists to start working on the dancers. Included in the photo shoot is hair and make up but the dancers use their own clothing. We were really lucky to even have make up artists who work on America's Next Top Model.

Once the dancers were settled, I left the shoot and went to meet up with the other dancers and also with Duece, the prince of krump who was joining us for our tour.

We headed into Hollywood and it was early in the a.m. so it wasn't too busy. We walked around and looked at the stars on the walk of Fame and took photos, did some shopping including souveniers, more photos were taken and were disappointed that we were unable to get close to the Chinese Mann theatre where all the hand and foot prints of the stars were. The reason for this in a way was cool and that was because they were setting up for the premiere of the X Files movie.

People had been sleeping on the sidewalk all night for this. It's crazy! We were right by the red carpet and saw all the set up and barricades being put up. Once our photos are up in the Gallery page, you can see the pics of the dancers by the red carpet. So the bad news was no Chinese Theatre but the good news is that we get to be a part of the excitement which is Hollywood and that is the premieres. 1 year ago we saw Matt Damon getting his star on the Walk of Fame and today, it's the premiere of the X Files movie.

Hollywood is cool too as you see movie characters walking around like The Hulk and it's funny as you see Elvis and sometimes scary when you have some pop out from no where like Jason with his mask and knife. The dancers asked about these people and who they are and where they came from. These are hired performers who work around Hollywood to entertain and add to that magic of Hollywood.

The dancers did some shopping at the Hollywood Highland Mall which has some great shops and had the chance to hang out with Duece. Inside the mall, we saw the live taping of 10 Years Younger which was also really cool to see. You see all the cameras, all the people and hear the exciting of everyone involved. Again, only in Hollywood would you have the chance to see these awesome opportunities. As we were leaving this area, it was close to lunch time and it was starting to get busy.

We headed back to the photo shoot where the dancers got to see the last of the 1st group do their shoot and got ready for lunch. During lunch, Carmit Bachar was scheduled to join us. I know that the dancers are excited.

I saw Carmit walk in and she looked hot! I saw the dancers faces light up when they realized she had arrived. Carmit came up to me and it was great to see her again and to have her join us to share her industry experience and thoughts on the business.

She greeted the dancers and we started a chat that was led by Lee who in addition to being a professional photographer, he too has a lot of industry experience as a performer.

Carmit spoke about the industry, her experience working as a dancer and then as one of the Pussy Cat Dolls and also answered questions posed by the dancers and even Duece. She was awesome and with Duece's and Lee's contribution, the dancers learned a lot.

Following the chat, we had some group photos taken with Carmit. You can check these out at www.leecherry.com/bediscovered723 and then she also took photos with each dancer individually. You can see most of the dancers photos here as they all did the shoot. The only photo not on this site is Chrisanna's but you will be able to see it in the Gallery page on our site.

Group 1 now left for their Hollywood tour while the other group stayed to get their hair and make up done and do their shoots.

The Hollywood tour was different than the 1st even though we were going through the same areas. It was now later in the afternoon and Hollywood was packed. More characters were around and more people lining the streets for the movie premiere.

Although most of the dancers are in the same age range, everyone is so different. It is great to see their personalities shine and see how different they may be when not in the studio. During this time, I like to also let them do their own thing during the shopping trips as they are less edgy. I bring an aire that although I may not be trying to give that off, comes off as very serious and I am a legal guardian to most of the dancers and we know what teens think of their parents. just kidding, but I am the parent during the trip and I can be a party pooper as I am super protective of the kids and only want the best for them. I call all the dancers kids even though some are adults but I feel like they are my kids. I know they have more fun when I am not around. I love Alex as he is so different than me and his fun and easy going personality is a great compliment to mine as I am completely opposite.

The tour was similar to that already described earlier where the dancers got to take photos, do shopping, hang out with Duece but again, it was really exciting to be in the middle of the X Files premiere.

