What Can Schools Do to Improve Attendance?
Have you ever wondered what creative ways you could improve your students’ attendance?
Well you’re in the right place, because I have a solution for you: performing arts assemblies.
Yes, you heard me right bringing in a performing arts assembly is one way to keep students in the classroom.
After, chatting with several principals, and teachers over the past few years, I’ve been noticing a trend; administrators have specifically been booking our school assemblies to improve their school’s attendance
According to several studies, including the National Dropout Prevention Center study of 2017 and New Jersey Arts Education Partnership, have “ identified links between involvement in the visual and performing arts and improved attendance, school engagement, increased academic performance, decreased drop out and discipline rates and higher levels of college attendance — areas of improvement vital to student success.” ( State of The Arts, artsednj.org)
Our Globalization of Hip Hop assembly teaches students about the transformation of Hip Hop around the world. Learn more
How schools are implementing
X46 in the Bronx, has been using assemblies as an incentive/motivation for boosting attendance. They saw a major improvement in their numbers after implementing these monthly shows.
How does it work?
Each month students have the possibility of earning a spot to attend a performance at their school. If a student gets perfect attendance for that month they get to attend. Every month starts anew so potentially new students can join those already coming to school at that month’s assembly.
Another example on the west coast
Another school in CA, focused on bringing in performing arts programs on the days of the week where they saw the lowest attendance: Mondays and Fridays. Often, if they have an assembly on either of these days, they see a significant increase in attendance.
Want to try it out for yourself? But don’t know what program to bring in?
Talk to us. We have two cultural performing arts assemblies
The Globalization of Hip Hop
Fuego: Dances From Latin America
Meet Our new Dancers
Meet our 5 new dancers and 1 apprentice! Click each picture to read more about each dancer !
Are School AssemblieS Effective?
My Answer is definetly yes, here are three simple reasons why…
By Juliette Nieves-Becker , Director of Reaction
As an Arts Educator performing in hundreds of assemblies in the past 8 years, I can tell you for certain the answer is yes!
Here are three simple reasons why:
1) Engagement- Principals and teachers I’ve been talking to lately have told me they’ve seen a drop in their attendance since COVID. Attendance is typically the lowest on Mondays and Fridays. But they’ve noticed that if they schedule events like an assembly on one of these days, they see a rise in attendance.
2) Self Esteem- When kids see themselves reflected in the classroom their self-esteem and confidence rise. One-way students feel accepted is when schools bring in cultural programming that showcases music, dance, and food that they know from home. School assemblies that focus on music and dance from different cultures help fit that need.
3) Joy- For both students and staff. What better way to de-stress than by watching a music or dance assembly at the end of the week. Students get to watch something exciting while teachers get a much-needed restorative break before their next lesson.
Not sure where to start in picking a school assembly? Take a look at our 2 assemblies by clicking the button below:
The Importance Of Celebrating The 50th Hip Hop Anniversay
It's no secret that Hip Hop has taken over all generations, continents and cultures. Walking into a store, or simply walking down the street, are actions in which you are likely to hear a Hip Hop song. Everyone can identify the sound of this genre and even its movement in dance. But why is it so important to celebrate this culture?
Although today everyone recognizes it, it was once somewhat unknown. Something that only the marginalized Afro and Latino community in the Bronx started, and not even they knew or understood that they were about to create history. You may have heard of the famous party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave, where the now legendary DJ Kool Herc made history and celebrated what we know today as the first Hip Hop party. But, in reality, that wasn't the first party; there were many more before that. People from the Bronx gathered in houses and on the street and danced different styles today we know as Locking, Popping, House or Breakdance. Although they did not yet have a name, it was a phenomenon that was already happening in the streets.
'I had no idea we would have such kind of impact. We were just kids having fun - Anthony G. ' Holly Rock' Horne.
And so this game became a culture. However, although we are all familiar in some way with this movement, what do we really know about it?
Perhaps because it comes from a marginal society or perhaps because it is relatively new, but Hip Hop has a lack of information and legacy in libraries and schools around the world. It is hard to find a book on the history of Hip Hop. It is difficult to know about the lives of the pioneers or even their names. Imagine you created something revolutionary, and no one knows you created it, how would that make you feel? The worst is that even the new generations continuing this movement don't know the roots and origins.
