You know him, you love him, we love him…it’s our amazing Guest Artist, Elijah Richardson! He’s in DANCE MAGAZINE, one of our country’s top publications for all things dance! AND he’s featured as one of 2023’s 25 to watch.

Each year, Dance Magazine comes out with a list of 25 dancers to watch and for as long as I can remember, I’ve been looking at this list to see which companies I should look out for, which artists are excelling, the new talent on the rise, etc. As I’ve gotten older, I have started to look out for people I know or who I have danced with at intensives around Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and so on. This list is full of prestigious names that really go on to great things and now I feel like Buddy the Elf in the Christmas movie “Elf” because guess what…”I KNOW HIM!!!!!!!”

Elijah is an insanely hard worker and a beautiful natural mover. The way he can effortlessly glide across the floor, turn 10 straight times in a row without stopping, and simply move from his heart’s own rhythm is a joy to watch. It feels so special that I get to watch him and learn from him each day in rehearsal. That’s exactly what we do as a company – learn from one another and inspire each other. I always joke that if we took the “best” part of each of us on SCDT, we’d have the perfect dancer. Some of us have a beautiful memory, some are insanely flexible, some have impeccable timing, and some (especially Elijah) have artistry that is unmatched. Dance Magazine speaks of his infectious smile and I think that so perfectly describes Elijah’s spirit – he’s a joy to be around and I’m proud that I get to learn from him.

Dance Magazine, too, mentions Elijah’s stand-out work in our 5th Anniversary show. Elijah was featured in Wade Schaaf’s trio as well as a duet in Ron De Jesus’ piece. His strength alongside his comfort in partnering was truly worth a mention. He has such a quiet brilliance and we are thankful that Dance Magazine recognized our star!

Elijah, CONGRATULATIONS! This honor is huge and we are so happy for you!