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DANCE ST. LOUI S | COL L AG E DA N C E CO L L E C TI V E
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL? Collage Dance Collective Executive Director Marcellus Harper and Artistic Director Kevin Thomas were both tasked with answering this question and this is what they had to say: Marcellus Harper: “The first piece of advice I would
Kevin Thomas: “Really use your discipline. Discipline
give to young dancers is to be prepared. You can
is so important especially for dance but for other
never be too prepared! Really take advantage of
things as well. For dance you really need to start and
your formative years to get as much training as
see it through all the way to the end. Not matter how
possible. Your time is limited so you want to make
difficult something is, you have to show up.”
sure you are using it to really hone your craft.” “Ballet is a codified technique so it is what it is. But what we try to do as an organization is to impress upon students, especially students of color, that through the training of ballet they can bring their full selves to the practice. They do not have to suppress who they are as people or as artists. We want them to embrace who they are, while showing excellence in the art form at the same time.”