Today marks 50 years since this culture officially began at that party where DJ Kool Herc changed the rules of the game in the DJ world. He saw how the "breaks" between songs had a dramatic impact on the energy level on the dance floor. Breaks are those pauses in the music. By playing the same record on both turntables and emphasising those ´breaks´, he developed the DJ Grandmaster Flash technique to another level and created the roots of Breakdance and Hip Hop music.
In these 50 years, this technique has continued in the music of thousands of rappers and world-renowned artists such as Tupac, Jay-Z, Michael Jackson, etc. Just as the dance has evolved today we can see Hip Hop steps in any music video or stage. Precisely because Hip Hop has been alive for five decades, with different generations and has expanded to all parts of the world, is why today and every day we must celebrate this culture and remember people like DJ Kool Herc, Cindy Campbell, Afrika Bambaataa, Anthony G. ¨Cholly Rock¨Horne, Grandmaster Flash, Coke La Rock, Buddha Stretch, Loose Joint, Rosie Lopez, Violeta Galagarza, Kim Holmes, Zone TDK... And those are just some of the fathers and mothers of this movement.
Little by little we are becoming more aware and telling the story of these pioneers. However, there is still a long way to go, and it is our responsibility as new generations to pay tribute to those who started it all. Sing, dance, graffiti, DJ... don't stop celebrating Hip Hop, today and always.
DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa.
Meet Our New Dancers
Meet the new dancers of Reaction! Your donations helped us hire more passionate dancers by providing them with a training stipend and their new uniforms.
This year we have 3 new talented dancers Evelyn, Constance, and Krystal.
Learn more about them below!
7 things we are grateful For in 2022
2022 was by far Reaction’s best performing year yet from traveling to our first international dance residency in France to performing our school assembly at more schools in a single year: 2022 was a year to be grateful for thanks to you.
Yes many of these amazing opportunities were made possible by your donations and many of our audience recommending us to others for future opportunities.
Here is a list of the top 7 things we are grateful for this year.
2022 was by far Reaction’s best performing year yet from traveling to our first international dance residency in France to performing our school assembly at more schools in a single year: 2022 was a year to be grateful for thanks to you.
Yes many of these amazing opportunities were made possible by your donations and many of our audience recommending us to others for future opportunities.
Here is a list of the top 7 things we are grateful for this year.
1. Going to our first international dance residency in the South of France at the Moulin Belle.
Not only were we given a place to explore our craft for two weeks in a lovely dance studio near cobblestone streets, we were given a home far away from NYC. We were treated like family: taking part in weekly authentic French dinners, working side by side in the garden, and sharing fun filled nights together.
It was because of your donations last year through the 12 Days of Christmas that allowed us to pay for our rooms, and airfare.
2. The ability to pay our dancers to train in our January bootcamp.
It takes countless hours to properly prepare our amazing dancers in all five styles we do in our shows: Hip Hop, Dancehall, Kpop, Regeatton and Bollywood Hip Hop. We are dedicated to teaching both the history of these styles and their proper fundamental movements in order to represent dances of all these different cultures authentically. We spent weeks having a blast learning about each technique and getting to know one another while being paid to do what we love.
Thanks to your generous donations last year for the 12 Days of Christmas, we were able to give our dancers stipends for the hours spent training in these styles and pay for the space we used.
3. Opening our dance studio!
Studio J
Last year this time, we had no idea that a studio hung in our future. But last January our director, Juliette found not only an apartment to live in, but one with a gigantic basement fit for dance rehearsals. It’s now become our home for everything Reaction: from weekly dance rehearsals, photoshoots, video shoots, and even performances we love in our new home.
Last spring we held a fundraiser to get some essential items to make our space dance ready. Thanks to you we were able to purchase the mirrors we now use every week
4. It had been a long time coming, but we were finally able to get some amazing Hip Hop dance uniforms.
We now have jerseys that make us feel our best while performing at our shows and market our brand our way.
Donations were set aside from last year's Christmas fundraiser to make these uniforms possible.
5. Our admin team.
Behind the scenes, we have some truly dedicated team players that make all our operations, marketing, and social media run smoothly. Without their help we wouldn’t have been able to achieve the success that we had this year including some of our new initiatives of traveling and dancing.
Your generous support from the 12 Days of Christmas last year helped us keep on our team when our performances slowed down at the beginning of last year.
6. Going to teach in Peru.
It’s been our director's dream to travel and dance in faraway places. This year we broke through and made it happen.
