Nashville is Lucas’ 3rd city on his Season XI tour and my first. As a Collective member he is an extension of the DanceMaker’s staff and brand which means as soon as he sets foot on the venue he is on, ready to give a warm greeting to anyone that might recognize him. As I walked with Lucas around the property, he easily gave out high fives and smiles to the younger dancers as their faces lit up. Day one starts bright and early with a staff meeting and then competition. Lucas runs backstage making sure the dancers are ready. He is the last person they see before they take the stage and the first person when they come off. He is encouraging and supportive, whatever the dancer needs in that moment. Once competition is done the dancers gather on stage for the awards ceremony. The Collective get the dancers on their feet, dancing, cheering and pumped for what’s to come.
Day two for Lucas and day one for classes, the Collective start at 7am to warm up the dancers and get them ready for the day. The Collective assist the faculty during classes which involves getting their mic and music set-up, learning the choreography faster and doing it better than all the hundreds of dancers in the room, dancing the combo over and over while the students learn, cleaning up the mic, packing up the faculty’s gear and running the clipboard to the workroom, before they head to the next class where they’ll do this all over again. While Lucas is busy, I get to explore and enjoy the city. Day 3 classes finish and the Collective prepare for the Wrap-It show which features two pieces they perform in, top routines of the weekend and scholarships and awards. When you work so many hours, give so much energy it’s so important and special to have this connection to restore.