EKU Dance Theatre is a hidden treasure on Eastern's Richmond campus. It's a modern dance company ran by Dr. Marianne McAdam and has been up and running for many, many years. A lot of people know about EKU's dance team, but little do they know that there's many other opportunities to dance on Eastern's campus, and Dance Theatre is one of them. A concert is put on every spring that showcases it's dancers and choreographers. Seems pretty normal, right? Well here's 20 amazing things about EKU Dance Theatre:
1. It's a modern dance company.
2. With it being a modern dance company we use and take classes in modern dance--all of us.
3. Modern dance is special because it allows us to use our own organic, unique movement to express our emotions and tell a genuine story.
4. No previous dance experience is needed to audition for the company.
5. Dance Theatre focuses more on how well you are able to tell a story using your body and expressions rather than just your technique.
6. Dance Theatre has a wide variety of diffent dance styles to choose from when you're auditioning. Not good at hip-hop? Me either. But no worries! There's something for you.
7. The different dance styles featured are usually: contemporary, modern, ballroom, acrobatic, hip-hop, tap, middle eastern, and theatrical dance.
8. Dance Theatre provides countless amounts of opportunities to grow as a dancer. You can come in and have little to no dance experience, and be choreographing your own piece by the time you graduate!
9. Dance Theatre not only has staff choreographers, but student choreographers, too!
10. Each semester students are allowed to choreograph and audition their own piece to be put in the show.
11. While Dance Theatre only has one show a year in the spring, the other fall semester is spent traveling to different schools spreading the love of dance to kids.
12. Through Dance Theatre the company dancers have opportunities to dance with, meet and watch the shows of famous dance companies! During my time with Dance Theatre I have had the honor of doing these things with dance companies, Pilobolus, Alvin Ailey, and Shaping Sound.
13. Dance Theatre is a place to grow and not compete. For dancers who are looking to escape the competitive world of dance, Dance Theatre provides a comfortable place to dance and grow as a person.
14. Dance Theatre also allows it's company dancers to have leadership positions, not only by choreographing, but by having a position such as president, vice president, treasurer, historian, costume manager, etc.
15. Dance Theatre can be time-consuming and require a lot of hard work, but through this time you are able to bond with your fellow dancers. I have found some of my best friends through the company.
16. Dance Theatre gives you a family. I have grown so close to all my fellow dancers in the company. I never feel alone while being on or off campus. In or out of the studio.
17. If you are accepted as a student choreographer for a show, you not only get to choreograph, but choose who your dancers are, their costumes, and you get to design the lights for your piece in the show.
18. Dance Theatre is a laid-back and open dance company. If you want to roll in with neon pink pajama pants with cats all over them to rehearsal, then by all means do it, nobody will judge you.
19. Dance Theatre will give you some of your best memories on campus. I can say it has given me mine.
