Evelyn

If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution.

~ Emma Goldman

Evelyn’s Links:

Adult Jazz Class
Evelyn’s Photo Album
Tierre Verde Salon
Email

Evelyn Tosi is a professional dancer and instructor classically trained in jazz, ballet, modern and belly dance.

Her professional career spanning 20 + years has included a variety of performances from live theater to the "silver screen".

Coming from a family of educators she eventually realized she loved to teach as well and has taught in almost every city in which she has lived and/or performed. She has enjoyed teaching a wide range of ages, levels and styles.

Scroll down for a full dance biography.

I began dancing at the encouragement of my mother. I remember her taking me to see her friend Peggy’s dance studio recital at our local State Fair when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I loved it. The most exciting thing at the time was how high the girls could kick. My very first lesson was in Peggy’s kitchen to see which class I would go into. I was placed in a “combo” class of tap and ballet. The dance studio became a home away from home as all of my teachers were like family to me beginning with Peggy (Nana Peg) who is 91 years old now, continuing on to her daughter Joyce who became a second mom to me after my own mother passed away when I was 13. I danced my way through high school with Joyce’s two daughters, other students and other teachers of course and decided at 16 that dancing would be my career. I also started teaching dance at this time. To this day I feel lucky that I developed such a strong passion at an early age and that I knew what I was going to do with my life. I went to Cal State Long Beach as a dance major focusing on modern dance. Finishing 4 years of technical dance classes in two years and being on the Dance Department’s Dean’s list I decided to move on and change schools. I switched to Cal State Los Angeles so I could be closer to and accept a scholarship from Dupree Dance Academy in Hollywood Ca. where the emphasis was on jazz. What an experience to be learning from such a prestigious group of dancers in a city and time that was “Solid Gold”. After two terms of scholarship and my third year in college I started my performing career with a dance job in Sendai, Japan. My dad wasn’t thrilled that I left college early but he lived through it. “How many girls my age have the opportunity to work in Japan doing what they love with people they can trust?” I loved the job and the people and went back to Japan two more times once to perform and again to teach.

Japan was just the beginning of my international travels as a dancer. Other jobs took me to Canada, Mexico and Chili. But nothing compared to my 5 &1/2 yrs on the tropical island of Guam in the South Pacific where I danced my heart out and learned more about performing and enjoying life than I have anywhere else. The show was “American Glitz” a Vegas-style show at the "Sandcastle” the first American style dinner theater on Guam. I was in the opening cast and eventually danced in all of the female roles including dance soloist, earned the Line Captain position, was understudy for the Female Lead (lip-sync)and understudy for the lead adagio dance team with my dance partner Henry. As Line Captain my duties were to work closely with the choreographer, Jerry Jackson, to learn both female and male dance roles of the show, teaching the show to new cast members and conducting rehearsals to fine tune the show. I also taught "company" class to the cast members and a children's jazz class at a local professionally run dance studio.

In between my first job to Japan and my 5 ½ yrs on Guam I had some other exciting opportunities. My two “silver screen” experiences were as a principal dancer in the movies “Grease 2” and “A chorus Line”. I lived in New York City for three years studying and teaching dance and auditioning( like everyone else) to be on Broadway. The only dancing I did on Broadway was in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I taught jazz at the New York City Ballet Summer School program. That was a very satisfying experience teaching young, beautifully trained ballet dancers. There were also a variety of commercials and live theater performances along the way. One of the most fun was “An Evening At La Cage” a female impersonator show in Atlantic City, N.J. in which all the back-up dancers were girls pretending to be boys pretending to be girls.

After Guam I moved to Baltimore Md. for three years where I taught jazz, ballet and tap at the Holmes Saunders School of Dance. I performed with Eva Anderson Dancers, Ltd, an ethnic modern dance company exploring the roots of African Dance and its history in the U.S. I also co founded, choreographed, designed and built costumes for and danced with Theme Girls a dance troupe of four friends having a blast doing what they love to do. That lasted about two years then lives started changing, people moved and we have our memories.

From Baltimore I moved to Paris, France for 1yr 9mos. I didn't dance while there but I learned some French, met some wonderful people and developed a relationship with the city by bicycle.

I have often been asked how I could leave Paris, France for St. Petersburg, Fl. The two main reasons for moving to St. Pete (’00) were massage therapy school and the weather. I was trying to recreate my life on Guam. Tropical, sunny, laid back and fun. I think I did well. I’ve been a working massage therapist for six years. “Dancing” around the massage table helping people feel better. Wow. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my “day job” working with a great group of people at Tierra Verde Salon and Spa for four and a half years.

I met Johanna Krynytzky in massage therapy school. Very quickly we realized we shared a passion for dance. Very different styles of dance but dance none the less. Eventually (how could one resist) I started taking classes from and performing with and for Johanna. In 2003 Johanna and I along with Toni Sapia formed "Rakasa" a dance performance group focusing on belly dance while utilizing the variety of dance backgrounds we each brought to the group. In 2004 Toni decided to leave the group and along came Adrienne Lundeen, adding a more classical style to our choreography. Each group performed locally at private parties and haflas. Once again lives changed and the dancing of Rakasa was added to my memories as one of the more beautiful performances I've done. More recently (2008) I danced as a soloist for Johanna at the “After Party” for Jill Parker’s performance. Et voila, I’m now teaching for her. Gotta love her visions.

I have been teaching a dance/performance class for the talent agency Pure Talent for the past 7 yrs. and have taught at a few dance studios in the area and have done some private lessons as well.

I don’t know for sure what my future holds but I do know there will always be dance in my life. It may be as simple as dancing around my home or on the beach. Along with my dancing there has always been and will always be my art work. Painting, drawing, pottery, sculpting, flower arranging and crafts. I like making things. I find that all of these passions along with being a massage therapist help to make me a better performer and teacher.

I’m excited to be a part of Hip Expressions Dance Studio and look forward to sharing my love of dance with others.

- Evelyn