It’s every dancer’s dream to set foot in one of the most prominent dance studios in a city like Los Angeles. In a city where creativity and the arts are celebrated, dance looks to be one of the main avenues where people get to express themselves and for some, fulfill the American dream. I, however, despite dancing all my life, have put that dream on the side / on hold to make way for other goals I’m reaching towards. In all honesty though, I like to call it an adjusted direction, where profession is an enabler of the passion or where a careful calculation of steps taken can pitch you to a life you wanted. Though I still dance from time to time, the word ‘balance’ factors in to this particular equation. So at a recent trip to the US, it caught me by surprise that I not only got to dance, but also got to breathe and inculcate myself into the culture of the LA dance scene.
It started on our first night in LA and my sister was wondering about the possibility of us taking a dance class in the iconic Hollywood. Jetlagged as I was, I didn’t entertain the possibility that much because the chances of fitting in a dance class into our travel itinerary were slim due to our hectic schedule. But.. my sister punched in Millennium Dance Complex’s IG page, and saw this:
It was Oct. 27 at that time and the class was the next day! Students as young as 13 years old are encouraged to take because that practically is the normal age of skilled dancers in the US, they’re all soo good at such a young age. So before we knew it, we were downloading the MDC app on our phones and securing slots for Matt Steffanina’s dance class a day after we arrived! Talk about spontaneity. Trust me though, the jitters hadn’t set in yet until later on, when we actually already set foot in the studio.
If you’re not familiar with Matt Steffanina, here’s his latest / most popular dance video on Youtube with another popular dancer / choreographer Philip Chbeeb. Matt ranges from 2M to 15M views on Youtube and is a winner of The Amazing Race with his ex, Dana Alexa who is also a dancer.
Here’s the reel on Millennium Dance Complex where JLo, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson all rehearsed for their shows and music videos.
So, we took an Uber from Anaheim to get to the studio. We went straight to North Hollywood and it took us about an hour or more on the freeway. A few minutes later, we finally arrive and my 15 year-old sister was practically freaking out when we saw this sign on the street. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
Here’s a closer look inside, you can hear my sister murmuring “I can’t believe..” and almost about to pass out hahaha!
Wee, while waiting for the class ❤
A few minutes later, Matt Steffanina, the MATT STEFFANINA (insert gasps, deep breaths, shaky legs all together!!) arrived to the studio and we were called inside. The studio was packed and I have to admit, the energy was a bit intimidating. We found our places and Matt started with stretching and warming up. It was a bit nerve-wracking since the pace of the class was quick and you had to keep up and not lose focus. The choreography wasn’t slow either but thankfully, I got to keep up and aced the steps. My sister was marking at the side before her turn.
Here’s my sister’s turn and she killed it!! I’m super proud of her for getting it!
We took pictures afterwards and my sister was all speechless walking up to these popular dancer kids especially Kenneth San Jose who was her ultimate dance crush ❤
But I was most happy that I got to take a picture with Matt Steffanina himself ❤
Definitely another milestone / one-for-the-books experience with my sisters!
To cap it all off, here’s a funny post-MDC video featuring my sister all red and swollen from crying and taking everything that happened all in:
It took me a long while before I deleted the MDC app on my phone, still probably me happily dreaming about the next chance we take an impulsive but life-changing experience like this.
To more experiences that make your knees weak and your heart happy,
Laur ❤
LRN NCL 