Bustling halls of colleagues, dedicated to bounce training identical to you, new studying, and offers and extra abounding…that is the Dance Trainer Internet (DTW) Convention and Expo. What one may even feasibly expertise over the weekend solely scratches the floor of what’s out there.
The 2025 convention, to be held July 21-25, in Las Vegas, will present what the occasion has offered for years, in addition to many new and thrilling choices. World-wide group and attunement to the realities of 2025 – in each challenges and improvements – might be a guiding mild by all of it.
Dance Informa spoke with DTW Founders Steve Sirico and Angela D’Valda Sirico to study extra about all of it. Let’s dance!
What’s constant
As all the time, this yr there are two principal tracks of studying: enterprise and pedagogy. Contributors can combine and match learnings as fits their wants and pursuits. With seven classes taking place concurrently on the convention, lacking issues is inevitable.
Fortunately contributors can catch all convention programming by the DTW app, as much as six months after the convention (and, enjoyable truth, DTW was the primary dance convention to launch an app). “At a sure level, attendees hit info overload, even when they’re loving it – and it’s useful to evaluate at a later level,” Sirico explains. They will additionally select specific lectures or lessons which might be notably pertinent to their present wants, questions, et cetera as educators and enterprise homeowners.
As for pedagogy, the convention has all the time supplied programming on each conventional and newer, up-and-coming types – and that continues this yr, notes D’Valda Sirico. World-class school will lead this programming. This yr, attendees can prepare with Allison Burke, Courtney Ortiz, Faliceano Turk, Cara Dixon and much past. With respect to enterprise, all registrants will obtain a complimentary enterprise audit useful resource – which studios can use to “fine-tune their advertising,” explains Sirico.
The convention’s Dance Trainer College program additionally continues this yr – providing extra specialised coaching (equivalent to particularly types), which registrants can mix with common convention programming. It’s additionally a certificates program; registrants obtain a Stage 1 certification, which they will construct to a Stage 2 certification, nearly – on their very own timing.
The convention may also maintain a breakfast for first-time attendees. “First-timers,” particularly these coming alone, generally is a little nervous – and an opportunity to attach over breakfast will help make new pals, D’Valda Sirico believes. Lots of these pals change into life-long, she provides.
Weissman might be again with a fancy dress trend present this yr, providing reductions of as much as 30%. “It’s all the time a convention spotlight,” Sirico says. But moderately than paired with breakfast, their sequins and tulle will include a cocktail completely satisfied hour, he notes. “We attempt to convey some humor, enjoyable, and levity to all of it as nicely,” D’Valda Sirico shares.
…and what’s model new
This yr’s convention theme is group, and there’s a cornucopia of recent choices aligning with that theme. Shows on wellness – that of lecturers, college students and all concerned in studio life – will handle rising areas of focus equivalent to dancer psychological well being.
New additionally this yr is a pre-conference session, led by Terri Mangiarotti and known as “Formulate, Facilitate, Consider.” The session focuses on a useful resource that each one convention attendees will obtain: a calendar pre-filled with vital dates and processes all through the dance studio yr, equivalent to deadlines for gathering costume measurements and recital music from school.
“It’s a blueprint that lecturers can construct on and edit,” Sirico notes – therefore “consider” (studio homeowners can change issues for the upcoming yr in the event that they discover one thing within the calendar didn’t work nicely for his or her studio, as an illustration).
DTW can be beginning a podcast, and there might be reside episode recordings on the convention, each with reside audiences and within the on-site “Dance Trainer Internet Studio.” These reside recordings will give attention to lecturers reaching significant milestones and/or with notably thrilling issues within the works. That may convey some nice publicity, visibility, and multi-purpose content material for these people, Sirico notes.
Extra usually, over time, the podcast will launch two weekly episodes, offering informative conversations with all types of visitors, from everywhere in the business. That might be costume firm homeowners to registration software program builders to curriculum specialists…you identify it, it’s doable, says Sirico.
DTW is adapting its choices in these methods, in addition to providing programming that’s attuned to the methods college students are altering on this more and more screen-based world, D’Valda Sirico underscores. The objective is to assist lecturers face the methods during which social issues affect the dance classroom.
Ahead from right here
Dance Informa spoke with Sirico and D’Valda Sirico quickly after their workers’s annual staff assembly. “We’ve got an excellent staff, all the time asking ‘what can we do higher?’” Sirico says. “12 months a yr, we’re centered on dance trainer improvement and dance studio enterprise success…I feel that’s helped propel us ahead, that focus.”
D’Valda Sirico notes that “we’ve a real persevering with training focus; everywhere in the world, lecturers can shortly and simply entry 18 years of content material, at any time…dance trainer life just isn’t a 9-5!” On the finish of the day, it’s actually in regards to the affect on college students, she underscores. “That’s what’s actually common, and we do our greatest to broaden that affect.”
The 2025 Dance Trainer Internet Convention and Expo might be held in Las Vegas, from July 21-25 and Dance Informa can’t wait to be part of it. To register and for extra info, go to www.danceteachersummerexpo.com.
By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.
