Luv 2 Dance Convention

    Yesterday I finished an at home dance convention. It was Friday from 4:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. It was so amazing. One of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much. The instructors that were picked were amazing. Their pictures are below with their bio's, but oh my gosh they were so good.
    We learned dances in hip hop, contemporary, and jazz but we also had an improv (sp) class that was amazing. Jessie Thacker taught that class. She was telling us to think out side of the box when you're doing improv because the way that you find really cool dance moves is by perfecting the ugly ones you randomly come up with. Also during one of the open classes Matt Dorame taught a quick acting class. He reminded us that dance isn't just moving your body but that it is about acting and convincing your audience of the role your playing as a dancer. Then for Adam Salazar's class we had a dance battle. It was so fun! I won each of my rounds. It was tons of fun.
    Of coarse the whole convention was not all improv classes, acting classes and dance battles. All three of those put together were only and hour out of the time we were there but they were still a blast. We learned some awesome new combos and choreography!!

Matt Dorame

Matt Dorame comes to us from Phoenix, Arizona where he studied and trained at Ballet Arizona, The Dance Connection, and Arizona School for the Performing Arts, all nationally ranked. At an early age, he traveled and toured with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet to China, and later with West Coast Dance Explosion and Co Dance as a featured assistant. Matt has trained at many prestigious summer institutions including American Ballet Theater and Boston Ballet.
After attending the University of Arizona on full scholarship, Matt joined Odyssey Dance Theater. During his five years with Odyssey, Matt performed principal roles while touring New York, California, and Europe. Along with that, he has enjoyed traveling regularly throughout U.S. cities as a contemporary teacher for L.A. Dance Magic.

Some of Matt’s most recent credits include featured dancer on MTV’s American Mall, lead dancer in the Shawn Borrow music video “Army of Kings”, and top 13 contestant on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance. Matt has also worked to assist SYTYCD choreographers Mia Micheals, Tyce Diorio, and Dee Caspary. Matt currently lives in New York were he has just finished a season with the renowned Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. 

Jessie Thacker

Passionate and dedicated, Jessie is a dancer who seeks to perform and create with purpose and meaning.  Submitting herself to the choreography and allowing movement to become art, each performance is unique and translates her love for dance. Apart from dance, Jessie seeks to build relationships with those around her and spread a positive outlook on what life holds.

Jessie has been dancing since the day she was born. Her dream was always to be a “Star” and has never forgotten that dream. Jessie started her training early at various studios in Utah but finally found her nitch at Center Stage Performing Arts Studio where she trained extensively in Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop, and Contemporary.  Not only did she train, she also learned the art of teaching younger dancers the value of good technique and performance.  Participating and excelling in many high ranked competitions, it became clear Jessie would pursue a career in dance.  Since graduating with High Honors from Lone Peak High School she has performed with Odyssey Dance Theatre, Odyssey Dance Theatre’s European tour, Justin Giles SoulEscape, various industrials, the 38thAnnual Daytime Emmys, and was featured in Disney’s  “High School Musical”, and “High School Musical 3 Senior Year”.

Jessie recently finished performing with The Donny & Marie Osmond Show in Las Vegas which has given her exciting opportunities to tour across the Country as well as Canada. Jessie recently fulfilled a dream and performed on Broadway in “Donny & Marie, A Broadway Christmas”.  She is a freelance teacher and choreographer specializing in Jazz and Contemporary movement and looks forward for the years of growth and opportunities to come 

Alan Salazar

 Alan Salazar started dancing at the age of 13, and has trained extensively in the disciplines of: Ballroom, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Ballet and Hip-Hop. Alan has been part of national and international award winning competitive dance teams and has received individual recognition for solo performances. He’s performed and choreographed for TV (Star Search, FOX Really Awards, High School Musical 2, So You Think You Can Dance), International industrial for USANA, Alphagraphics, Nuskin, Landesk, and professional dance companies (Odyssey, Origins, Latin Revolution). Alan has been teaching for 10 years at over 30 dance studios in Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Contemporary and is constantly guest teaching and choreographing nationwide.