by Delanie Sundmaker
Photo by Derrick the tour guide
In the course of completing a Certificate of Artistry program at Willow, you spend every day for four years together with your fellow artists. Doesn’t the work and friendship need a reward such as a class trip?
CA Dance’s 14 seniors thought so, and they booked tickets to the Big Apple for four days at the beginning of spring break.
Dancers got to take two professional drop-in classes at Broadway Dance Center. This studio has every style of dance, ranging from ballet to hip-hop to theater. The teachers come from professional dance backgrounds, and many are on Broadway now. In CA Dance, the girls only get to experience contemporary and ballet, so getting to take a hip-hop class was a major change.
One class the dancers took was contemporary jazz that flexed dancers’ acting skills with an emotional/vibey piece of choreography. The second class was street jazz, which was a totally new experience for most of the dancers.
Overall, the dancers seemed to prefer the street jazz and the instructor’s energetic style to the trendy emotional choreography.
“It has always been my dream to dance at Broadway Dance Center. I can’t believe we got the opportunity to,” said senior Alina Garcia.
Another highlight of the trip was seeing the Broadway musical Hamilton. This 10-year-long Broadway show was what most of the dancers were ecstatic about. “I knew every word, and some of the performers even signed by playbill after!” Camyia Dorris said.
The dancers also saw a performance by the Martha Graham company. Seeing a dance show was definitely needed on a CA Dance trip. The Martha Graham company is the oldest professional school of dance in the United States. The show consisted of pieces that Martha danced in herself (way back around 1950) and more recent pieces choreographed from the inspiration of Graham.
Besides the shows and classes, the dancers took small adventures that were just as immersive. Walking around the West Village, Chelsea Market, and Top of the Rock are a few.
“Going up to Top of the Rock was my favorite experience on the trip. Seeing a 360-view of NYC on our last day made the trip extra special,” Aniya Chaplin said.
