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Davalos, who began dancing at 13 by watching videos on You Tube and television shows like "Americas Best Dance Crew," has appeared in music videos, commercials, national dance battles and on "America's Got Talent."
"Growing up as a self-taught dancer, I never took classes." Davalos said. 'I really didn't know much about teaching. However, people (parents in particular), who had seen my performances and my work, started asking if I would be interested in teaching their children."
Davalos began her teaching career giving private lessons and gained confidence in her ability to teach larger groups.
"Eventually, I built up enough courage and belief in myself to go to the Hastings Community Center, pitch my idea, and see if they would let me use one of the rooms to hold a class, and they did," Davalos said. "That was in September 2011 and since then I have still been holding classes at the community center."
Davalos said teaching classes or workshops is a challenge because she never knows what level experience her students have to start.
"You need to be able to take routines, break them down, take it slow and have patience when teaching," she said. "I love being able to get people who have little or no experience in dance to express themselves through it. Sharing my craft with others is such a privilege, regardless of the experience levels they may be on."
The classes will be for nine weeks from Feb. 28 throught May 2, culminating with a performance.The classes will be split into a beginners after-school class from 3:15-4:15 p.m. and intermediate from 4:45-5:45 p.m). The intermediate class is taught at faster rate and is recommended for those who have taken a dance class before.
The fee for the course is $100. For information or to register, contact Donny Waterous at dwaterous@hastingsgov.org or 478-2471.
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