About NYLA DANCE

Entering it’s 8th Year, New York Los Angeles Dance Conventions & Competitions brings you a new 2010/2011 Tour Season of excellence in dance, arts education, and competition. We now have more cities and dates across the USA throughout the year, plus we end the season with our special summer programs, designed to help the exceptional dancer achieve their dreams though arts education and development, and provide them the chance to come to New York City, where they will work with professionals in the field of Concert Dance and Dance Entertainment so they can excel in their quest to be the best.

At NYLA DANCE, we strive to provide a truely positive experience that helps the dancer grow a deep sense of community, scholarship, education, and competition by measuring success through expression, inspiration, dedication, and career development. We maintain strong relationships with our NYLA Dancers and provide them with helpful info on training, college, or pursuing careers in dance at both the convention & competion levels. Our commitment to the dance industry, customer satisfaction, and to the needs of our students and families is solid and reinforced.

Our faculty and staff are some of the most creative, energetic, and diversified choreographers and teachers who have a direct relationship with Skip Costa, National Director and Owner of NYLA DANCE. With Skip serving as on site director at every event, the judging system, and educational resposibilities of all staff and faculty is unwavering and unmatched in the industry. This brings the highest quality possible so the Dancer and Choreographers at our events receive nothing but the best that NYLA DANCE has to offer.

NYLA DANCE, where everyone leaves with awards and rewards whether it’s a medal, ribbon, scholarship, plaque, dream, or a new friend because after all, our children are our country’s future leaders and everyone makes a difference.

SKIP COSTA is the National Director & Owner of NEW YORK LOS ANGELES DANCE CONVENTIONS & COMPETITIONS (NYLA DANCE) as well as the Founder and Artistic Director of SKIP COSTA.COREmovement PROJECT.NYC, NYLA DANCE National Youth Performance Project, the Southeast Dance Festival, and the off-Broadway theater experience ROCK STARS NYC combining live rock music and dance. He has been a featured dancer with Mark Dendy Dance (Choreographer of Broadway's TABOO), David Rousseve/REALITY, The Kennedy Center's Washington Opera, The New Orleans Ballet Association, Maida Withers DCC and Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. He has choreographed Off & Off-Off Broadway dance projects at Times Square Theater, The Tribeca Playhouse, The Richard Ellner Theater, and the American Theater of Actors as well as for the American Dance Guild, The Elan Awards(honoring Jerry Mitchell and Anne Reinking), DRA, Urban Artworks 7, DancenowNYC, Jennifer Muller/The Works HATCH Series, DUMBO Arts Festival, RedEye Theater(MN), New Dance Group, Coming Together 2001, University Settlement, 92nd Street Y, The Best of BDC 2001, and various NYC studio showcases.

He has taught & lectured for numerous high schools, colleges, & universities within the US and has taught/performed with his dance company within the US, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe. In Manhattan, he was on permanent faculty at Broadway Dance Center, Steps, Peridance Center, Ballet Arts, NDG, and Dance Space(now Dance New Amsterdam). He has also served as Acting Director of the Uptown Performance Series at The Bridge For Dance which was highlighted by The New York Times.

During the summer, he teaches in NYC as well as directs the NYLA DANCE National Youth Performance Project in NYC and the Southeast Dance Festival in Louisiana which offers both a young professional program for 9-17 year olds and a professional program.

Skip has also directed/choreographed/produced an independent dance video Dancing Alone and will make an instructional contemporary dance class video in 2008. He has an MFA in Dance & Choreography from George Washington University.

GARRETT MINNITI has danced his way across the country and internationally with tap dance sensation Caution Men at Work: Tap. Broadway's SWING and 42nd Street. He feels very blessed to have worked with talents like Jason Samuels Smith, Kim Craven, Tina D'Amato, and Francis Ford Coppola to name a few. Garrett is a recognized teacher and choreographer at the EDGE Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, California and STEPS on Broadway in NYC. He is very committed to quality arts education and is very excited to bring his unique teaching styles and abilities to the faculty of NYLA DANCE.

LAUREN LINVILLE is a professional dancer, aerialist, singer, actress, and choreographer trained in both East and West Coast styles of dance. Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, she has trained at the Bruce Lea Dance Factory and recently graduated from Oklahoma City University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Managment. Lauren has peformed on both coasts in the New York Music Theatre Festival in a new dance comedy musical called School Daze and with the Dance with the Force Summer company in the EDGE Performing Arts Center Showcase. She has also worked with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in productions of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Godspell, and Fiddler on the Roof, and as a contestant on CBS's Hit show Star Search Hosted by Arsenio Hall. Lauren is so excited to share her knowledge and passion for dancing and teaching with all of the students and teachers of NYLA. Lauren is currently expanding her performance experience in an international tour of 42nd Street in Japan.