He is a good dancer, he had to be to get selected for Collective. He also had to be professional, sincere and dance from the heart. But what truly distinguishes Lucas are the moments when his five year old self shines through, the unabated joy and wonder. Take that with all the other stuff he’s learned along the way and you have the one and only Lucas.
Tagged: Charlotte, Collective, dance, Dancemakers, Lucas, Penny, Season XI
From Daytona Beach to Kansas City to Nashville to Seattle, with bag packed he navigates the airport, boards the plane, looks out the window at the city he’s leaving, anticipating the city to which he is traveling. He works a grueling weekend, squeezes in meals when he can, survives on minimal sleep, bandaids sore feet, spends as much time as he can with the other Collective members, builds relationships with the faculty and gives high fives, words of encouragement, and genuine smiles to every dancer he encounters. Every interaction fuels him, every dance step validates and reaffirms, every moment is a moment he wants to live in for as long as possible.
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.