7. This year we performed at the most school shows ever in a given year!
We were able to bring our program “The Globalization of Hip Hop” celebrating diversity through dance even further than we have before traveling to New Jersey, Massachusetts, and even California!
This year has been one to remember! Here’s to consistently pursuing ones dreams
We can’t wait to see what will happen in the new year.
Coming Up with Your Business Idea
Starting from scratch can feel intimidating. What do you do if you know you want to be a future dance entrepreneur, but you’re not sure where to start? Follow my easy steps below to brainstorm your dream business.
Me and Reaction at my Birthday gig at the Melrose Ballroom NYC
Starting from scratch can feel intimidating. What do you do if you know you want to be a future dance entrepreneur, but you’re not sure where to start? Follow my easy steps below to brainstorm your dream business.
1) Create An Inspiring Environment
What gets your juices flowing? Whether that’s sitting by the window sun streaming in with a cup of coffee in hand or brainstorming with your bestie there is always an ideal way to process new ideas.
2) Be Open to New Possibilities
Too often we think too small, relegating ourselves to what feels like the safe options.
Be Bold!
Get out your laptop or journal and envision yourself five years from now living your ultimate life
Write down answers to the following:
A) Where are you? Are you on the beach dancing on the sand, at your studio preparing for a competition or are you on stage at the Joyce Theater?
B) Who are you with? Are you working from home creating your latest choreography or are you collaborating with a team across the world?
C) What are you feeling? Are you excited everyday for work, filled with joy, and or challenged to grow?
D) Why are you where you are?
3) Brainstorm Different Dance Businesses
A) Dance Studio
B) Dance Company
C) Dance Events Company
D) Dancewear
E) A Dance Retreat Business
F) A Dance Residency Space
G) Your own online dance classes
H) Anything else you can think of
4) What make you special?
Everyone has unique talents and skills. It’s what makes you special that will make you stand out from the crowd. For instance, Reaction’s mission is to show diversity through dance. We are one of the only dance companies to perform and understand up to 12 different dance styles.
Write down what makes you stand out...
5) Take Time to Let Things Marinate
You’re not going to come up with the perfect company in just a few short days. In fact, your initial ideas are going to change. Allow yourself to experiment with the different possibilities and see what others respond too. Pay attention which of your ideas inspire others, those will should be what you focus in on.
6) Once you’ve given it time
Write down your idea and stick to it. In a future blog post, I will be talking about how to come up with your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) that will be your test of your business idea. Know that your business idea may change after you test your idea out.
By,
Juliette Nieves-Becker
My Biggest Takeaway From 2021
Throughout 2021, the best moments I can remember came out of giving myself the time for what really mattered to me.
Waking up to the gentle rays of the sun peaking through my window, I got up from my mattress on the floor. Peering over the second floor banister at the gleaming floors of the giant pentacle dance studio I was to call home for the next week, I felt a wave of glee wash over me. This was going to be my first dance residency.
Turning my phone to airplane mode, I made a vow to myself to stay fully present in this experience and trust those under me to do the admin work while I was away.
That experience helped me come to my biggest takeaway of 2021: to make more space in my life for what matters to me.
Throughout 2021, the best moments I can remember came out of giving myself the time for what really mattered to me.
Everything from fully immersing myself into my first dance residency for a week at the Dragon’s Egg to hiring more support through my Dance Entrepreneur Fellow Program. These things allowed me to take the time to work on the projects that lit me up inside.
At the Dragon’s Egg I was able to create a video sample of most of my full-length work, We’re All Immigrants. This allowed me to apply for the residency I got in July to finally finish it after two years of trying to make it happen during a pandemic.
My Dance Entrepreneur Fellowship Program allowed me to give people work that would support my bigger picture plans. For instance, we applied and got into way more residencies and shows because I had someone else writing the applications for me. I instead got to focus on the creation of the projects.
My fellows even allowed me to take time off from going on a spontaneous trip to Jamaica and to spend most of my August in Maine with the last summer I’d ever spend with one of my friends.
And for the first time ever, with the help of my new hires, I was able to have most of January pre-planned for 2022 right before Christmas. I even was able to write out a whole plan for 2022 in just 2 hours with one of my fellows by my side.
I’ve decided to make my 2021 takeaway my 2022 resolution. Cheers to making more time in my life for what matters.
What’s your biggest lesson from 2021? Let me know in the comments below.