Now we couldn't get too close and the fans went crazy. You could hear the crowd blocks away. Can't wait for you to see the pics online so you can see what I mean. There is one photo I love of our group just awe struck all with cameras in hand when David Duchovny was walking on the red carpet. Security came and held the crowd back, the dancers got some individual pics with Duece which was cool and we headed back to the shuttles to go back to the photo shoot.

Duece's credits include Janet Jackson, Chris Brown, Mary J Blige and guest performances on SYTYCD.

So now all the dancers were together at the photo shoot and Lee was wrapping up earlier than expected. Everyone's photos were great. I saw a few that Lee showed me and he and staff were really impressed with the dancers. They felt that this was the best group yet. They also found the dancers to be quite professional and eager to learn. In the past we have had some kids that were a handful but not this year. Thank you God for letting us attract positive dancers who each year make our programs even better than ever.

The BIG surprise was here. By BIG surprise, we weren't kidding. A super stretch cadillac escalade limo was waiting outside the photo studio. The dancers hair and make up were done professionally, they felt like stars after a photo shoot. The dancers (all 22) along with Janelle and Duece got into the limo and partied like rock stars.

Alex and I followed behind (where are these pics?) taking photos and videotaping. There was no room in the limo but it worked out perfectly as this was the dancers down time and they had a great time.

The limo took the dancers on a 4 hour tour of LA hot spots including Sunset Blvd, Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and the Santa Monice Pier and Hollywood. Hollywood that night looked spectacular but some of the streets were still closed after the movie premiere.

The dancers had a great time as you will be able to see from the photos and they got to rest somewhat as it has been a hectic few days. They deserved this.

We made a quick stop on Sunset as I wanted the dancers to check out The Standard. This is a posh hotel that has a great restaurant, pool lounge and cool lobby. Last year during our tour we saw Omar Epps here and we have also seen many more stars. This is owned by the same people behind Chateau Marmont. They told Janelle that we couldn't get in and at first I thought that we might not but then I knew that I needed to get the dancers in.

After schmoozing with the door people, they agreed to let us in quickly as we did have minors and it was a busy night for them. The dancers got to see the lobby and a tank like area where models lie there posing (must be nice to do this for work, lol). This is a very art deco, cool place. This is the hotel where Carrie and the girls stayed at in Sex In The City during their LA visit. If you watch Entourage it's also a frequented hotel with a great pool area. If in LA, check it out. Their food is great too and who knows who you may just see? Josh Harnett? We met him here years ago.

Alex and I have been to Chateau before where we met John Travolta, Val Kilmer, Mos Def and others and also saw Jessica Simpson and many more stars. It is a very exclusive spot that you read about in the tabloids and hear about it on Entertainment shows. If you can ever get in, go. It is awesome, it's like a castle for the stars. It sucks though to see people turned away even though they drive up in their BMW's, wearing designer clothes, they just don't care. Unless you are a key player in the business or staying at their hotel, you can't get it. They have rooms from $500 - $5000 per night. We have been lucky to have known people who worked here and this is why we get in. I would have loved to have bring my dancers here but we were too large of a group.

At first a few of the dancers were upset that the tour was selected as opposed to going to a studio to take class. We did a survey and most selected the tour so we had to go with the majority. Besides it was only 1 class that was missed and although the program is all about dancing and training, there also comes a point where fun and relaxation are a must. This was that time and after the tour, all the dancers were so happy that they had the chance to do this. This gave them the time to let loose and just also get to enjoy each other.

Another late night. The latest so far and back to our rooms for tomorrow. Everyone is super pumped about their 1st show taping during this years Summer in L.A.

I just found out online who the guest performer is for tomorrow. I can't wait to share this with the dancers. I know that both the girls and the guys will be excited to see them perform live. Pretty cool I must say. I wish I could stay for the show taping as I would love to see them but I can't, have to work on next weeks Summer in LA as well in addition to the rest of this program.

This is the 1st year that we had 2 Summer in LA weeks back to back. Although it is a lot of work, I really like it and can't wait to have more weeks for 2009 added to Summer in L.A.

For me I love it as it allows me the chance to be in LA during my summer.

I LOVE L.A!