Student Feedback and Gratitude

In early 2007, I was involved in a production of the musical Cats in Floral Park, New York. The show ran from January through March, and through these months, I had the great opportunity of working with my choreographer, Michael Caban aka Cabbie, every Tuesday evening and Sunday afternoon. I was able to learn so much from Cabbie as a choreographer and teacher. He helped many of the more experienced dancers including myself to challenge themselves in ways they never had before, with new styles and techniques. Cabbie also encouraged those who had little dance experience to have confidence in themselves and to accept challenges as a way to learn. Cabbie was an excellent choreographer and helped to transform a group of talented teenagers into a cast of young adults that were well-taught and confident enough to put on a successful show. I personally am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Cabbie, as I feel I was able to learn so much from him, especially appreciation for different dancing styles and self-expression through dance. Cabbie was a wonderful choreographer and dance teacher and his involvement in Cats was crucial to the success of the production.
~~Kristen Schuber, Floral Park, NY

In January 2007, I was asked to assist a new choreographer for Our Lady of Victory's production of CATS. My first experience with Cabbie was watching him teach a series of dance steps during one of the later audition sessions. I remember saying to myself that Cabbie was a very creative choreographer and conducted himself in a very professional manner. I was amazed at how he commanded the attention of so many kids, most of whom never had any formal dance training. I worked with Cabbie several days a week for the next 3 months and helped him teach the choreography to the cast and assisted him in choreographing other dance pieces. In working with him for those few months, I knew that my first impressions were correct. I enjoyed working with Cabbie and learned a great deal from him about the process of choreography. I also think he is a very talented dancer!
~~Dana Santomenna, Floral Park, NY