By Logan Langlois
NASHVILLE, TN — The doors of Muse Conservatory of Dance haven’t been open for long, but in their short time, they have amassed a reputation as a well-respected Nashvillian-owned studio. So much so that co-owner and operator Mekaylah Gilbert said Muse has been able to participate in traveling performances for the past three years. This Winter, Muse is staying in Music City, however, and will be delivering their rendition of holiday classic White Christmas for Nashvillians on December 16th.
Themes behind studio performances typically coincide with the time of year and holidays taking place. Dancers usually train for an estimated four months for each performance; they have been practicing for White Christmas, for example, since August.
“All of our shows have some type of sentimental value to myself and our co-owner, which is actually my mother,” Gilbert said. “White Christmas is my mom’s favorite Christmas movie. We actually just got a new studio space, and we wouldn’t have gotten half of the things we have there without her. So, this is actually a dedication to my mom.”
Gilbert said she started Muse in 2017 while she was just 19 attending Western Kentucky University. It was during this time that a woman who lived in Nashville and heard of her dancing expertise asked Gilbert if she would train her daughter, to which at first Gilbert declined citing a lack of confidence. The same person would reach out again, this time with Gilbert accepting her offer and quickly taking on additional students, hosting lessons out of a variety of different locations, including her home, until their official studio space in September.
Gilbert said that she encourages student participation throughout the entirety of putting together a performance, beginning with allowing students to guess the next dance. After the next performance is revealed to the students, Gilbert said she takes time to explain the concepts, story, and themes to the dancers so they understand what they are trying to tell the audience through their choreography. She also said that she routinely asks dancers what their goals are with each performance and dancing semester, always striving for students to get “one percent better.”
Gilbert said that it was the interest of student betterment as opposed to putting performances first that led to her decision to make all performances optional for dancers. Despite following an intense training schedule including older students training in 4-6 different styles of dance and optional lessons over weekends, she recognizes students can still get nervous before performances. Gilbert continued that largely because of the rigorous training, she checks in with her dancers often to make sure there are no injuries.
“All of it isn’t necessarily physically training,” Gilbert said. “We like to train them mentally as well, so they know their bodies and what’s going on if something’s right or something isn’t right.”
Gilbert said in between classes, her students often like to hang out in the coach area which is decorated with Muse’s signature colors of gray and purple. She said that while designing the room, she took steps to make sure it didn’t feel stuffy, which she thinks worked as she and the dancers’ parents often have trouble getting students to leave the area while they’re busy socializing. Gilbert said the couch is next to a food area that serves as a place for dancers to film videos for the most sensational phone app of the younger generation, Tik Tok.
The studio is working on their next story to tell the crowd. Further performances can be found at musecdance.org.
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