On Monday and Thursday evenings from six to seven, the dance studio rings with music and shuffling feet as the Drip Drop Dance troupe gathers students with all levels of experience to learn choreography and get onto the dance floor to move their bodies. Run by Caspian Pimpan, Clarisse Yee and Katherine Harris, the club has become a safe space for the three co-captains and the students they open the dance studio’s doors for.
“[The club] is super low-stakes and about creating joy in movement together, not who’s the best dancer. I would say to someone interested in joining to come once and see what you think. You won’t know until you try it out,” Harris said.
For Harris and her co-captains, coordinating the club and meeting each week allows for themselves and other students to express themselves without judgement.
“I would love for students to see Drip Drop as a safe, fun space to move their bodies and to build community,” Harris said.
The club meets twice a week — on Mondays and Thursdays – each with different focuses on movement that allow students to express themselves and have fun.
“Mondays, Caspian will put on music, and everyone just dances on their own, in their own time, all sharing space. It’s a great way to just get in your body and out of your head, feel the music, try new moves out, etc. Thursdays, one of the leaders will teach set choreo to the group. We break it down step-by-step, ask questions, run it a bunch with music and just groove,” Harris said.
Senior Clarisse Yee, who co-captains the club alongside Harris and Pimpan, said that Drip Drop allowed her to embrace dance as a form of enjoyable movement as well as practice her dance techniques.
“Outside of dance classes, there aren’t really any dance clubs that are street-style, hip-hop-centric. I wanted to improve my dance technique and have a space where I can groove and enjoy myself with other cool people, so that’s why I joined,” Yee said.
Yee also sees the club as an inclusive space on campus for any student to get involved in. Both free movement meetings on Mondays and choreo-focused meetings on Thursdays are open to anyone with any skill level or familiarity with dance and allow for a range of experience.
“We would like students to see Drip Drop as a group of people passionate about exploring different styles of dance and choreography. A lot of the members encompass a load of different skill levels, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned dancer or someone just stepping into the realm of dance for the first time,” Yee said.
Caspian Pimpan, a co-captain of the troupe alongside Harris and Yee, said that the troupe has been an extension of his own experience in dance clubs and that he would love to make the club the most accessible and comfortable place for students to dance on campus.
“I always say two things when it comes to dance in general and with this club specifically: I’m already a baseline level of proud of anyone who is willing to be brave and put themselves out there to learn dance, because I know how intimidating that can be in a vacuum (let alone in front of other people), and especially proud of the people who show up and just try something new,” Pimpan said.
According to both Yee and Harris, Drip Drop combines the best parts of dance — movement and amusement — to create a community of people from a variety of dance backgrounds. They seek to include the dance department and a range of dance styles practiced at Whitman.
Lucien Rochelois, who attended some meetings as a student interested in dance, was drawn by the lax environment and shared Yee’s sentiments.
“It’s super-duper fun. They take all skill levels and teach choreography or host open dances. I think it differs from the other dance options in that it’s run by students, is centered around hip-hop (but not exclusively) and is very low expectation,” Rochelois said.
For Rochelois and for other students who join in on the fun, the club and its low stakes environment was something to look forward to.
“It’s honestly what you make of it, so come as much or as little as you want. We’re pretty connected with the dance department and popping/breaking community here at Whitman, so be on the lookout for some cool events in the future,” Yee said.
Regardless of skill level, the Drip Drop Dance Troupe welcomes its doors to newcomers and provides a safe space for students twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays from 6-7 p.m.
