Interview: Michael and Kevin Scheitzbach: Dance's Powerhouse Brothers

Michael Trey is an award-winning professional dancer, choreographer, and educator originally from Toronto, Canada, now residing in Los Angeles, California. He specializes in hip hop, street styles of dance such as popping, locking and house and jazz funk; he also holds national and international titles from numerous IDO Hip Hop and Street Dance competitions. 

Michael has performed on stages around the world alongside numerous artists such as: Mariah Carey, Diana Ross, Ariana Grande, A$AP Rocky, Anderson Paak, Sebastian Yatra, Jackson Wang, Meghan Trainor, Jennie, Jennifer Hudson, Imagine Dragons, Jay Sean and Megan Thee Stallion. He has performed at venues such as Coachella, Rock in Rio, and Lovers and Friends, and has been seen on television at the MTVs, VMAs, and The 94th Academy Awards. His screen credits include Disney's Zombies 1 and 2, Trolls 3, The Next Step, Make It Pop, and Sneakerella. He has also worked with brands such as L'Oreal, Redken, Kalshi, American Express, 5 Gum and New Era. 

Drawing from years of professional experience on stages around the world, Michael is committed to helping the next generation of artists discover their own voice while continuing the share his knowledge across North America and internationally. 

Kevin Scheitzbach is a professional dancer, choreographer, and instructor from Toronto, Canada and currently resides in Long Angeles, California. He specializes in Jazz Funk and Hip Hop but is trained in various street and technical styles like whacking, locking, contemporary, jazz and ballet. Kevin has danced in stadiums and arenas around the world. His credits include Taylor Swift The Eras Tour, Ice Spice, Florence + The Machine, The 98th Academy Awards with Kpop Demon Hunters, Kids Choice Awards with Machine Gun Kelly and Tyla, Paula Abdul, Coachella with 88Rising Tauren Wells, Reve, Priyanka, Austin Mahone and Avril Lavigne. He can be seen in various movies and TV Shows including The End of An Era Docuseries, The Eras Tour Film and The Eras Tour The Final Show Film, A Very Jonas Christmas, Disney's Spin, Sneakerella, Disney's Zombies 2, The Next Step. He has performed live at Coachella, The Oscars, Disney D23 and the MMVAs. 

In 2019, Kevin competed at the World IDO Hip Hop Championship in Germany and got the bronze medal in small groups and placed 9th overall in Hip Hop Dos with his brother, Michael Trey. Kevin currently teaches regularly at Movement Lifestyle and Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles, as well as pop-up classes at TMilly studios. 

How did your love of dance initially begin, and at what point did your passion for dance turn into pursuing a professional career?

Michael: My love of dance grew shortly after I started dancing at eight years old. My mom signed me up for a parent and child hip-hop class with my dad. After the eight-week class session, I was hooked! In 2013, my love for dance grew from passion into pursuing a professional career after performing at the Air Canada Center (currently known as Scotiabank Arena) in front of 20,000 people for the show WE Day. I danced with Austin Mahone, and we learned the actual music video choreography. I remember how electric being onstage for the first time was, and I knew it was a feeling I wanted to continue to live and breathe. 

Kevin: My passion for dance initially began by watching my brother dance at his recreational dance recitals. I’d get up and start dancing in the corner during the showcases, and the instructor told my parents to sign me up for class, even though I was under the age for lessons. My passion for dance began transforming into pursuing dance as a career after I booked my first couple of jobs at 12 years old. I think the pivotal moment I realized I could be a dancer as a real career came after doing the Monsters of Hip Hop show in 2016.

Was your experience moving to Los Angeles to pursue a professional dance career challenging, or necessary to be in the business?

Michael: Relocating to a new city in any profession comes with its own challenges, and dance was no different. Prior to moving here, Kevin and I had made frequent trips to Los Angeles for training, conventions and networking opportunities for about a decade. All this groundwork helped us in the long run because when we moved here, the conversations went from "how long are you visiting for?" to "are you free next week? I have this thing and would love to work with you," fairly quickly. To follow the direction I wanted my career to take (working with artists, tours, festivals, etc.), I knew that making the move out to LA was necessary for me to achieve all those dreams. 

Kevin: Moving to LA was quite challenging. It took a long time to make it happen and was difficult to uproot our lives and transition to another country. Luckily, moving with my brother made it easier as we still had each other to rely on. I believe moving to LA was necessary to pursue my dream of touring with artists and performing in live shows, whereas Toronto has far fewer opportunities to do so.

Can you share some of your career highlights and proudest moments thus far?

Michael: Since moving LA, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work with some amazing artists like Mariah Carey, Diana Ross, Ariana Grande, Shaboozey, Anderson Paak, Meghan Trainor, and Imagine Dragons. One of my favorite memories and a definite career highlight was performing in 2024 at Rock in Rio in Brazil with Mariah Carey. I remember looking out into a sea of almost 100,000 people and just being so in awe. I’ll never forget the lights up in the air, everyone singing along to all her music, and the joy of being able to do what I love. That moment will forever remain as one of my most special highlights thus far. 

Kevin: Some of my career highlights and proudest moments include performing on the Eras Tour, the Oscars in 2026 with KPop Demon Hunters, 88Risings at Coachella in 2022, receiving a teaching slot at Millennium Dance Complex, and having artists such as Shawn Desman and MARQUISE visit my classes while teaching to their songs. 

How has teaching at studios such as Millennium Dance Complex and TMilly Studios allowed you to further contribute to the dance industry and community?

Michael: Teaching at Millennium Dance Complex has always been a dream of mine since I saw a class video online when YouTube first came out! I saw that all the famous dancers and choreographers from movies and music videos danced there and knew that was where I wanted to be. Fast forward to the present day, I still have to pinch myself knowing I get to teach here every week. I take great pride in myself as a dance educator, and being able to see my students’ growth over time, or to see them push past their limits, reminds me that I am forever a student and continue to learn so much. I am grateful to be in a place of leadership and hold responsibility to curate an environment where I can watch others thrive. I’ve always wanted my classes to be a space where it's okay to make mistakes. When people take my class for the first time, it makes me so happy to hear them say things like, "You made it feel okay to go down in flames, because I know I'd be able to do it better the next time." Getting feedback like that makes me so happy because if I’m able to help someone have an "Aha!" moment in my class, then I know I have done my job as an educator.

Kevin: Teaching at studios like Millennium Dance Complex has allowed me to contribute and give back to the dance community by sharing the knowledge I’ve gained from the various jobs I’ve done. I share audition advice, helpful lessons I’ve learned as a working dancer, tips and tricks for learning in rehearsal and onstage quickly, and insights into navigating this unique type of career. I also challenge myself and others with what I create. This helps me become a better teacher by ensuring I can fully explain my movement while also inspiring and helping dancers grow. Constantly creating my own choreography has led to passion projects such as concept videos or performance opportunities, which allow friends and students of mine to take part in the videos, rehearsals, and performances. Most importantly, I share my passion for dance through teaching. I strive to emphasize that dance, no matter why you do it, should be fun. By sharing my passion, I hope to inspire the next generation of dancers to work hard and continue to follow their dreams.

Photography Credit: Nicki Nicole Lopez, Getty Images/Wagner Meier, all other photos courtesy of Michael and Kevin Scheitzbach