Have you, your children or your students ever wondered:
Should I go to college? How do I pick the right school or program? Am I good enough for college, representation, a professional career? What should I do and what do I need to be prepared?
If so, Bridge is for you!
Bridge is an intense one day event designed to connect aspiring dancers to their next step. Bridge dancers, their parents, and dance teachers will learn from industry leaders how to understand the college dance landscape, the pros and cons of going to college, what colleges are looking for, the ins and outs of financial aid, how to get advice from agents and working professionals and so much more. Bridge provides specific, personalized and direct feedback from industry professionals who make the decisions and create the jobs.
Dancers will attend interactive workshops designed to help each individual figure out whether or not college is the right choice for them and make a short list of programs best suited to help them achieve their goals. They will network in small groups with agents and representatives from college programs from across the country who will help answer their questions and give them guidance.
Parents and Teachers will attend workshops designed just for them, covering topics such as financial aid, an overview of the college landscape, understanding what dancers need to be physically prepared for the future and the career prospects for professionals dancers. Parents and Teachers will also get to ask questions and engage the college reps, agents and industry leaders in “adult only” sessions.
Bridge is not a convention. At Bridge, it’s not about celebrity choreographers…it’s about you and your future. Everyone in the Bridge community shares the common goal of connecting dancers to the next chapter of their professional life in dance.
Bridge is open to:
Dancers ages 14 and older who want to understand the college landscape, including scholarships, financial aid and how to present themselves as successful college applicants and/or young professionals. Dancers who want to understand the role of agents in a dancer’s career, what alternatives there are to college, and who want to network with and get advice from college representatives, agents, and industry leaders.
Parents of dancers who want to better understand how to navigate the financial realities of a college education in dance and get clear strategies to help their child pick the right school or launch their career.
Dance Teachers who want to better understand the options available to their students and how best to advise and prepare them for their future.
Prior to Bridge, dancers will register by creating a profile online through our site. In this first step, dancers will also designate where their interests might lie post graduation by answering a questionnaire. How they answer these questions will determine which group of our college reps and agents they will be rated by and receive feedback from.
At Bridge, in addition to the educational workshops and Q&A sessions, dancers will participate in classes of varying disciplines taught by faculty from exceptional college dance programs from across the country and observed by the college reps and agents on the panel. After Bridge, dancers will be able to log back into their profiles and view their ratings and feedback from each rep on the panel. Aside from this invaluable feedback, participants will be seen by this diverse group of industry leaders representing various facets of the dance industry all in one place at one time.
Prior to Bridge, dancers will register by creating a profile online through our site. In this first step, dancers will also designate where their interests might lie post graduation by answering a questionnaire. How they answer these questions will determine which group of our college reps and agents they will be rated by and receive feedback from.
At Bridge, in addition to the educational workshops and Q&A sessions, dancers will participate in classes of varying disciplines taught by faculty from exceptional college dance programs from across the country and observed by the college reps and agents on the panel. After Bridge, dancers will be able to log back into their profiles and view their ratings and feedback from each rep on the panel. Aside from this invaluable feedback, participants will be seen by this diverse group of industry leaders representing various facets of the dance industry all in one place at one time.
Prior to Bridge, dancers will register by creating a profile online through our site. In this first step, dancers will also designate where their interests might lie post graduation by answering a questionnaire. How they answer these questions will determine which group of our college reps and agents they will be rated by and receive feedback from.
At Bridge, in addition to the educational workshops and Q&A sessions, dancers will participate in classes of varying disciplines taught by faculty from exceptional college dance programs from across the country and observed by the college reps and agents on the panel. After Bridge, dancers will be able to log back into their profiles and view their ratings and feedback from each rep on the panel. Aside from this invaluable feedback, participants will be seen by this diverse group of industry leaders representing various facets of the dance industry all in one place at one time.
Bridge was originally the vision of two professionals from opposite ends of the dance industry; Jacob Flynn, Founder and Executive Director of In10sity Dance & The In10sive, and 3-time Emmy Award winning choreographer, Marguerite Derricks, arguably the most successful and diverse commercial choreographer of our generation. Jacob and Marguerite first met when Marguerite taught for The In10sive as a guest faculty member. Guest teaching quickly evolved into working together to produce intimate in-studio audition workshops, in which Marguerite led youth dancers through a comprehensive mock-audition process while providing each dancer with personalized feedback. Marguerite loved the incredible talent these events attracted, which enabled her to easily obtain a new crop of dancers for her professional projects, while Jacob enjoyed the invaluable information and education Marguerite was providing the dancers with, which under normal circumstances would have taken years to acquire. The entire experience brought to light a void in the dance industry and spurred Jacob and Marguerite to create a unique and invaluable opportunity for youth dancers interested in pursuing dance post-graduation.
In 2016 Jacob met Kai Hazelwood, the founder of NexTakes, which offers workshops focused on understanding the wide variety of professional and educational options available to aspiring dancers. Kai is a working professional dancer and choreographer with a BFA in dance, and has worked extensively recruiting dancers for collegiate programs. She personally and professionally understands the college dance market, as well as what young professionals need to succeed in it. She loved the Bridge format after attending as a panelist and since then she and Jacob have worked together to re-envision what Bridge can be and how it can best help its participant reach their goals.