Building your First Team
I can remember furiously scribbling on a piece of paper in the middle of Arts Admin 101 my first business idea…
My teacher could tell a lightbulb had gone off in my head and let me slide into my subconscious dreamland to finish my master plan
After class, the first thing I did was recruit my first team.
I didn’t know it at the time but creating a support structure early on was going to be invaluable later.
My First Team
Our first dance concept video
Building Your First Team
I can remember furiously scribbling on a piece of paper in the middle of Arts Admin 101 my first business idea…
My teacher could tell a lightbulb had gone off in my head and let me slide into my subconscious dreamland to finish my master plan
After class, the first thing I did was recruit my first team.
I didn’t know it at the time but creating a support structure early on was going to be invaluable later.
We were a motley crew, some of us from the dance crew world while the others were from my college hip hop class. We were a small, but mighty team of four.
One of the dancers even had business expertise which helped me bounce business ideas off of them from the start.
Now why and how can you, the budding dance entrepreneur, build a team right away?
Let’s start with why..
The beginning of your entrepreneurial journey will be filled with a lot of unknowns. From testing your ideas to see if people even like your products (your MVP we’ll talk about that in another blog) , to setting up a website, social media, marketing plans, and getting your company incorporated . You are going to need as much support as you can get with work and with helping you manage your emotions.
That brings us to the question of how?
1. Pick 5 people in your life right now that could provide any of the following:
-emotional support,
-brainstorming advice,
-have real world expertise for instance who are the perfect dancer for your company or any behind the scenes work like filming your first concept video or setting up your website
2. Now write them down with what role they could play.
3. After that immediately contact them and let them know what you are planning and how they can help you.
-Now some of you may hesitate on this step. You may expertise fear or imposter syndrome. That is completely normal. I know I felt it.
-Write down that fear and ask yourself what is the worst-case scenario that can happen from me asking this person to help me. The answer is probably that they will say no. But that isn’t so bad of an ending now, is it? Know that your search for your team doesn’t end with the first five people you contact. There are plenty of candidates out there from people you know to people who you will meet who will champion what you have to offer.
The sooner you ask, the more prepared you’ll be to ask your first customer to buy your product. Since your entrepreneurial journey will be an endless task of asking people to buy into your great idea. Let’s start working on strengthening the muscle with friends and family that already know you and will most likely say yes.
I’ll end this article with how I asked my first team for help for inspiration….
I got out of class and told my best friend my idea. She was my first emotional support, instantly agreeing that this was in fact an awesome idea. That boost of confidence allowed me to go up to dancers I admired either in school or in companies I already was in to ask for help. I got them together in my college commuter lounge and laid out my plan for them. I remember them agreeing with gusto to be a part of my group.
There was a sense of optimism in the air…
We had no idea what we were in for . But the magic lay in the journey and figuring it out.
That sense of awe and magic is what I continue to feel with my current dance company. Even though the faces have changed, that initial sense of magic is still present at every rehearsal which is the fuel for driving us forward in creating a better dance company.
So You Want To Be An entrePreNeUR
Post 2 in our series, Dance Entrepreneur Corner,
So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur..
Post 2 in our series, Dance Entrepreneur Corner
So You Want to Be an entrepreneur…
The other day I was on a walk clearing my mind and warming up my muscles before a show when the idea for this article struck.
“How do I want to start my Blog series Dance Entrepreneur Corner?” I asked myself.
The answer came to me while wrestling with my own motivation to start my blog.
Cultivate your mindset first.
Mentally prepare yourself first. Strengthen your mental tool kit for dealing with all these new experiences and understand your motivation first before putting an action into the world to start your business.
Some may call it manifesting, tapping into your intuition, or alignment. Whatever you call it, it’s the essential first step in your journey.
Why should you do this?
You are going to need to know how to help yourself when you hit an obstacle (trust me - there will be a lot of them) and how you intrinsically motivate yourself to keep going but not at a burnout inducing pace and rhythm.
Let me tell you I would have been WAY better prepared if someone had told me this at the beginning.
School has rendered the entrepreneur mentally helpless in the wake of starting a business.
We’ve been taught to
Push through pain
Ignore our intuition
Answer to authority
And become workaholics among other things.
All of these lessons set the dance entrepreneur up for disaster. Your mental pathways will need to be rewired in order to Enjoy this journey, create Alignment with what you want to do, and ultimately set a healthy relationship with your motivation.
