Teaching young dancers the skills needed and tips on how to leverage their talent in the Performing Arts to succeed artistically, academically and professionally.

Did you know that you can use your gift of dance to get into college and get a scholarship? Did you know that some colleges help you with any pivots your career may take and offer double major in dance and whatever else you are passionate about? You can dance professionally while to study to be a pediatrician.You could be a Radio City Rockette who is now a NASA engineer. True story! You could be a physical therapist to an international dance company. You could become the Vice President of a world renowned theater. You could use your double major in dance and law and go on to be a lawyer with your own firm. The possibilities are endless. And there is over $100,000* in scholarship money available to dancers of all levels even if you don’t want to major in dance at school!

There is a program and a scholarship for everyone. Let this former Radio City Rockette, classically trained dancer who holds a BFA in Dance from Fordham University/Alvin Ailey School and has been teaching and choreographing for the past 25 years and judging dance competitions for the last 17 years help you learn to use your gift!

Keisa Parrish began her training in dance in Los Angeles CA under the direction of 3 amazing teachers; Paul and Arlene Kennedy of the infamous tap studio Universal Dance Designs, Cyd Glover-Hill of Art in Motion and Karon Brown Lehman at LA County High School of the Arts (LACHSA) from the HBO documentary “Fame High.” Which lended her the opportunity to perform with Michael Jackson, win the title of Hal Jackson’s Talented Teens International California State and performed, with a leading role, in Debbie Allen's "Pepito Story." 
While earning a BFA degree from Fordham University’s joint program with The Ailey® School, she became a Radio City Rockette, performing in the Christmas Spectacular, doing print ads for Bloomingdale's and making special appearances all over the Tri-State area. Keisa has been teaching and choreographing for the past 25 years and judging dance competitions for the last 17 years and helping to develop dance programs for over 15 years. Her various schools and organizations include Harlem School of the Arts, where she was also the Assistant Dance Director, Next Step Broadway where she was the Studio Manager and Assistant Artistic Director, Elite Dance Challenge Competition, Backstage Competition, Pathway to the Arts, (E)motion by Design, Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International Competition, Dancers Inc. Competition, The Rockette Experience as well as many other dance schools and competitions in the Tri-State area. Keisa is also the former New Jersey Director of the Distinguished Young Women, a unique program that combines the chance to win college scholarships with a program that offers Life Skills training to prepare young women for the world after high school.

Would you like to know about the colleges in your home state?

Don’t be the 80%* of students that quit dance because they think they have to play a sport to get into college. Don’t be 60%* of college students that have to take out massive loans. And definitely don’t be the 60%* of dancers that don’t realize the many options of careers in dance both on and off stage!

*Gathered from various research, and own personal experience.

Dancer’s Database is useful to Recreational, Competitive and Pre-professional teen dancers. The database is for those who want to pursue dance in college, those who want to study something completely different in college, those that want to use their dance to get a scholarship and those who had NO IDEA that they could use their talent in dance succeed academically.

My “Why?”

I was the college student who had no idea how to leverage my talents to help pay for college, or choose a different school that better suited my choices and goals for my life. I was the student who graduated $60,000 in student loan debt with a BFA in Dance and no support or guidance from my college on how to get out in the real world and chase my dreams and career goals. I was figuring it all out as I went and sometimes missed amazing career changing opportunities. Over the years of working, talking, teaching and networking with dancers that chose or defaulted into a variety of colleges across the US, I’ve concluded and have witnessed that there are all sorts of undergraduate programs that can and will support the many career paths one could take using dance to help them get there. And while I was the director of a scholarship program I learned about the many opportunities for scholarships for high school dancers, even if they choose not to major in dance.

Would you like to know about the colleges in your home state?

Email us with the form below and we will send you a list of Universities or Colleges in your state offering a dance major or minor AND a scholarship program that you can enter for FREE and get scholarships for college even if you don’t study dance!

Learn to think outside the box when it comes to what you can do with dance.

Careers in dance on-stage. Career in dance behind the curtain. Careers that your talent in dance can lead you to. Anything is possible. You could be a physical therapist to an international dance company. You could become the Vice President of a world renowned theater. Or you could be traveling the world dancing for a world renowned company. You could be a Radio City Rockette who is now a NASA engineer. You could use your double major in dance and law and go on to be a lawyer with your own firm.

 FAQs

 

  • Well, there are many paths to get to any career. Here is a real life example: You could use your talent to get into Fordham University through their BFA program, double major in women’s studies with a focus in Law, go one to attend Fordham Law school, graduate and get offer a job through their great referral program and eventually own your own law firm. It has been done, and by a Rockette no less!

  • Yes!!!! There are a few scholarships and scholarships programs where you can use your talent of dance to participate in the program or to apply for the scholarship. And if they either have a pool of schools where they offer scholarships to or some have cash prizes that you can use at your school of choice.

  • Yes! With over 100 colleges/universities offer a major or minor or certificate in Dance in the US alone, there is a program for everyone. at every level of dance.

  • Minoring in dance is great if you want to focus on another thing you are passionate about. Minor normally require far less dance classes, but could have lots of opportunities for performances and choreography. Make sure you understand the level of classes you would be required to take as a minor. Some college may require you take the beginner Jazz even though you’ve been dancing for the last 10 years. Now there is nothing wrong with taking a beginner class, it helps you work on your technique. But you just don’t want to be surprised walking into class expecting barrel turns and they are focusing on pas de bourree.