Many of us here at Connecticut College know Cro as a study space, a place to gossip over mozzarella sticks on a Saturday night, and, on some days, a place to pick up packages and letters. That being said, there is much more to Cro than just mozz sticks and the mailroom. The dance department here at Conn calls Cro home and if you have ever wandered up to the third floor you will understand why. On Feb. 26, 27 and 28, the campus community has an opportunity to witness some of the magic that the dancers here at Conn create.
For the dance department, spring semester is jammed packed. From the Dance Club show in February to Eclipse and Senior Thesis performances in April, the dancers here at Conn are dedicated and committed to making these performances a success. The Dance Club show is the first of a series of performances coming up this semester.
So, why should you go to the show? The question isn’t why you should go, but instead, why wouldn’t you go? Grace Bradley, Maddy Dickey, Kelley Fairman, Maia Draper-Reich and Sasha Peterson are all members of Dance Club. Bradley, Dickey, and Fairman are freshmen and Draper-Reich and Peterson are juniors. I asked each of them a simple question: why should someone come to the show? The responses I received from each of them were focused on a single fact: the Dance Club show is one hundred percent student run. As Peterson puts it, “the show is completely student curated” to which Draper-Reich added, “everything is completely student run, produced, choreographed and danced.” It’s not everyday you come across something that has no faculty involvement.
For the freshmen, this is only their second Dance Club show. That being said, Dickey and Fairman are both choreographing pieces for the show. The opportunities that Dance Club offers to students of all ages are what make this show so unique. Dickey describes the show as “a great opportunity to see your peers showing off.” Peterson was in agreement, “The show is a really good chance to see what the department has to offer.” Everything that is the show, from the lighting to the performances, to the people handing out the pamphlets at the door is student run. This is unique to Dance Club. Eclipse, a major performance that takes place later on in the semester, is student run with faculty contributions. With the Dance Club show, all of the responsibility falls on its members.
While many shows have themes, this one does not. But as all of the dancers assured me, that certainly does not mean it is hard to follow. Both Peterson and Draper-Reich stressed that it doesn’t matter how much of the dance world a person understands. The pieces in this show vary and there is something for everyone’s taste. As Draper-Reich puts it, “Someone who knows nothing about dance can take something from it. You can walk away from a piece and think ‘that was really pretty’ or ‘wow, that really made me feel something on a deeper level’.” When asked to describe the pieces, Bradley put it best: “It is a very eclectic mix. It allows students to see the themes that their peers are working with and to understand them.”
The Dance Club show is an opportunity for the dancers here at Conn to unleash their creativity. Fairman explains it like this: “ During the month between auditions and performances, we are really encouraged to express ourselves in any way that we want to. It has been so much fun working with my peers to celebrate our passion in a venue that is one hundred percent student run.” •
I think this article did a really nice job of talking about the really important role Dance Club plays on campus as a vehicle for student work! I’m really excited to go see the show this weekend, and I know how much work Erika and Amy, the presidents, as well as all of the choreographers, dancers, and technicians, put into the show to make it great each semester.
The following is meant as a critique of The College Voice, not Dance Club: there are many other completely student-run shows on campus, and to call Dance Club unique is a discredit to those groups. Fusion (dance) and Wig & Candle (theater) are completely student-run, not to mention our seven acapella groups, and Eclipse’s “faculty contribution” last year was one piece among 25. Dance Club’s crew is organized with the help of faculty, usually has faculty on the adjudication board, and until recently was light designed by a professor.