Too often we are told to start doing before we’ve even figured out the why?
So how do you start?
Start by tuning into your intuition.
Find what will get you there. Here are of few options
A) Sit in a quiet space and have a pen and paper in hand. Or listen to music while sitting.
B) Go on a walk and have a phone voice recorder at the ready.
C) Do some movement like yoga or cardio and have your journal out.
D) Talk to a friend and have your friend write notes on what you talked about.
Now ask yourself what a perfect day in the life of your dream business would look like? Where are you, who are you with, what are the sounds, tastes, smells of the scene, and what are you feeling? Go deep: even write the color of the walls, the style of music you are listening to, etc. Give yourself 10 minutes to envision, write, or talk this out.
Ask yourself why this was your perfect day?
-Did you get to create ideas for a dance in a group setting? So you enjoy collaboration?
- Did you work in silence or with music?
- What top 5 adjectives would you use to describe this day?
- What were you working on and why?
- How long did you work that day? Did you give yourself breaks? How did you give yourself breaks?
From this exercise you’ve already identified the following
If you like to work by yourself or alone or both.
How you like to work
How you’d like to feel.
The what and they why of your business
And the flow of your work
Keep your perfect day and your analysis somewhere you can refer to it. A place in your journal written out on a maker board, notes on your computer, etc. Refer to this when you hit a wall motivation-wise or an obstacle.
This is the first piece in your tool kit.
by Juliette Nieves-Becker
My dance entrepreneur origin story
Enjoy the launch of our new blog series , Dance Entrepreneur Corner, with our first post on our director’s origin story.
Enjoy the launch of our new blog series , Dance Entrepreneur Corner, with our first post on our director’s origin story.
Director of
Reaction
Juliette Nieves-Becker
I've always been two things in my life.
1) A nerd
2) A Dancer
So often, society's narrative pits these two personality traits against one another.
How can someone be both creative and an intellectual at the same time?
Let's rewind to grade school. I was that straight A student who you'd ask for help if you didn't understand something in math. I was the debater of the hidden meaning in a storyline in English class. Heck, I was best friends with the later-to-be valedictorian, and in 9th grade it soon became apparent I could be salutatorian if I wanted too.
At the same time as being in clubs like "Battle of The Books" (yes that existed - and boy was it fun), I was in dance since the age of 3. I was in all the musicals and choir. And I knew I would be a performer for the rest of my life.
And soon, the nerd and the dancer would become at odds with others’ perceptions of me.
High school is where the picking and choosing began.
I started to shine too brightly. My nerd friends didn't like that I was hanging out with all the people in the play because they were popular. They thought I was – gasp - changing, even though I'd done all the same things before. I started to have style and be paid attention too, and they didn't like that. I had to drop those friends like a hot potato in order to continue to be myself.
Even school wouldn't let me be a dancer and a nerd. There was no way I could sign up for all the APs I was recommended for (which was all of them) and train to be the performer I wanted to be. So bye bye trying to grab the salutatorian spot because you needed to be in all the APs for that.
Fast forward a few years:
In college, I started to major solely in dance at first. And the reverse perception of me started to take hold. “Oh she's a dancer, she must not be smart.” I remember one of these instances happened when my pre-med friend and I talked to a stranger outside at Rockefeller Center while waiting to go near the Christmas tree. The stranger asked what we were studying - he medicine, me dance - and the stranger instantly said "oh" in a voice of disdain that instantly wrote my credibility off as an intelligent human being.
I didn't succumb to what the world seemed to want of me: to tear these two sides of me apart. Instead, I leaned in to who I was.
I started to take business classes as a practical kind of back up. And guess what, I was good at them.
The idea for Reaction happened in the middle of my arts management course. I furiously scribbled it on a piece of paper during the lecture. My teacher let me be because he recognized an “ah ha” moment when he saw one. That was one of the first times someone encouraged me to be both sides of myself.
The class that showed who I really was to the world was my entrepreneurship class. I wasn't even supposed to be in that class since I wasn't a business major. I pitched Reaction to the teacher and was instantly let in.
That really was the class that allowed me to blossom and become the "Queen of Wands " / Nerd Dancer who I was supposed to be. I was awarded my first ever business grant which launched Reaction mid senior year of college.
Nearly 7 years later, I'm still heading Reaction. It hasn't been easy living my truth being both sides of myself. But it's 100% worth being 100% of myself.
