Q & A With ProDance!

WIth the ProDance Convention opening in Miami this weekend, ProDance's Rosalyn Jones and Sam Shen took a few minutes to answer some questions about the convention. Rosalyn is the founder of ProDance and started as the Director and Choreographer for the San Antonio Spurs. For more on Sam, please see below.

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CDTC: For those that are not familiar with the convention, please tell us a little bit about ProDance.

Rosalyn Jones: ProDance is simply a catalyst that educates, empowers, inspires, and nurtures dancers and directors who yearn to be the very best! As the choreographer for the San Antonio Spurs Silver Dancers from 1992-2003, I attended numerous dance conventions attempting to find a style of choreography that suited professional sports dance. Nothing satisfied my specific needs so I decided to start something that did--ProDance! Now, 11 years later, ProDance is a benchmark! Professional and collegiate dancers and directors with the highest standards attend our event. On the surface, ProDance is the most exceptional and exclusive choreography you can imagine! We bring together choreographers who "GET IT!!" Crowd-pleasing, technically challenging, visually exciting choreography! Hip-hop, jazz, novelty, prop, pom, etc. It's just something you have to see to believe! There's a quote I found that describes the essence of ProDance. It says, "Some experiences simply do not translate. You have to go to know." Whether you're an NBA or NFL dancer or a nationally-ranked collegiate team like Cal State Fullerton or the University of Memphis (who have attended for years), ProDance should be YOUR resource! We also offer seminars, networking opportunities, and so much more! There's no fluff. No lectures. We simply disseminate information that every intelligent and successful dancer and director needs to reach their highest potential. Period. Our non-competitive environment allows everyone to concentrate on learning. It's a fantastic concept! There is true camaraderie at ProDance! The energy is palpable! Oh my goodness...I could go on and on! We hold it at some of the most phenomenal venues ALL at incredibly reasonable prices! We understand your needs and do everything in our power to meet and EXCEED those needs! Come to ProDance and be AMAZED!!

CDTC: Does the curriculum for college dance teams differ in any way from that of the professional teams?

Rosalyn Jones: The choreography is the same. However, we do offer opportunities for collegiate teams to network and exchange ideas and information in the same manner as the pros. It's an incredibly invaluable opportunity!

CDTC: What can dance squads expect while attending the ProDance convention.

Rosalyn Jones: They can expect an event that is specifically designed to challenge, inspire and motivate them to be the very best! It can't be compared to any other camp out there. It's so innovative! The event is professionally organized in a manner that produces maximum results with minimal time commitment. When you leave ProDance, you will have enough material to last an entire season! It doesn't get any better than that!

CDTC: What is your role with ProDance, and how did you get to the position that you’re in now.

Sam Shen: I am currently an Advisor and Coach for the 9-time UDA College National Dance Champs, Cal State Fullerton Dance Team. By day, I am also a Meeting and Events Planner. I've been working with Rosalyn for the past year but have attended 6 ProDance Conventions over the past decade.

CDTC: What do you see in the future for ProDance?

Rosalyn Jones: I see SO many exciting things ahead for ProDance! The brand will continue to expand!

ProDance 2010 - Don't Miss Out on THE Premiere Pro Dance Team Convention!!

Where can you gather in one place to prepare for your entire season of dance in less than 2 days, with the ability to take home more than 25 “game-ready”, high-energy, and crowd-pleasing routines? ProDance!

In its 11th year, ProDance has continued to stand above the rest as THE premiere Dance Convention for Pro Dance Teams (NBA, NFL, AFL, NHL, etc.) and the most elite Collegiate Dance Teams in the Nation.

Mark your calendars NOW for July 30th-August 1st at the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach! This year’s event is not to be missed!

REGISTRATION AND HOTEL LINKS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!!
Log onto the ProDance 2010 site for updated information! Click ProDance 2010 for more detail regarding the event!

OUR VENUE…
We are Miami-bound and hosting ProDance 2010 at the impressive Eden Roc Renaissance in Miami Beach. Our special ProDance room block is available now at an unbelievable rate unheard of in the South Beach area for such an amazing venue. Check it out online at Eden Roc Renaissance OR book your reservations immediately by logging onto ProDance 2010.

OUR CHOREOGRAPHERS…
At ProDance, we take our job seriously. Remaining on the cutting edge of the Professional Dance industry is highly important to us! We’ve done our research and have consulted several leading industry professionals to seek out the best of the best for you! As this is not something we take lightly, we have an “all-star” line-up of choreographers who will prepare you to be “game-ready” for your season with material that will excite and entertain.

