ZACK CRUZ was born and raised on New York City’s Lower East Side. Starting off as an underground B-boy, he later transitioned into all forms of dance, training at LaGuardia Performing Arts High School (the “Fame” school) where he had been awarded scholarship and at the Luis Abrams Arts Center. Zack’s performance experience includes dancing with the Company of Dance Arts in New Jersey, as well as an apprentice with Urban Ballet Theater, featured as the Snow King in their “Nutcracker in the Lower”. He performs regularly in showcases with his and other break dance crews throughout the city and beyond. Currently Zack is working as a youth specialist and teaching artist with several non-profit organizations in downtown New York City.

MATT TREMBLAY was born in Les Escoumins, Quebec, Canada. He grew up hunting, fishing and trapping in the thick forests of Canada. He moved to New York City to study at the renowned Broadway Dance Center and to further his passion and his career as a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, actor and singer. His dance credits include working with artists such as Shaggy, Big Sean, John West and Tamer Hosny, as well as on MTV, The Tyra Banks Show, ABC’s Good Morning America and Dr. Oz, and for Disney and in the 2010 Winter Olympics Ceremonies. Matt’s enthusiastic demeanor and passion for dance education make him a favorite among Downtown Dance Factory students. Look out for Matt in ads during the upcoming super bowl!

SHAWN BECK-GIFFORD is the Tuesday boys’ program teacher. He began his dance journey as a hip hop dancer in Colorado. He then went on to expand his dance repertoire, studying all genres of dance, graduating with Honors in Fine Arts and Dance from Loyola Marymount University in California. He has taught in Colorado, New York and also as far afield as Guatemala! Shawn is a strong advocate for the benefits of boys dance programs.

To register for the Downtown Dance Factory Boys Program, call 212.962.1800 or visit www.downtowndancefactory.com

DDF Girls Doing Their Thing!

Towards the end of every semester, Downtown Dance Factory, NYC’s hippest dance studio for kids and adults, holds what they call “demo classes” for the current semester’s boys and girls in ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap, and lyrical dance, to strut their stuff for their mommies, daddies and loved-ones. Demo classes are held during the regular time slot for each class over a period of three weeks. It’s a wonderful opportunity for both parents and kids. The kids get to unload any performance anxiety in advance of the big recital in June, and parents get to see what a class at Downtown Dance Factory is all about!

The first of the demo classes were held last week and the early word is “SPECTACULAR!!” The children were amazing. They knew their routines and they enjoyed every second of their performance. Their regular dance uniforms were adorned with feathers and other accents to communicate that this was indeed no regular class. With a wide-eyed audience, hanging on every leap, grand jeté, pop-and-lock, shuffle and slide, the dancers brought it! Parents were overheard exclaiming, “Wow! I never expected anything like this! I can’t wait until the recital!” Others tweeted, “just speed scooted to @downtowndanceny to watch S demo dance class! and @downtowndanceny we LOVED it! Just showed the video to The Hubby. LOVED!!”

Demo classes resume this week. The kids who have not yet had a demo are chomping at the bit based on what they’ve heard from fellow dancers in other classes. It seems there’s not a whiff of stage fright in the lot!

If you have not yet registered your child for the Spring semester, speed scoot to Downtown Dance Factory and get on it! Classes for the new semester begin on February 3rd. Now with a combined nearly 10,000 square feet of dance studio space, spread over the current studios on the 5th floor and the new studios on the 4th floor—there’s room for everyone to chassé to their hearts content!

Jess brings both her wealth of impeccable training and performing experience in one of the world’s premier ballet companies, as well as her kind, nurturing preschool teacher’s nature to every class.  Students not only work on their ballet technique, but Jess cleverly weaves it all into the context of the wonderfully rich classical ballet history, often demonstrating variations from different ballets – a treat for students, parents and Downtown Dance Factory staff alike!

Jessica began dancing at three, and continued on to study at the New Jersey School of Ballet where she performed in numerous productions with the company. She moved to New York City at age 15 to attend the School of American Ballet in the Lincoln Center while simultaneously attending LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts.  She was invited to join the New York City Ballet company as an apprentice in 2002, and quickly became a member of the corps de ballet.  During her six seasons with this prestigious company, she toured Russia, Japan, Denmark, and the U.S, and danced roles in over fifty ballets.

We are so happy to have Jess with us at Downtown Dance Factory and want to celebrate her wonderfully dancing past as she fosters in our little ones a love of dance that will help them to dance into the future!

We’re especially excited that David Dorfman Dance and their cool family-friendly show, Prophets of Funk, will be coming in late January to New York City to perform at The Joyce Theater.  Looking forward to going to see it.  Who wants to come along?

Our program has expanded enormously this semester, with added classes for every age and dance style, as well as a few brand new classes – our Friday afternoon Street Tap is rocking!  Our lyrical program has gone from one to four classes each week, and our Pre-Teen/Teen Hip Hop class has gone from having just four students last year to being completely booked out, with some of Tribeca’s coolest breaking boys and girls.

Looking forward to a wonderful year!

Looking forward to the next two weeks!

Check out two members of the our Downtown Little League Junior Minor Lower Division “Braves” watching their namesakes the Atlanta Braves playing our Mets at CitiField.  So cute!

Check out some of the wonderful photos below from the wonderful Anna Palma.