Contest Winners Share their Experience from the Winter Master Class Series with Dynamix Works
How cool would it be to spend a day learning dance techniques and tips from industry experts who’ve performed in famous Broadway productions and box-office film hits?
Professional dancer and educator Donna Michelle Vaughn created Dynamix Works to make this idea a reality. The virtual training company provides pop-up workshops for dancers nationwide.
Related: Meet Donna Vaughn: A 2021 Brown Girls Do Ballet Micro Grant Winner
“When Broadway shut down, I created Dynamix Works because I wanted a platform for creatives to come together and share their love for the arts with young and impressionable artists,” founder Donna Michelle Vaughn explained. “Being in The Lion King and being surrounded by crazy talent every day, I wanted to share that with the world. What better time than now to use our love for dance to navigate us through these crazy times?”
Opportunities like this one are not always easy to come by, as many dancers of color lack access to the financial resources necessary to afford many classes and experiences. Because of this, Brown Girls Do Ballet sponsored five ballet dancers to attend Dynamix Works’ most recent event, the Winter Master Class Series!
The dancers, Aaliyah Mazzeo, Dior Wright, Jada Hicks, Madison Hughes, and Mckenzie Lewis, were chosen after winning a virtual dance contest. To enter the contest, each dancer had to submit a video of themselves performing a routine choreographed by Vaughn.
On December 5th, the winners joined 10 other dancers for virtual training sessions by Vaughn and her colleagues, including professional dancer Jelani Remy and singer/actor Nasia Thomas from Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations; Zola Williams, actor and dancer from Marvel’s Black Panther; and professional actor, dancer, and singer, Tia Altinay from Broadway’s Hamilton: An American Musical.
“I have a passion to create a way to provide opportunities for myself and other Broadway performers to continue to share, teach, and act as artistic mentors for the dance community,” Vaughn said. After each class, there was a 15 minute Q&A session, where dancers had the opportunity to learn more about industry standards and tips.
“What I hope the dancers took away was to always be their best selves, honor their process, and always be available for themselves.”
Based on the feedback some of the contest winners provided below, the dancers left the training with all of the above - and then some!
Photo: Dior Wright on Instagram
“Personally, I struggle with picking up choreography so this was a great opportunity for me to work on that, as well as all of my other weaknesses as a dancer. It was a very inspiring experience and we met a variety of people, all of which had different paths. It was interesting to hear everyone’s dance story and dance different dance genres. I was able to dance with wonderful dancers too, feeding off of everyone's energy and being in a place where everyone was hungry for dance. Honestly, that’s one of the best motivations a dancer could have.”
-Dior Wright
Photo: Jada Hicks on Instagram
“I had an incredible experience and it was such an amazing learning opportunity. It was very eye-opening to see how broad the dance world is from Broadway to movies to concert dance; the spectrum is neverending.”
-Jada Hicks
Photo: Aaliyah Mazzeo on Instagram
“I loved how the teachers went beyond teaching us choreography and also told us about their experiences in the Broadway and dance industries. One thing I found interesting that I really enjoyed learning about was how arts intersects with different professions like law or business. I also had fun meeting dancers from across the country. I’m very thankful for this experience and so happy that Brown Girls Do Ballet sponsored me for this event.”
-Aaliyah Mazzeo
Photo: Mckenzie Lewis on Instagram
“This workshop was a great experience. Learning about the industry and being taught by dance teachers who have experience in Broadway, musical theater, and contemporary ballet was so much fun. We were able to ask questions and get wisdom that will help me in my career.”
-Mckenzie Lewis
“My hope was that the dancers strived for discovery, not perfection,” explained Vaughn. To the 15 dancers who participated, Donna said, “I was most impressed by your abilities to push yourselves, your bravery, and your openness and willingness to learn something new.”
Photo: Donna Michelle Vaughn
Donna Michelle Vaughn is a professional dancer and educator currently working on Disney’s The Lion King production. As the Founder and CEO of Dynamix Works, Donna is also a master teacher of choreography & performance at Broadway Workshop, Broadway Dance Center, summer intensives, and non-profit organizations in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Baltimore, MD. To learn more about Dynamix Works, visit their website, or follow them on Instagram.
When you support Brown Girls Do Ballet, you help more dancers of color have access to amazing opportunities like these. To learn more about our mission and how you can support us, click here.
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