We’ve listened to your feedback and have already confirmed ProDance Veteran choreographers Shandon Kolberg, ChiChi, and Sean Bankhead. Newly added! Jamie Parrish, recently awarded a 2010 Worlds Title for his Innovative Dance Choreography, Dena and Jenna Spellman AND Donyelle Jones of “So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew” acclaim! In addition, we’re adding several new choreographers who come from a variety of backgrounds. We are all about providing different styles that will result in an innovative mix of dance genres. We know you want to keep it FRESH, and we hear you. ProDance will never be stagnate. We’ll always have the freshest, hottest, latest and greatest…YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT!

OUR ProDance FAMILY…
Join us in Miami along with hundreds of other Pro Dance Team members and Directors from across the Nation!

We are so excited to see you this summer and hope you are ready for an AMAZING experience!

Best Regards,

Rosalyn Jones
Founder, ProDance

Sam Shen
Partner, ProDance

Minnesota Dance Team Hosts 3rd Annual Alumni Event

GopherSports.com

The 2009-2010 Dance Team hosted a potluck for the alumni at the Williams Arena club room. We began the night by greeting the alumni and looking through old scrapbooks and national's photos. We could not deny the overwhelming presence of the TCF Bank Stadium through the floor to ceiling windows. You could feel the excitement from the alumni for us and yet a hint of envy that they wish they too could perform at the new stadium this fall.

After dinner, we watched videos from previous teams dating back to 1960 along with national's performances with rare moments without commentary. My favorite part of the evening was a question and answer session with the alumni. Their sincere passion for the team couldn't help but excite the new team. We were surrounded by a group of remarkable women that truly inspired me to strive for success in the coming years on both dance team and in life. They stressed the importance of setting goals and making plans of how to achieve those goals. I tried to soak up all the helpful advice that they all shared.

After the potluck came to a close, the current team wrote our mission statement for the upcoming year. Our evening with the alumni motivated us in writing our mission statement. We value the legacy that our alumni have created for us, and we want to carry on that legacy and live up to the standards they have set. Thank you to all the alumni who came on Friday, we are so thankful to have you as such an active part of our current program. We hope to see much more of you!

-Sarah Bucka, 1st year member

Dance With The Honeybears On Oct. 25

Dance With The University .f Central Arkansas Honeybears is scheduled from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Oct. 25 at the UCA Prince Center. The cost is $25 per child.

Each child will receive individual instruction from a UCA Honeybear, a T-shirt and snack.

After the clinic, kids are invited to be guests as the Bears take on Southeast Louisiana State at 6 p.m. All little dancers will perform at half-time with the Honeybears.

Send registration form and check to UCA Purple Circle Foundation/Dance Team, P.O. Box 5004, Conway, AR 72035.

For more information, call 499-1719 or go to ucasports.com and click on dance team.

The Cabin.net

UI Dance Team Walks Against Breast Cancer

UI dance team, and thousands more, walk against breast cancer
Mike McDonald - The Daily Iowan
Full story at
Daily Iowan.com

CEDAR RAPIDS - For UI dance team member Michele Tangeman, whose aunt died of ovarian cancer, the Especially for You Race on Sunday had personal significance:

"She was my mom's best friend, and it was really hard for all of us," the sophomore biology major said prior to the event. "I will partially be walking for her."

Under a pink-clouded sky, a crowd gathered before a white banner at 8 a.m., ready to begin.

"On your marks. Get set. Go," the PA system rang out.

And so they went - all 10,089 of them - clad in long-sleeved, navy blue shirts adorned with a pink ribbon.

Among them were 19 members of the UI Dance Team, walking and running in the 18th-annual Especially for You Race Against Breast Cancer.

The event raised approximately $300,000 to provide breast-health services for uninsured women in Linn County. Since it began in 1991, Especially for You has generated more than $1 million and served more than 4,000 women.

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will contract breast cancer. The disease is expected to kill more than 40,000 women in the United States this year.

UI Dance Team coach Erica Ireland said events such as these allow her squad members to show their colors: black and gold - and pink.

"My girls get so much from the university," the Iowa alumna said. "I think this is a really neat way to give back to the community that's given so much to them."

The dancers are also active participants in an annual show in Cedar Rapids sponsored by a group called Dancers Against Cancer, which raises money for the Especially for You Fund.

Dancers Against Cancer founder Jody Isenhour said she's grateful for the work Ireland and her team have accomplished.

Isenhour, a former dance instructor who couldn't attend the walk, battled and survived cancer three years ago - but lost her hair to chemotherapy.

"Dancers, more than anyone, understand what I went through," she said. "Our hair is part of our costume."

At the UI, two medical experts recently received a three-year, $180,000 grant to study metastasis - the spreading of cancer cells from the primary tumor to other parts of the body. Breast cancer is particularly prone to this, said Frederick Domann, a professor of radiation oncology who mentored grant-recipient Melissa Teoh, a postdoctoral research assistant.

"We need to understand how this process comes about and help prevent it," Domann said.

But Ireland's support comes outside the laboratory.

"Our mission is to go up there and provide spirit for those who are battling breast cancer, in memory of those who have lost the battle and for those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one," she said.