Dances Galore
By: Aurora Hines
Teaching dances for various different theatre groups is challenging because it’s always new people in a group. You can smell the performing theatre, sweat and even the smell of new dance shoes. The shoes hit the stage and makes a booming sound across the theatre. Along with the perfecting of the dances, you have sore muscles often. While having to dance almost every night you get a great cardio and muscle-building workout. After all the hard work and tiredness, you get the sparkly new dance costumes. When we run through the show the harmonious instruments mix with the fantastic dancing and noticeable costumes. The final product turns out amazing and rewarding.
Starting out at age eleven, Tracy Hines started a 5th and 6th grade cheer squad in Deerfield, WI. She choreographed the routines and cheers and performed for the boys basketball team. She started ballet at age 5 and performed on pointe at age 11. Through the years she additionally learned jazz, hip-hop, and hula mostly through musical theatre. She continued to dance throughout her adult life.
In the present day Tracy Hines continues in musical theatre. She performs in musicals and choreographs them. “There is no style of dance I don't like. My favorite style of dance is a tie between jazz and tap. I like the leaps, jumps, and different levels of the jazz positions, and tap I love for its percussive nature. Tap is a cross between dancing and drumming, and adds instrumentation to a dance number.” Today, she likes to teach all ages and she finds much inspiration from dancers like Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gene Kelly, and Michael Kidd. Her favorite dance experience dancing with her daughter. Continually, everytime she walks on that dance floor she inspires and teaches
Tap Into Your Inspiration
By: Maura Phillips
Putting on those shoes to dance around in, magic. So much inspiration bouncing around the room. Ms. Victoria going over every step for us, hop, jump, spin. Dress rehearsal, after dress rehearsal, in the sweaty cramped room. Caked with makeup, hair rock hard with hairspray, and perfectly placed costumes. Finally, the recital comes, nerves bouncing around, and butterflies flying. All of the beautiful combinations, strong friendships, and hours of practice go into 3 minutes on stage, but all of those were worth it.
Starting out as a shy child, Victoria Kemnetz’s mother decided it was a good idea to enroll her in ballet classes. She started at Dawn Troyer, a dance studio in Wausau, Wisconsin. After really being hooked on a competition team at DDH Dance Academy, she said, “It gave me a voice when I didn’t think I had one.”
Now, she is a young adult teaching at A Step Above Dance Studio. Although Victoria teaches all different dance styles, she said that jazz is her favorite type, trying to incorporate hints of jazz into all of her classes. She described jazz as being ¨It's strong and powerful while still being beautiful and elegant.¨ Wanting a challenge, she tried out for MCVD (Madison Contemporary Visions Dance) last summer. She continues to teach and inspire each and every student that walks through her classroom doors.
By: Aurora Hines
Teaching dances for various different theatre groups is challenging because it’s always new people in a group. You can smell the performing theatre, sweat and even the smell of new dance shoes. The shoes hit the stage and makes a booming sound across the theatre. Along with the perfecting of the dances, you have sore muscles often. While having to dance almost every night you get a great cardio and muscle-building workout. After all the hard work and tiredness, you get the sparkly new dance costumes. When we run through the show the harmonious instruments mix with the fantastic dancing and noticeable costumes. The final product turns out amazing and rewarding.
Starting out at age eleven, Tracy Hines started a 5th and 6th grade cheer squad in Deerfield, WI. She choreographed the routines and cheers and performed for the boys basketball team. She started ballet at age 5 and performed on pointe at age 11. Through the years she additionally learned jazz, hip-hop, and hula mostly through musical theatre. She continued to dance throughout her adult life.
In the present day Tracy Hines continues in musical theatre. She performs in musicals and choreographs them. “There is no style of dance I don't like. My favorite style of dance is a tie between jazz and tap. I like the leaps, jumps, and different levels of the jazz positions, and tap I love for its percussive nature. Tap is a cross between dancing and drumming, and adds instrumentation to a dance number.” Today, she likes to teach all ages and she finds much inspiration from dancers like Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gene Kelly, and Michael Kidd. Her favorite dance experience dancing with her daughter. Continually, everytime she walks on that dance floor she inspires and teaches
Tap Into Your Inspiration
By: Maura Phillips
Putting on those shoes to dance around in, magic. So much inspiration bouncing around the room. Ms. Victoria going over every step for us, hop, jump, spin. Dress rehearsal, after dress rehearsal, in the sweaty cramped room. Caked with makeup, hair rock hard with hairspray, and perfectly placed costumes. Finally, the recital comes, nerves bouncing around, and butterflies flying. All of the beautiful combinations, strong friendships, and hours of practice go into 3 minutes on stage, but all of those were worth it.
Starting out as a shy child, Victoria Kemnetz’s mother decided it was a good idea to enroll her in ballet classes. She started at Dawn Troyer, a dance studio in Wausau, Wisconsin. After really being hooked on a competition team at DDH Dance Academy, she said, “It gave me a voice when I didn’t think I had one.”
Now, she is a young adult teaching at A Step Above Dance Studio. Although Victoria teaches all different dance styles, she said that jazz is her favorite type, trying to incorporate hints of jazz into all of her classes. She described jazz as being ¨It's strong and powerful while still being beautiful and elegant.¨ Wanting a challenge, she tried out for MCVD (Madison Contemporary Visions Dance) last summer. She continues to teach and inspire each and every student that walks through her classroom doors.