Adrenaline Rush Dancers: The Face Behind the Team

ArenaRush.com
11/01/2012

Being involved in a professional dance environment can be challenging both physically and mentally. Without much pay, dancers sacrifice financial stability because of a love and passion for performing. For one woman, the opportunity to blend her extensive dance background and work for the Rush has provided an outlet for her to continue living her dream.

As a former Luvabull and Adrenaline Rush Dancer, team coach and choreographer Gloria Esposito certainly doesn’t lack the experience. She began dancing at the age of five, but it wasn’t always her strong suit.

“During my first dance recital I ran off the stage and my mom told me she would never let me do that again, so I had to convince her to let me do cheerleading and pom in high school and I just fell in love with it.”

Gloria finds it exciting to try new things and says that nobody should be afraid that they aren’t skilled enough to pursue doing what they love. She says there is much more to dancing professionally than just technical skills and that it should never hold someone back.

As for being the coach of Adrenaline Rush Dancers, Gloria says she never would have dreamt it when she was younger. But being the leader of the team now, she finds inspiration for dance in almost everything she does.

“Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time. I can hear a song when I’m driving, or I could be watching a movie, but I am a very visual person and a lot of times at practice I’ll teach something and then watch them do it and get other ideas from there.”

She also mentions watching “So You Think You Can Dance” and other dance teams to help get ideas flowing. What she says she finds most interesting about watching other dances is how one song can be interpreted in many different ways and used for different styles of dance. Aside from music and movies, Gloria says she will often go to her team captain Mekial for some help.

“I used to be the go to person for our old coach Wynne, so I felt when I took over I needed someone who I trusted and that person is Mekial. I know that if I am not there, she’ll make sure everything that needs to get done will get done. I lean on her and I’m very thankful that I have her to help me.”

She welcomes ideas from all of her girls and appreciates their input on song choices and choreography. In order for the music to make the cut, she says that it needs to excite her and it should be able to touch an audience. While she likes to remain open minded, it can be difficult to choreograph a dance that doesn’t have a clear vision so she’ll sometimes have to reluctantly decline.

“We can try anything, but I did have someone ask us to do a Maringa routine and I said ‘no’. Typically the routines the fans like are the ones with head whips, kicks, and jump splits.”

Despite the long hours Gloria puts into brainstorming and choreographing dances, she still manages to find time to dance on her own.

“My neighbors think I’m crazy. I live on the first floor and have a big screen door and I am always dancing. But seriously, I will take some classes here and there, it is always good to go and learn from someone else.”

Whether or not she’s dancing, her mind is always on bettering the team. With the prep classes and auditions approaching, one thing is certain: she remains very busy solidifying the team’s reputation as one of the best in the league.