My name is MaCall Berger, I am a sixth semester Dance major here at AMDA in LA a typical day is very challenging. And today is one of my busiest days here at AMDA lots of classes but I'm also mentally preparing myself for the big dance concert show tonight. It is called "Trilogy." I just want to do really well. I just can't wait to share what I love and my passion with everyone.
Keep opening up the right leg, open up.
My first class today is ballet with Karin Newborn. Karin is the perfect combination of just giving corrections and being hard on you but at the same time giving you great feedback. In Karin's class today we are working on strengthening our ballet techniques through our pure wets and jumps. Having ballet classes helps me improve and every style of dance. Working with Karin I feel more confident and more prepared to take on the professional dance world.
My next class is hip hop with J Chris Moore. Today we learned a combo to "Cry Me A River."
I want you guys to think about it this way. It's about the performance and it's about the character.
J Chris has really helped push me to basically truly experienced what it's like to be up there onstage in front of a big crowd and always just pushing yourself to improve.
Afterwards Hip Hop I had an appointment with the athletic performance office with Emily Ambrose.
Yeah, I've been having a lot of tightness in my right shoulder.
I've gone in and worked with her a lot if I'm ever feeling like an injury is coming up or to just warm up before class.
Press down through those heels really work the back.
I'm so thankful to have this program. It's definitely very beneficial for all of us dancers especially.
Yeah, that feels better.
Good.
For lunch, I usually love going to the AMDA market and it's definitely a positive environment where I can just take my mind off of things if I'm feeling stressed.
My next class is kinetic storytelling for the camera with Nicole Berger and James Camry shows each kinetic storytelling for the camera basically lets us be able to experience how to film and choreograph for the camera. Nicole Berger and James Camry both have a great eye for cinematography being directors. Today in class, we worked on a scene and we use some of Nicole Berger's choreography and we changed it up a little bit and my job was to actually work with the camera so I got to hold the camera get it from different angles. So I'm very thankful to have this different kind of experience here.
My next class is song and dance with Wendy Rosof. I have never been a singer before coming here at AMDA, but I've just learned so much of what it's like to be in a Broadway show.
I want whatever is your authenticity in this moment.
One of the performances that we've been working on in class is actually from "Hairspray." It's "You Can't Stop the Beat." This has been so challenging for me. I have so much respect for people on Broadway. This is my first time ever experiencing what it's like to sing and dance at the same time and I have never been so out of breath in my life.
Grab a drink, catch your breath.
After my last class, I head over to the Cosmo theater because tonight is the opening night of the dance concert "Trilogy."
I warm up with my dance partners try to create a true connection before getting on stage. One of my favorite parts before going on stage is actually getting in circle with everyone. While our director Dasha talks to us about doing our best just having fun on stage.
Hopefully we can create and finish this journey together on the highest possible note and show every everyone what we can do.
I just can't wait to share what I love and my passion with everyone.In "Trilogy," there are three pieces overall I'm in the second and last piece. "Trilogy"is a story about the cycles of life symbolized by a growing tree. And we try to grow as humans, but you know life can go wrong. Each dance explores relationships and it's a roller coaster of emotions. But by the end, it shows that no matter what happens you can always plant start over and grow your new tree and it just shows that there's hope in our world and there always will be.
Going out on stage and performing for an audience is absolutely breathtaking.
We are provided just with so many different experiences. You get to have different kinds of classes here with amazing faculty. And at the end of the day you're able to perform on a big stage in front of people that have so much love and support for you. I've improved so much while being here by how challenging it is. I've been pushed past my boundaries AMDA has prepared me in the best way possible. I'm only a sixth semester here and I already feel ready to take on the world.