Now I'd like to teach you how you can be 100% yourself.
I'd like to teach all you aspiring dance entrepreneurs. Whether you want to run your own dance company, open a studio, be behind the scenes as an arts administrator or create performances for events, I'm here to help you.
I hope you enjoyed my first article in a series of blogs called, The Dance Entrepreneur Corner. Every other Thursday starting today, I’ll be releasing real advice on running your own business in the dance world. I’ll be talking about everything from how to get started, finances, running your own show, and so much more.
Sign up for our mailing list below so you can get this advice straight to your inbox when it drops.
Watch out for my next post on Thursday Nov 26!
by Juliette Nieves-Becker
Happy Diwali
in honor of Diwali, we’re sharing one of our favorite Bollywood performances from this year.
Happy Diwali everyone! Let this day of light bring new inspiration and magic into our lives.
One of the most magical things we do is perform for super awesome parties.
That’s why in honor of Diwali, we’re sharing one of our favorite Bollywood performances depicted in the video above this past June at the Melrose Ballroom with you.
What truly made this night one of the best was working with the host of the party ( @arvindwalia) to bring his vision to life. Through our collaboration we were able to recreate two Bollywood dance montages. Everything from the costumes to the choreography perfectly matched the music videos up on mega screen behind us.
It was as though we were bringing these Bollywood films to life for a live audience.
Now that was magical.
Looking for some magic at your upcoming event?
Book a FREE 15 minute event consultation to tell us about your vision for your next event.
Meet Our Entrepreneur Fellow and Our Production Assistant
Last month we launched our inaugural Dance Entrepreneur Fellowship Program. Keep reading to learn more about our 2 wonderful fellows!
Last month we launched our inaugural Dance Entrepreneur Fellowship Program. Keep reading to learn more about our 2 wonderful fellows!
Entrepreneur Fellow:
Maddie Hanson
Canadian dance artist Maddie Hanson is a graduate of The Juilliard School in New York City, accepted at the age of 16. She has performed repertory by Martha Graham, José Limón, Mark Morris, Crystal Pite, Jiri Pokorny, and RUBBERBANDance Group, and is currently a company dancer with Wyckoff Collective. Her choreographic work has been presented at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Baryshnikov Arts Center, DUMBO Dance Festival, and the APAP Conference. She was commissioned for MOVE(NYC)’s 2019 Young Professionals program, Joffrey Ballet School’s 2019-2020 Emerging Choreographer Series, and is a recipient of the 2019 Dance Ontario Creative Partnership. In 2020, she was awarded a CreativAction Open Space residency at The National Ballet of Canada, and was selected as a 2020 Emerging Choreographer with Springboard Danse Montréal. In 2021, she has created a short film for BalletX’s 15th Anniversary Season, taught with SoulEscape, and has worked on commissions with DART DSP (Berlin), Kit Modus, and Company | E. Maddie is represented by bloc NYC.
“I am very happy to be working with Reaction Dance Company as the inaugural Dance Entrepreneur Fellow! I am looking forward to broadening my experience and skills in business and arts administration, and to aid in producing exciting content and performances in the months ahead.”
Q&A
Do you have a favorite music artist?
I have a few! My go-to’s are Nils Frahm, A Winged Victory For The Sullen, James Blake, and Drake!
What 3 qualities are important for an artist to possess?
Humility, work ethic, and tenacity.
What is your dream travel destination?
New Zealand
What is the last book you read?
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
A fun fact about you is…
I am a huge fan of Lord of the Rings… I even collect the LEGO!
Production Assistant:
Eva Sol
Eva Sol is a passionate, well-rounded dancer with a multi-style diverse background. Based in New York, Eva has been training, choreographing, teaching and performing with various companies all around the city for 8+ years. Although she has received training in multiple styles, she focused on and excelled in Ballet, Pointe, Hip-Hop, Salsa on 2, Bachata, Belly Dance, Heels dancing, and Gymnastics. She has danced with companies such as House of Pumps, Códari Dance Company, and is now a new member of Reaction Dance Company! As an instructor, Eva has an exceptional ability to assess and teach to her students’ needs, and is goal-orientated to their improvement. She has taught at studios such as Cali Salsa Pal Mundo NYC, Gym-Azing, and additionally teaches private dance lessons. Her talent has placed her in the salsa club scenes in the film, “In The Heights” releasing summer 2021, and on multiple stages across New York, including Alvin Ailey- Spotlight Productions, Billie Jean National Tennis Court, Dance Parade NYC, National Animal Rights Day, The Queen of Hearts Dance Cruise, Tony Bennett Concert Hall, Queens Night Market, and more.
