The Excel Program is offered to students who have worked diligently to develop their own creativity and technique. Classes are accelerated and offered to qualified students by invitation.
In addition to their core technique classes, students who show special interest or ability in dance beginning in Grade K are invited to attend accelerated classes to further advance training and creativity. Excel Classes provide increased opportunities in performance, workshop, concert, and competition for enthusiastic students to further their commitment to dance.
In the School For Excellence proper class placement ensures the successful advancement of each student. Mid-year, the JLDC Winter Concert celebrates SFE students in a pre- professional fully staged performance. In spring, two select competitions are chosen to showcase students in a juried show. The school season ends with Annual Spring Recitals presented by all students. In early summer, advanced SFE students working at a very high level are invited to learn solo and small group choreography with JLDC teachers and guest artists.
Un.Convention Boston is a comprehensive 4-day workshop with artists from around the country created for SFE dancers to hone their skills in summer. Many School For Excellence dancers major in dance at prestigious fine arts colleges around the country becoming leaders in the dance world and life-long movers and lovers of dance.
Shawn Mahoney began his ballet, tap, and jazz training at the Joanne Langione Dance Center and his early performing career with Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theatre in Boston, MA. As an apprentice, Shawn danced for American Ballet Theatre before joining Boston Ballet. At Boston Ballet, Shawn performed in Petipa, Balanchine, Kylian, Forsythe, Bejart and others. Shawn performed as a chosen member of “Tharp!”, a national and international touring company directed by Twyla Tharp. Ms. Tharp invited Shawn to be part of the creative and choreographic process for her Broadway hit “Movin’ Out” and performed in Tharp’s “Red, White, and Blues”. Shawn performed with the Suzanne Farrell/Balanchine Project, Sean Curran Company, Washington Ballet, and Bale Estado de Goias. As an educator, Shawn has taught internationally for Festa de Danca in Sao Paulo and Bermuda Civic Ballet. Currently, Shawn is on faculty at Emerson College, instructing dance classes to actors and musical theatre students and is a teacher and lecturer at Days in the Arts. Shawn founded Mahoney Agency, representing dancers for national engagements for the Nutcracker Ballet. Shawn is a sought out mentor for emerging artists and choreographers in ballet and contemporary dance.