How old were you when you heard your career calling?

The Chapman Studios, along with my mother, put me in a pair of tap shoes around the age of six or seven, and soon thereafter I felt the rush of dancing on a stage. Tap, jazz and a little bit of ballet were the most invigorating forms of expression for me growing up. The real rush came about through observation of all that went into “staging” our dance recitals.

First of course, we had to take lessons in order to learn the steps. Then we were recruited to sell tickets with the prize of being called out onto the stage to receive our trophy, nice incentive. Next, came more intense lessons leading to “full-on” rehearsals where you danced as if you were on stage and not in the studio, late rehearsals were the norm. Unbeknownst to many of us, stage “sets” and/or “props” were being created based on the type of dance that would be performed. The final stages of preparation included dress rehearsals and the posting of your performance “call time” for the night of the “show.”

Now, what really reverberated with me was all the staging instructions that were delivered during our dance recitals: You’re on in two minutes! Positions please! Quiet on stage! Standby on curtain and lights! Show time! Cue curtain! Cue Lights! Cue music! As an event producer, it’s all about the steps leading up to the “show” with the staging instructions serving as the rhythm for every dance.