“It is a pleasure to work with Reaction Dance Company! Not only as a company member but as the Productions Assistance on the admin side as well! I am eager to learn more about the behind the scenes world of dance, and am excited to use my skills in technical applications to work with Reaction Dance Company.”
Q&A
What motivates you to work harder?
What motivates me to work harder is the joy felt after attaining a goal that demanded so much from me. I also reiterate this quote for motivation:
“Self-discipline is doing all of the little things you don’t want to do because they are needed to make the future life you want.”
If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
1903, to see the beginning of aviation with the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight take off!
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Paragliding! I ran off a mountain top over a beautiful beach in Greece, trusting a parachute to lift me.
What is your favorite quote or motto?
“Two things: 1. What you make people feel inside. 2. What you bring out of them.”
This quote reminds me to radiate positivity.
Do you collect anything?
I collect plastic bottles caps to send them back home where my family can give them to a recycling company which will provide 1 wheelchair for every 540,000 caps received.
Dance Entrepreneur Fellowship
Reaction is starting its inaugural Dance Entrepreneur Fellowship Program. This will be a 6-month program starting in March and ending in August 2021. In exchange for working on Reaction’s admin 10 hours a week, fellows will be coached on their dance business ideas. Each month Fellows will have two workshops 1hr ½ hrs each on zoom focused on learning different aspects of the business from marketing, video editing, business models, finance, producing shows, residencies, and grants. They will also receive a $300 stipend at the end of each month for their work.
Reaction is starting its inaugural Dance Entrepreneur Fellowship Program. This will be a 6 month program starting in March and ending in August 2021. In exchange for working on Reaction’s admin 10 hours a week, fellows will be coached on their dance business ideas. Each month Fellows will have two workshops 1hr ½ hrs each on zoom focused on learning different aspects of business from marketing, video editing, business models, finance, producing shows, residencies, and grants. They will also receive a $300 stipend at the end of each month for their work.
Tasks may include:
social media posts
newsletters
update website
edit videos
answer email inquires
research/submit grants
assisting in programing/show production
Qualifications:
We’re looking for passionate & intelligent dancers with a dream of having their own dance company. Candidates should be senior in college to early career dance professionals. Expertise in the following areas would also be beneficial.
completing or completed a college degree in Dance, Non- Profit Admin, Arts Admin, Marketing, and or Business
social media marketing
familiar with mail chimp or other email campaign managers
editing dance videos
good writing skills
grant writing experience
How to apply:
Complete this form by Thursday, March 4th, 2021 at 12 midnight.
Cover letter: Pitch me your business idea! What kind of Dance Company, dance studio, dance event company, etc do you want to work on? This can be an early-stage existing business or one that hasn’t been realized yet.
Resumé
Both resumé and cover letter are required!
6 Steps to Making Your First Dance *Not* Awkward
In the past seven years, I’ve seen and taken part in many first dances: as choreographer, performer, guest, or the main event (the bride). It can be painful to watch a beautiful moment become a series of bungled steps or worse downright boring. I found that newlyweds that not only exuded confidence but actually enjoyed dancing for their friends and family followed at least three of the following six steps…
Article by Juliette Nieves
In the past seven years, I’ve seen and taken part in many first dances: as choreographer, performer, guest, or the main event (the bride). It can be painful to watch a beautiful moment become a series of bungled steps or worse, downright boring. I found that newlyweds that not only exuded confidence but actually enjoyed dancing for their friends and family followed at least three of the following six steps:
1
Don’t limit yourself to slow songs
Do you like rock, hip hop, salsa, or even Bollywood music? Don’t be afraid to put your favorite genre in your first dance. It will make creating your dance more fun for you and your partner and you’ll be able to throw in dance moves that feel natural.
Have a party song from that night you met in college, on your first date, or a recent pre-covid night on the town? Put it into your dance.
One couple I helped choreograph for decided they wanted “Shape of You” as part of the first dance mashup. At the beginning of our first lesson, both the groom and bride to be were quite nervous about how well they’d dance. Over a couple relaxed hours, those nerves transformed into looks of pure joy on both their faces. Dancing to one of their favorite party songs helped.
