Trifecta Dance Collective Intern Program

Seven DMA dancers recently earned their place as interns with the Trifecta Dance Collective (TDC) for the upcoming season. This summer and school year, these selected high schoolers will train, rehearse, and work alongside our professional company members, receiving a first-hand look at life as a professional dancer. TDC Interns hold great responsibility to the company and their fellow dancers. While most first-time interning experiences consist of desk work and technical tasks, TDC interns have unique and sincere involvement in the company. As interns, dancers get to experience the company’s rehearsal process, learning choreography with Trifecta professionals and training to understudy the company pieces. They participate in TDC weekly rehearsals and take part in master classes taught by other professionals in the dance community. Throughout the year, interns will have the chance to substitute in and dance with their professional mentors and showcases across the country. This August, four interns will dance with Trifecta at Anita’s Way in Times Square. While the performance and dancing opportunities provide an incredible artistic experience, the interns also get to experience the business side of running a nonprofit professional dance company. Each intern has been assigned an administrative task and mentor to help the company run smoothly, and to learn more about business in the professional dance world. Whether it be filling out applications for performances, costuming, communicating with organizations for community outreach, or working on promotional efforts within the website or our social media, interns are held accountable for their part. This authentic exposure to the professional dance world can give young dancers the confidence, reassurance, and clarity needed for any potential pursuit of a career in this discipline. Our dancers appreciate the guidance and teachings of their professional mentors, and also feel the lasting effects this experience can have on their artistic and personal futures. Interns recognize this unique experience is rare for dancers their age to have. Glenbrook South Junior Betsy Lynch described how working alongside the TDC members allows her to be creative not only with dancers and teachers she’s worked with for years, but also those she has recently met. “I love hearing what others can come up with and seeing how they all dance differently”, Betsy remarked. Megan Sullivan, an intern last season and this season’s first Trifecta protégé, says one of the greatest parts of the whole interning experience is working alongside the professionals and developing your own artistry. “They are teaching us the skills you can’t necessarily learn in a technique class. You watch how the professionals dance and it’s incredible to see them take the same choreography and make it their own movement”. Megan believes the Trifecta interning program has helped her grow artistically this past year, especially in forming her own style and artistry within rigorous technical choreography. The Intern Program’s main goal is to give high-school aged DMA dancers exposure to the professional dance community. We are excited to see our interns grow in this upcoming season, and are proud to know that this experience helps form more adaptable, versatile, and confident dancers, as well as individuals.