DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS This five day intensive workshop is for intermediate/advanced dancers and will focus on Jazz, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, Musical, Theatre, Ballet, Dance Conditioning, Audition 101 and more. Saturday morning, the Alfonso Academy will host the auditions for the NEW LIGHT DANCE PROJECT, a pre-professional dance company. 

Registration is $250 per dancer. Ages 7 and up. Space is limited! Register online at www.alfonsoacademy.com

We will conclude the week with a special Grand Opening celebration on Friday at 4 PM with a ribbon cutting, music, food & drinks, prizes, special performances and more. Everyone is welcome! Following the celebration, parents of dancers that are interested in Saturday's Audition can stay for a brief question and answer session with Director Mary Alfonso. 

Celebrity guest instructors for the week include: 

Alexa Anderson
Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Salsa
Alexa has been feature in several television commercials and music videos and has danced on shows such as Xfactor, American Idol, America's Got Talent, Dancing With The Stars, All The Right Moves, and was a top 20 contestant on Season 9 of So You Think You Can Dance. She has performed with many talented artists like Kanye West, Queen Latifah, Colbie Caillat, Paramore, The Wanted, Icona Pop, and Demi Lovato. Alexa is also a passionate dance teacher and is a Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructor. Most recently, Alexa toured the country as a cast member of Travis Wall’s highly acclaimed contemporary dance company, Shaping Sound. 

Matt Aylward
Matt Aylward fresh off of Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience World Tour brings his experience from the stage straight to the classroom. In his time in LA, Matt has danced for artists such as: Justin Timberlake, Usher, Rihanna, Jason Derulo, Katy Perry, Joe Jonas, as well as multiple television shows like Glee, Ellen, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Good Morning America. Also, Matt is one of the Hip Hop teachers traveling with Adrenaline Dance Convention on their regional tour season. His unique, smooth style is great for all ages, and provides for a fun learning experience.

Melissa "MJ" Jackson
Innovate Dance Company
Melissa graduated from University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a BFA in dance; including a concentration in choreography and performance. She spent the summer of 2010 assisting Julliard graduate Peter Chu on various projects. Peter Chu is apart of Crystal Pites' Kidd Pivot company and also won the 2010 ACE awards. For the past two years she has presented guest pieces in Tessandra Chavez's TRAFFIC show. She recently set 'EMERGING' on the Revelations dance company. Other choreographers included Terry Beeman and Peter Chu. I set 'FLY' a solo for Eugene Barnes-2nd soloist of Carolina Ballet in Raleigh, NC. Melissa also workshopped her piece Masterminds on Michael Waldrop (soloist with Luminario Ballet) and Caitlin Kinney(graduate of Baltimore School of the Arts and former member of North Carolina Dance Theatre's second company) 

Mandy Strain
Mandy Strain is a Teaching Artist located in New Orleans, LA. Mandy graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi with a BFA in Dance emphasis on Performance and Choreography. Mandy has spent the past few years performing, teaching, and choreographing in the New Orleans area. She has 9+ years teaching experience in Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Dance Theatre and Improvisation. Along with Dance, Mandy is a Pure Barre Teacher and has taught Barre Fitness classes for 5 years. Mandy has choreographed award winning dances that have been performed across the Gulf Coast. Mandy has a positive, fun, and open teaching style to enhance a comfortable environment for students to grow as dancers. She encourages students to dig into their artistry by creating movement through Improvisation to explore movement qualities, time, space and shape.