2
Feel Free to Repeat
You don’t need to make every move you dance unique. Create a sequence that can be repeated at certain times in the music.
For instance, make a set of moves that both of you dance whenever the chorus drops. If your song has the same chorus three times, that’s already three parts of the song you have steps for. Repetition allows you and your future spouse to relax. Since you have the same set of moves in a few places, you have fewer steps to learn overall.
That way your dance will be easy to learn and you’ll feel more confident dancing when the DJ announces, “And now it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting! When our new newlyweds will take the floor for their first dance!”
3
Honor your heritage
Do your family get-togethers involve dancing from dusk to dawn to salsa – or how about Bollywood at all your cousins’ weddings? Go ahead and put that style of dance into your wedding dance. You’ll feel more familiar with the moves since you do them all the time and you’ll enjoy the music.
Don’t worry if your partner comes from another culture. For instance, my husband and I come from different backgrounds; he’s Pakistani /German/Irish American and I’m Puerto Rican/German American. We decided why not throw in some Bollywood/Bhangra dancing!?
We both really enjoyed that style of music and dance. And it would impress his many, many relatives who came to our wedding (score!).
Even if your partner is unfamiliar with a traditional style of dance from your heritage, this could be the perfect moment to introduce them to your family traditions. It’s the perfect way for them to impress your family and for you two to connect on a different level.
4
Flash mob!
Ask your bridesmaids, groomsmen, or even family to be part of your wedding dance. (If you do this, usually people jump in closer to the end for dramatic effect.) This will make your wedding dance stand out. And it will be a lasting memory for all those who participated. Check out my bridal party killing it during my first dance below!
On that note, I want to give a shout out to one of my brides, Julie, for one of the most unique starts to a first dance I’ve ever seen. Not only did she want a flash mob of professional dancers (us) to start off the first dance, but then she joined us at the end. And she made this flash mob a surprise present to the groom. The look on his face when she joined in at the end: priceless.
5
Learn moves online
YouTube has tons of free tutorials for you to learn any style of dance you want for free. Why not watch a few first dance tutorials and see what moves feel the best to you?
Get started with our 7 Salsa Moves for Your First Dance video. If you’re reading this before March 2021, film yourself doing these moves and you could potentially win a free private wedding dance lesson with me. This brings me to…
6
Hire a choreographer
In between picking flowers, finalizing the menu, worrying about whether your wedding will have to be virtual or live because of the pandemic, having the time to make the first dance on your own may fall by the wayside. But by hiring a choreographer (shameless plug: me) you can leave the thinking and planning up to them.
A good instructor can take your vision and translate it into dance moves that you can easily do while looking impressive.
For instance, one of the couples I helped wanted to include a few styles in their first dance: Tango, Bollywood, and Ballroom. If this couple tried to put this together on their own it would have taken hours of watching videos to learn moves in styles they appreciated but didn’t know, hours of deciding which moves looked the best, and then finally practicing a ton on their own.
I took what would have been months of work and turned it into only five hours of dance instruction. I handpicked all the steps and broke them down so they both could learn them at a quick pace. After meeting only twice for a few hours at a time, they had mastered a 4-minute dance.
Want to talk to US about your first dance?
Set up a time BELOW to see how we can bring your vision to life.
Will you Donate to A Dancer?
We are excited to announce that we have been accepted into a residency at the Dragon’s Egg Studio in Connecticut this March! For a week four of our dancers will continue our work on creating our performance “We’re All Immigrants”. Our goal is to finish Part 2 during our stay! Ultimately, we want to complete our three-part show for both school audiences as an educational assembly and for all ages to enjoy on stages across America.
We are excited to announce that we have been accepted into a residency at the Dragon’s Egg Studio in Connecticut this March! For a week, four of our dancers will continue our work on creating our performance “We’re All Immigrants”. Our goal is to finish Part 2 during our stay! Ultimately, we want to complete our three-part show for both school audiences as an educational assembly and for all ages to enjoy on stages across America!
In order to bring this show to life, we need your help! If you donate one dancer’s stipend of $300, we in turn will have $300 more to spend on creating the best quality show possible. We’ll take that $300 and turn it into costumes, promotional materials, space to create the third part of the show. That way our show will be more sellable to schools and theaters across America.
We have three giving levels:
$150 (half an artistic fee)
$300 (full fee),
$1,200 (you just sponsored the whole group).
All donations are tax-deductible.