Los Angeles + NYC · Rehearsal-Based Intensive
Where training meetsthe reality of the industry.
This is training built from inside the rooms dancers are trying to enter. You don't need another class. You need proximity to the real thing.
The Callsheet
4 Super Bowls, 6 Coachellas, 59 Music Videos, 20 Commercials, 23 Tours. One Room.
Credits across the IMBRACE team
Why IMBRACE is different
Four ways the room is built different.
Real Industry Prep
Auditions, self-tapes, set etiquette, prop management, and the unspoken rules — rehearsed before they ever cost you the next booking.
Access to High-Quality, Working Professionals
Train beside choreographers and dancers currently working the rooms you're trying to enter.
An Intimate, Curated Environment
Small, intentional cohorts. Direct feedback. Nowhere to hide and no one overlooked.
Career-Forward Training
The business of dance, not just the steps — built to move your career, not fill your calendar.
The IMBRACE room isn't a class you drop into — it's a working set. Small, hand-picked cohorts move through real briefs at industry pace, with working professionals giving the direct, on-the-clock feedback you normally only get once you're already booked. You leave knowing how the room actually runs.
Ian McKenzie
Founder · Choreographer
Years in the industry
Years with Lady Gaga
Super Bowl halftime
Meet Ian McKenzie
From a Boston dance floor to the world’s biggest stages.
Ian McKenzie's journey is a testament to the power of passion and persistence. He discovered his love for dance in his 20s in Boston — no prior experience, just an irresistible draw to music and movement. By 2001, he was part of the iconic Phunk Phenomenon troupe (from ABDC), and within just two years, he rose from a dancer to lead choreographer, even crafting routines for the Boston Celtics dance team. Across more than two decades in the industry, Ian has danced alongside superstars like Beyoncé, H.E.R., Alicia Keys, and Janelle Monáe — and for the past 18 years he's been a dynamic force behind Lady Gaga's mesmerizing performances, including Super Bowl LI and the most recent Mayhem Ball Tour. His artistry lights up music videos, shows like Gilmore Girls, The Hunger Games, and competitions like The Voice and X Factor. Today, Ian's mission is clear: to grow, inspire, and share his knowledge — fueling that drive with his own innovative training program, IMBRACE.
- 2001
Falls in love with dance in Boston and joins the iconic Phunk Phenomenon troupe (ABDC).
- 2003
Rises from dancer to lead choreographer and choreographs for the Boston Celtics dance team.
- 2004
First tour with 112.
- 2008
Visits Los Angeles and books the 'Poker Face' music video with Lady Gaga, kickstarting a longstanding career.
- 2020
Founds IMBRACE in Los Angeles to provide a training ground and networking space for aspiring professional dancers.
- 2025
A driving force behind Lady Gaga, totaling 12 tours over 18 years — the most recent being the 'Mayhem Ball.'
- Today
IMBRACE continues to evolve and inspire the community to pursue their craft with passion and skill.
What is IMBRACE
A rehearsal room engineered to feel like the job — not the recital.
ImBrace is an intensive rehearsal-based dance program offering a space for aspiring and working professional artists to test their skills in an environment designed to simulate the real challenges of being on the job. ImBrace gives you the opportunity and tools to develop the skills needed to navigate the industry within a place of community and support.
The Next Intensive
Stop training for class. Start training for the job.
Real working professionals in the room. IMBRACE is where aspiring and working dancers build a career — not just a combo. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis until spots are full.