Student FeAtures
Bridget Keenan
Resident Director for Reno Christmas Wonderland and Performer for Atlantic City/Tokyo
-How long have you been dancing?
“I have been dancing for about 18 years”
-How long have you been working with Rhonda?
“I have worked with Rhonda for 4 years”
-What do you feel helped you in the process before your audition?
“I found Fusion Heels to be extremely helpful leading up to my audition! The Fusion Heels classes prepared my body physically for the audition, as well as rehearsals and performances after booking the job. I love that I can continue to take Fusion Heels virtually when I’m on contract to continue training technically, work on stamina, and keep my body healthy and ready to perform every day”
-What has been your favorite moment or part of your most recent professional dance contract?
“My favorite moment of my most recent contract, Le Grand Cirque: Zero Gravity, was after a performance when I met a young audience member as I was leaving the theater. She was a young dancer who was so inspired by the performance and even though she was shy at first, was very eager to meet me. It was an amazing feeling to see her huge smile when I went up to meet her and hear how she dreamed of one day performing herself”
-What advice would you have for those who want to pursue and prepare for professional dancing as you are?
“I would recommend training in several styles of dance so that you can be a versatile performer and ready for anything the audition or job might ask of you. I also think it’s important to pursue every opportunity, while making connections with other artists because you never know what they will lead to next”
Emmalynn Mackaron
Emmalynn has booked 4 major contracts this year!!
How long have you been dancing?
I have been dancing for 17 years.
How long have you been working with Rhonda?
I have been training with Rhonda for 5 years.
What do you feel helped you in the process before your audition (examples: workshops, fusion heels, classes, pro dance team series, etc)?
Fusion Heels has been a game-changer in my career. It helped me get stronger in ways that I couldn’t work on in class - both physically and mentally. The way conditioning and technique is presented in Fusion Heels has given me stability and confidence in multiple styles of dance- from the NBA dancing to precision dance. Fusion Heels along with Rhonda’s workshop and Private Coaching were the perfect combination to walking into auditions with confidence.
What advice would you have for those who want to pursue and prepare for professional dancing as you are?
Keep an open mind (don’t box yourself in), and audition for everything you can, since each experience makes you better (if you stay positive). Find a proven coach and support system you trust, put in the work, and look to them for honest advice. If you love what you do, take care of yourself, and help others every chance you get, you’ll be on the right track.
TYRA POSTY
ROYAL CARIBBEAN DANCER
-How long have you been dancing
I’ve been dancing for 18 years
-How long have you been working with Rhonda?
I’ve been working with Rhonda for the past 3 almost 4 years now.
-What do you feel helped you in the process before your audition?
Fusion Heels has helped my strength and stamina in all areas of my dancing. It has also increased my confidence in dancing in heels. In my current contract, we have an entire show in heels and I would not have been able to execute it without the training I’ve gained from Fusion Heels. Private Dance Coaching with Rhonda has helped my body placement as well as picking up small details. Rhonda’s workshops have also helped me in preparation for auditions to be able to pick up choreography, details, and feedback quickly.
-What advice would you have for those who want to pursue and prepare to dance for a cruise line such as Royal Caribbean?
The advice I have for people wanting to pursue and prepare to dance with a cruise line such as Royal Caribbean is to push yourself every single day! You really have to prepare your body because you have to have the physical and mental stamina to show up ready to work at your best every day.
ALEX JOHNSON
NBA BOSTONS CELTICS DANCE TEAM MEMBER (22-23)
How long have you been dancing?
I have been dancing for over 24 years.
How long have you been working with Rhonda?
I started taking classes with Rhonda in February of 2022. I started with her Pro Dance Team Series Workshop and then added Fusion Heels classes as well.*
What do you feel helped you in the process before your audition?
The Pro Dance Team Series helped me in really get a feel for the different styles of the different teams and also mentally prepared me for the rigorous audition process. The Pro Dance Team Series also put me out of my comfort zone and showed me all the places I was struggling and needed to work on. Fusion Heels also helped but in more of conditioning my body and also helping me pick up choreography quicker and in a timely manner.
What advice would you have for those who wish to pursue an NBA dance team?
Advice that has helped me prepare for NBA auditions is no is often a not yet, and to keep going back if there’s a team you know you’re right for. Also really paying attention to small details and having a very strong, positive emotional support system. Also taking all of Rhonda’s classes!!!
Katelyn Gilbert
I grew up in a small town in rural Tennessee. I fell in love with dance at my home studio, where I began taking class at age 3. For the next 13 years, I trained in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, acro, and modern styles as well as competitive dance. At 14 I began traveling an hour away to Knoxville, Tennessee to train at larger studios primarily in ballet. At age 16 I began training full time in Knoxville at a larger studio, Knox Dance Worx.
Because my town and home studio were so small, I sought training all over the eastern US during my school breaks. After Christmas of 2018, I began training in Precision style Jazz and Tap under Rhonda Malkin by attending her Young Dancer Workshop. Rhonda and her associate, Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, worked with me remotely throughout my highschool years. In 2019, I trained at UNCSA under Elizabeth Parkinson and Mary Ann Lamb and I studied at Joffrey Ballet in the Jazz and Contemporary Summer program. I also attended the last Rockette Summer Intensive in July 2019. Throughout all of this time, I would travel to NYC when possible to attend workshops with Rhonda with several times a years.
In January 2023, at 19 years old, I moved to NYC to train and pursue dance full time. I continue to train with Rhonda and Ashley and take classes around the city. Beyond dance, I am also a model and online college student. I have booked several dance jobs since moving to the city, the most notable being the Sunkicks Christmas Show in Florida in 2024, where Rhonda was the original Choreographer.