Monday, August 12, 2013

Mariah Spears from SYTYCD at Desert Star Dance!




Mariah Spears and DSD dancers

On Saturday August 10, 2013 Desert Star Dance had the pleasure of a master class with dancer Mariah Spears, a top 20 dancer from this season of "So You Think You Can Dance". She was eliminated from the competition on Episode 11 which aired on July 23, 2013. She was billed as a hip hop dancer on the show but is an accomplished contemporary dancer as well. Mariah is from right here in Chandler, Arizona.

The class at Desert Star Dance was an hour and a half hip hop class. Over 30 dancers attended ranging in age from 8 to 21. The students were so excited to get the chance to take class from Mariah and enjoyed the experience of dancing with their home town dance hero.

Mariah Spears
She taught a hard hitting hip hop piece and followed up with a Q & A session where she shared some of her feelings and experiences being on a national television show. The class was fun and energetic and the choreography current and accessible. It was a pleasure watching her work and interact with young dancers. She was very gracious and open towards the students and answered all the questions the kids had for her during the rap session. She even took the time to take individual photographs and sign autographs after the class, creating appreciative fans out of her students. She had a very loving attitude toward everyone and made them all feel special with her big hugs.


I had the pleasure of chatting with her when she arrived to grab a little lunch before her class. She was cramming in master classes at several studios around the East valley on her visit home before returning to Southern California. I did not get the sense that Mariah was here teaching to make a buck, but rather to give back to her community and allow the dancers from her home town area to celebrate her success. She has an easygoing attitude but is a hard worker. She is a real pleasure to be around. She is smart about her future and is continuing her higher education after her stint on SYTYCD rather than abandoning her studies to pursue career goals. A smart move. No doubt her career will be a successful one no matter what. She has the undeniable force of talent and dedication that equals success in any industry.

Mariah is originally from Chandler, Arizona where she danced since the age of 2.  She is a well trained dancer in all dance styles and received some of her training from our very own ballet instructor - Aaron Gilbert! She is headed back to Southern California to continue at Chapman University. We wish her the best of luck in all of her endeavors and hope to see her next time she returns to the Valley of the Sun.

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