On Feb. 6-8, the dance program hosted a residency weekend for the Inception Dance Crew and Rhythm Tap Crew, where students had the opportunity to learn new pieces from professional guest choreographers from New York City in the dance studios of the John and Sabina Petillo Center of Performing Arts.
To be a member of either the Inception Dance Crew or Rhythm Tap Crew, dancers must go through a vigorous audition process.
“They’re essentially their own kind of company,” said Director of Dance Ashley Newman. “If you’re a part of it, you commit to the rehearsals and the classes, and to be at the tech rehearsals and performances.”
The Inception Dance Crew hosted choreographer Iman Brooks and was assisted by Dominique Russo. Newman was familiar with their strong training in hip-hop and pop-street style dance, which is what the crew primarily focuses on.
Inception Dance Crew President senior Morgan Holmes said she is grateful to have learned from Brooks and is excited to perform the piece they learned in the program’s upcoming spring performances.
“Learning a four-minute piece in not even two full days is a lot, but definitely worth it,” said Holmes. “It’s also a good learning experience for us if any of us want to dance professionally.”
The Rhythm Tap Crew hosted Nicole Messina to choreograph a tap dance on the crew. Messina was requested by the dancers as they are familiar with her work from her large social media presence.
Source: Instagram, @sacredheartuniversitydance
Junior Genevieve Seanor, a member of the tap crew, felt that she gained a lot from the residency.
“I learned a lot about that experience and how to compartmentalize choreography,” said Seanor. “By the end of the day, it all came together.”
For students who are interested in dancing professionally post-graduation, it is important for them to build connections with professional choreographers to network.
“It’s really nice to have someone new set completely different choreography on us to get their outlook and their advice as professional dancers in the world of auditioning,” said Holmes.
Newman feels that these residency weekends are significant for students in the dance program as they foster connections.
“The dance world is all connected,” said Newman. “Students feel like they are part of something by being in this dance program, and I’m hoping to continue to cultivate that sense of community and grow it even more.”
One of the strongest assets of the robust program is the opportunity for dancers to build the skill of choreographing their own pieces. Students who may be interested in pursuing a professional career in dance, choreography or teaching benefit from learning from guest professionals throughout the residencies.
“Nicole is an amazing choreographer,” said Seanor. “Learning her style and how she teaches and observing other people’s teaching styles is always something that I am interested in.”
The Inception Dance Crew and Rhythm Tap Crew will perform the pieces they learned at “SHU SLAM” on March 20 and “Tap Showcase” on April 23 in the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts.
“As a dance program, we’re looking at ways that we can create more opportunities for performance so that these residencies don’t just go away after one performance,” said Newman.
