JUMP! Dance Convention

JUMP! Website

Click the link above to visit JUMP! dance convention's website, see if it's coming to a town near you!

To everyone who doesn't know what a dance convention is, I will do my best to describe it. A dance convention is an all day thing, where you have multiple classes, and you have a different type of dance each time and a different teacher. They teach you a dance, you learn it super fast and then you perform. But sometimes you go to special conventions where famous choreographers are, like Mandy Moore, Doug Caldwell, and Bobby Newberry. Though they might not sound familiar to you, but Doug has been around for a long time, and he's worked with a lot of famous dancers.  Mandy Moore choreographs for "So You Think You Can Dance".  Bobby Newberry has choreographed for the singing group called the Pussy Cat Dolls.

JUMP! came to Minnesota the weekend of November 19th-21st. I was lucky enough to have the chance to go and work at the convention. There was a lot of faculty, which those are teachers. And the teachers are famous choreographers, like
Mandy Moore!

This is Mandy Moore, she choreographs dances on the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance." I had the wonderful advantage of meeting her in person, and actually having a conversation with her, and I couldn't believe it, I was talking to Mandy Moore!  She's had a lot of amazing dances shes done and she was nominated for an Emmy for her jazz piece "Table" performed by the dancers Neil and Sabra. I was very lucky to take a jazz class with her.

Mandy's Piece That Was Nominated

This is Bobby Newberry. He choreographed for the singing group the Pussy Cat Dolls. I was lucky enough to take a class with him when he did a "Jazz Funk" class which is basically just like a hip hop class.  He choreographed to the song "What's My Name" By Rihanna Ft. Drake. This was probably my favorite class I took, he's full of energy and really funny. He's full of love, after the class he took pictures, and gave everyone hugs. He is now one of my favorite teachers.





















This is Doug Caldwell, he is one of the oldest dance teachers I've ever seen before.  He is the loudest dance teacher I have ever taken class with.  He's the sweetest too, he does a class called "lyrical" which is where you dance to slower songs and you put a lot of emotion into it.  He was my other favorite teacher there.


This is Nick Lazzarini.  He was the winner of season one's "So You Think You Can Dance" and boy can he dance.  I took a class with him and it was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken.  He goes really fast, but he's such a nice person, and an amazing dancer. I'm glad I got to take a class with him.

Of course in the room it wasn't just dancers and teachers. There are also helpers in there, that do the dance at the same time that you do. I was very lucky because I got an extra special helper in the classes I had.
His name is Billy Bell.



This is Billy Bell. He was a runner up for the past season of "So You Think You Can Dance." Although he didn't really get a fair ending because he had to leave due to illness. And he was gone the second day of the convention because he was sick.  He was amazing, although I got a little distracted during the classes because I was in the same room as Billy Bell, and it was amazing. After classes on Saturday I got a picture with him and had a conversation, he is very modest, and a little bit taller than me. Overall I'm very glad I got the chance to meet Billy Bell. He was my favorite on SYTYCD, now I'm excited I actually met him.

Overall, the JUMP! dance convention was absolutely amazing, and if you ever have the chance to go you should, you meet a lot of new people.  I feel after the weekend I know so much more about different things about different types of dance. If it's coming to your area, and you're a dancer looking to meet new people, and learn more about dance.  Then you definitely need to go to this dance convention.

It was absolutely amazing.
:)