By Logan Langlois
Photos by Russell T. Rivers Jr.
NASHVILLE, TN — Muse Conservatory of Dance is celebrating the end of a successful spring season and is now gearing up not only for the start of fall performances, but to say goodbye to its first graduating high school class. Founder, director, and co-owner Mekaylah Gilbert said sending her students out into the world is both exciting and frightening, as she has been coaching many of them since they were very young when Muse opened its doors in 2017.
“It’s a bittersweet thing to see their progress and to see them turn into young women in the world,” Gilbert said. “It’s also scary because I of course want to protect them and go with them everywhere … but I’m also very confident in our teachings with them and I know that they’ll do great things.”
Gilbert said her dancers put on 18 different performances throughout their spring season spanning a variety of different genres including ballet, modern, point, African tumbling, and hip hop. Gilbert said the dances were heavily influenced by the dancers themselves, as she encourages her students to give input while they put together a routine. Gilbert said she even allowed her eldest student to help choreograph one of the dances they performed during the spring, of which she said they did an excellent job of both directing and performing.
“What they decided to do on stage in June was absolutely magical,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert said she expects a lot out of her dancers because she has seen what they are capable of. She said as some of her more experienced dancers get older, she wants to cultivate every interest they may have related to the field of dance as they prepare to enter the next stage of their lives. Gilbert said this includes allowing dancers to step up and start working their brains around choreographing dance as much as they feel comfortable, as she wants her students to have a wide skill set.
Gilbert said many students currently enrolled in Muse are looking forward to their scheduled trip to Hawaii next year in July. She said students will be traveling there to spend a week training with the Hawaii Ballet. Gilbert said she strives to expose her students to different forms of dance regularly, and though she can often try and teach these different forms herself, she also wants to allow her students to learn from the masters of these different forms whenever possible.
“I try to look for as many opportunities as I possibly can for them to expand their resumés,” Gilbert said. “Although they’re very young, I think you’re never too young to start building that resumé.”
Gilbert said she has often gotten heartfelt compliments from audience members regarding her student performances, including guests claiming to have wept and been overcome with awe while watching Muse’s complex and emotional routines. She said when asked by guests how each of her students can keep the complex and lengthy routine straight in their heads, she says she has no set answer other than taking the time to connect with her students both on and off the dance stage to help mold a focused mind.
Gilbert said Muse is always looking for more students and accepts both beginner and experienced dancers. She said Muse is accepting registration for its fall season beginning July 1. Gilbert said that the fall season will begin the first weekend of August and that Muse is even offering adult classes. Those looking for updates for future shows can do so at the academy’s website musedance.org, or on Muse’s social media available on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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