On Friday April 30, we hosted Miss Michelle West from the National Tour of Disney’s Aladdin for a Musical Master Class with our dancers as part of our Online Opportunities Initiative.
Miss Michelle welcomed our Intermediate and Senior dancers on Zoom with her energetic personality. During the beginning of class the dancers got to experience a professional level warm-up and then the choreography began. Miss Michelle taught our dancers the Broadway choreography from the harem section of “Friend Like Me.” Miss Michelle explained that this section is the first piece taught in an audition.
While working through the choreography Miss Michelle made a point to connect with our students one-on-one. She offered technique feedback and encouragement. She encouraged the dancers to “Make every single step and count matter.”
At the end of the class the dancers had an opportunity to ask Miss Michelle anything they wanted about her career so far. Our dancers were intrigued by the process it took her to get to where she is today. Miss Michelle stressed the importance of work ethic, being punctual, being kind and above all else, giving 110% as much as you can when you are in rehearsal. She stressed that “solos don’t make careers.” Rather, when you are a professional dancer your goal is to give the audience your excitement and joy through your performance quality.
Our dancers had a fabulous time working with Miss Michelle and are looking forward to their additional upcoming Broadway classes as part of our Online Opportunities series as well!
Who is Michelle West?
Prior to Covid-19 Pandemic Michelle West was on tour for the third year with Disney’s Broadway hit musical Aladdin. This Philadelphia-born and Delaware-raised performer resides in Brooklyn when she’s not on the road. She lives by the Maya Angelou motto: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style.
What is the Online Opportunities Initiative?
Online Opportunities Initiative was created to provide a little something extra and fun for our dancers to look forward to during the third lockdown as well as a way to support our community. Over this past year, our community has been faced with overwhelming challenges that have been felt by everyone. Some people who have never experienced issues might now dealing with concerns like social isolation, or food security. And for some that already experience these hurdles, they are left dealing with navigating them in an even more challenging climate. United Way Oxford has been working with organizations across the County to help adapt current programs, and create new ones, in order to help assist people get the support they need, when they need it. By investing in over 30 COVID Relief Programs across our communities, options for support are now available to assist those that need it most. By coming together, we can continue to support those in our community that need us now more than ever.
