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ALEXYS COBB   Artful Dancewear Teacher Scholarship



My love for the Horton Technique was instant with my first class. I was a sophomore dance major at Blake High School for the Arts in Tampa, FL. I was still a little overwhelmed from learning so many new techniques at one time. Honestly I was a little less than enthused about adding yet another technique to my dance studies. My feelings were quickly changed as the class progressed. I learned that this technique was quite demanding on the body, but my body embraced the challenge! Within just a few months of studying Horton my body became remarkably stronger, with increased flexibility and length. I furthered my Horton studies at Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, FL. From PCCA I continued my studies as a student in the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University B.F.A. Program. As a student at The Ailey School I studied Horton under Ana Marie Forsythe and Milton Myers. Both of whom studied under Joyce Trisler, who trained directly with Lester Horton. 

My strong foundation in Horton made it easier for me to adapt to other modern techniques. As a result my dance vocabulary became extremely versatile. This versatility gave me a strong dance foundation which led to my becoming a member of Dallas Black Dance Theatre II. In 2008 Dallas Black Dance Theatre founder and artistic director Ann Williams appointed me as the Lead Instructor for Dallas Black Dance Academy. As the Lead Instructor I teach creative movement, ballet, tap, and modern to students ages five through adult. Dallas Black Dance Academy’s curriculum has established Horton as the modern technique of study for its students. Thus far I have taught Horton to students ages seven through adult.


I plan to attend a Horton Pedagogy Workshop and attendance will increase my knowledge of the Horton technique thus increasing the knowledge that I can present to my students. By attending this workshop I will learn the Horton Technique from a teacher’s perspective by covering the entire vocabulary of The Dance Technique of Lester Horton and learning from one of the authors how to teach the vocabulary. With my increased Horton vocabulary I plan to continue to teach Horton master classes nationally, thus keeping the technique alive. I plan to be the next generation of the legacy that started with Lester Horton, which he passed to Joyce Trisler, which she passed to Ana Marie Forsythe and Milton Myers, both of whom have planted the technique of Lester Horton in me.