New faculty, new classes, and new athletic offerings will enlarge Choate’s dance program this year.
In the past few years, Choate’s dance program has grown immensely. With each new year, the department has welcomed more and more changes. This year is no different; the advancements are expected to shift the program into a new direction of more strength and relevance.
One of the biggest changes to come is in the dance faculty. There will be some new faces who are forecasted to bring a fresh breath to the program. Brandon Couloute, a new faculty member, who has worked with a variety of ages and abilities, will instruct hip hop classes for all levels of dance, as well as advise the Hip Hop and STEP clubs. Shelley Collock, Tara Lee Burns, and Kalya Yannatos, will be returning to the program to respectively teach jazz, modern dance, and ballet. In the winter term, they will be joined by an artist in residence who will be working with this year’s seven Dance Concentration students to create various pieces of engaging and original choreography.
The increase in interest of the signature dance program over the last few years alone is an indication of the progress that the program has made thus far. This past year, there were four dancers who participated, and the previous year was the launch of the program, with one lone student. In addition to new classes with dance faculty, Dance Concentration students are also working with Alysoun Kegel who is teaching a music fundamentals class designed specifically for the dancers. The more invested dancers will continue to push and expand the confines of the program, making it not only competitive within Choate, but also with other schools with similar offerings.
Dancers who are not in or interested in the intensive program also have new opportunities in terms of how and what they can participate in. The sport option of dance, Contemporary Dance, which meets three times a week, will now have several different choices for what form of dance students choose to earn their athletic credit with. Dance Intensive is an athletic credit, is focused on more experienced dancers and meets four to five times a week. Dance Intensive will count as an academic credit for dancers who opt to participate for two consecutive terms.
Clubs this year are also projected to grow in terms of outreach and accessibility. Dance clubs on campus, including Dance Company, Hip Hop, and STEP, are going to work with one another to create a bigger presence of Choate’s dance program. Together, they will work to stage the Choate Annual Spring Dance Concert. The clubs will also be able to showcase their works at brief performances at local schools.
This year is an exciting one for Choate’s dance community. There are opportunities for returning and experienced dancers, as well as those who want to dabble. Now is the time to join the program!
