Spotlight: Dance Team
September 28, 2018
There are many clubs on Whitman’s campus that go unrecognized.
One of those is the Whitman Dance Team. The club has been successfully guided in the past year under the care of senior Leksi Kostur. It currently has five members who come together once a week in order to practice for upcoming productions that emphasize social movements here on Whitman campus.
Many members of the dance team have been dancing since they were very young and collectively come together to bring a variety of different dancing styles to the spotlight. From ballet to hip hop, from jazz to breakdance, from contemporary to ballroom, all these unique dancing styles unite the dance team with sound, music and movement.
Senior Yu Fenne, a member of the dance team, discusses how the team comes together to decide on which dance styles to utilize and how choreography comes together.
“The style of Dance Team’s performances depends on who puts together the piece for the team. Often, pieces are choreographed by the team’s captains, so the style of the choreography will depend on their respective dance backgrounds,” Fenne said. “In the past, styles utilized in performances ranged among categories such as jazz, hip-hop, pop, contemporary, lyrical and even musical theater. Even more possibilities arise with input from other members of the dance team, resulting in a unique and versatile piece.”
The dance team’s focus on incorporating social movements is due to the members’ personal interests in what they think are important messages to be sending out across campus. Therefore, the dance team encourages a safe place for students to come express themselves and discover a creative way to release negative energy through dance.
“There are far more people with a strong interest in dance than you would guess from simply watching students walk around campus. Dance Team is one of the relatively few avenues compared to other more popular or ‘mainstream’ sports or activities for Whitman students to express that interest,” said Fenne. “Moreover, while dancing with a team is a great way to get exercise, it also allows participants to forge a supportive environment and boost their self-confidence.”
For many of the members, dance is simply just a form of exercise that allows them to pursue their personal creative avenues in a healthy manner. It allows for personal growth in the form of the mind, body and soul.
“Dancing is such a lighthearted and freeing activity. It is great for personal enjoyment and growth, as well as for creating a sense to community and connection with others. Performances are also so fun to watch,” Kostur said. “There’s a reason dance can be found all across the world. I think it’s easy to forget how important it is to move, especially to music. Going for a run or to the gym is great, but sometimes there’s nothing better than putting on a fun song and dancing. It is also immensely rewarding to master choreography and feel the power of moving in synchronization with other people. Dance Team is a great place for people of all levels of experience this.”
Kostur emphasizes the importance of the dance team’s role in the Whitman community as she discusses the first upcoming production of the 2018-2019 academic year.
“We are about to start preparing a number for the Freedom Songs Concert, a racial justice themed concert that features a selection of songs by popular artists of color that deal with issues of race, privilege and different forms of oppression. This will take place on November 8th,” said Kostur. “In the spring, we hope to compete in Walla Walla’s Best Dance Crew. We will be looking for other performance opportunities throughout the year.”