“He is the poster child of what we want for Collective, he is so good at it.” – Dejan Tubic
Dejan was the first DanceMakers faculty to notice Lucas. And he continued to notice him, year after year, calling him out, having him on stage and sponsoring his nomination to Collective. Relationships define life and work and this year as a member of Season XI of Collective Lucas had the opportunity to experience his extracurricular activity of dance in the real working world. He learned how to run backstage, the logistics of staging, coordinating dancers and supporting awards, assisting faculty ranging in styles and familiarity, learning their preferences on running the music and teaching, and being on all the time whether he was backstage, on stage, or in the elevator. He knew dancers of all ages were watching him because he had done the same. Collective from seasons past had hyped him, inspired him and been a role model. From the nervous youngest to the talented oldest, he offered support, laughed with them and celebrated for them. Every weekend he was deepening his relationships with the faculty and staff and building new ones with every dancer and studio owner he interacted with. And every weekend, in cities around the country, hearing the cheers from the crowd when he was introduced, his impact was felt.
Tagged: CDC, Creative Dance Center, dance, Dancemakers, Lucas, Nationals, Oliver, Penny
And that’s a wrap, eleven cities on the tour of his life. As a Season XI Collective member he traveled the country, trained with some of the best in the industry, met hundreds of dancers and inspired many, learned how to work behind the scenes and on the stage, made mistakes and navigated the corrections, dealt with disappointment, experienced what good workplace culture can be, and in the words of Erica Sobol “Created space for others to shine.”
Tap and ballet are probably his least strongest dance styles. Each weekend Lucas has to be prepared to assist any class, from Camp Dance to Seniors, in any style, from tap to hip hop, challenging the kids to take the stage and assist in a style they might not be the strongest. There are favorites he always hopes for but at the end of every weekend the valuable lesson is always learned; every class is an opportunity to learn, grow and inspire. You get what you give.
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. 
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. 
DanceMakers Collective Season XI kicked off with a weekend in Charleston, SC full of joy, friendship, community and anticipation for a one-of-a-kind year ahead! 
They did it! But wait, this journey for Lucas actually started seven years ago. DanceMakers was the first dance convention he attended when he joined Creative Dance Center’s competition team in 5th grade. It immediately made an impression on him. We’ve attended many dance conventions and the format is largely the same; high caliber faculty, classes in many styles of dance, competition against some of the best dance studios in the nation. What has stood DanceMakers apart from the rest is their vision; to make every person who walks through their doors feel welcomed, loved and supported. Those first few years Lucas stood out for his hip hop while he learned ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, ballroom and musical theater. Then class by class, year by year, his confidence grew. His trust in the dance community grew. His belief in himself as more than a hip hop dancer grew. The community, the faculty and the Collective of DanceMakers played a big part in the safety of this growth. For the past seven years we’ve attended a DanceMakers regional event and for the past three years we’ve attended their Nationals. The mutual trust and respect between our studio and DanceMakers has grown tremendously in the past few years with our coaches and dancers all feeling a bit more at home, every year.
DanceMakers always kicks off our competition season, the first convention for the team. This year it was also Oliver’s first convention. Each of my children came into this weekend with different levels of nerves and expectations, Oliver simply wanting to survive it, Penny wanting growth and Lucas hoping he and the team could achieve beyond last year. 
Our Everyday 