The New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA) came to the Hershey Lodge for the first time on Thursday, February 13th.
The experience started Thursday, February 18th, and ended Sunday, February 16th, at 3:30 pm.
NYCDA offers a massive convention with various master classes alongside their dance competition, where youth gain experience and tips from world-class teachers. The competition provides dancers with four custom feedback videos from four select judges on how to improve their performances.
The company divided dancers into rooms for the convention and competition based on age- minis, juniors, teens, and seniors. With these personalized age groups, teachers were able to curate more age-appropriate classes and corrections to push and educate dancers.
Teachers like Tony Testa and Grace Buckley were individually selected to give dancers a nurturing experience throughout the weekend. Most come from choreographing for professional artists like Ariana Grande, Janet Jackson, and Jennifer Lopez or from Broadway shows like “White Christmas” and “On the Town.” This weekend at Hershey also included guest choreographers Celine Edmondson, Jordan Serrano, and Abby Tatro.
The company offered hundreds of scholarships worth millions for dancers looking to save money for the next NYCDA convention. Awards like “Rising Star,” “Tap Scholarships”, and “Outstanding Dancer” helped give hundreds of dollars to aspiring dancers looking to pursue a serious career in dance. Teachers recommend select students for these titles during the weekend.
Hundreds of local companies like Evolving Dance Company, One Broadway Dance Academy, and Studio 91’ Inc all attended from Thursday to Sunday.
The Alliance has further agreed to return next year in Hershey, 2026. This date is still unknown, but Joe Lanteri, owner of NYCDA, confirmed to dancers on Sunday that the competition will be back next year.
