New Group to Host Dance Festival

Dance Day, a new Harvard organization centered around creative dance showcases, will kick off its first event on April 18 in Lowell Lecture Hall.

The event will not only feature a dance showcase but will also be capped with an after show dance party in Eliot House.

In addition, several of the College's dance troops as well as individual numbers are scheduled to perform.

The participating groups include Ballet Folklorico de Aztlan, Harvard Gumboots, Crimson Dance Team, H-R Ballet Company, Expressions, H-R Dance Company, H-R Hillel, Mainly Jazz, South Asian Association and the Harvard Ballroom Dance Team.

These groups will be rounded out by individual performances of hiphop, jazz and tap.

Dance Day was the brainchild of Danielle J. Zacks '98. She took the idea to Kristen J. Campolattaro '99 and they worked together to bring the project to fruition.

While Zacks has had previous experience in publicity and Campolattaro has a dance background, both women said that Dance Day was something of a new endeavor for them.

Zacks and Campolattaro manage all the technical behind-the-scenes jobs of putting together a show, allowing the dancers to focus solely on their performances, according to Campolattaro.

The dance teams can "do what [they] love to do, and we will do the rest," Campolattaro said.

Over the past several months, the women had to submit a proposal to the University in order to be considered an official College organization. Then they sought funding.

Ultimately, the Undergraduate Council as well as the Radcliffe Union of Students supplied the necessary capital to get the project started.

Zacks said she hopes that Dance Day will allow people to learn more about dance without being bogged down by any aspect of it that they may not enjoy as much.

"You sit down for an hour and a half and see [many] different types of dance," Zacks said. "You [end up] seeing a little bit of this and a little bit of that."

Campolattaro said that one of her goals in organizing Dance Day was to provide the opportunity for various dance groups to develop a closer relationship and strengthen dance campus-wide.

According to Zacks, Dance Day will not be replica of Arts First because instead of focusing on the Cambridge community, the emphasis will be solely on Harvard undergraduates.

Zacks and Campolattaro said that Dance Day may be moved to the fall next year in the hopes of including more dance groups as well as avoiding the scheduling conflicts these groups face in the spring.

The women are also considering the idea of having two Dance Days next year.

Tickets for the event are available at the Sanders Theatre Box Office

According to Zacks, Dance Day will not be replica of Arts First because instead of focusing on the Cambridge community, the emphasis will be solely on Harvard undergraduates.

Zacks and Campolattaro said that Dance Day may be moved to the fall next year in the hopes of including more dance groups as well as avoiding the scheduling conflicts these groups face in the spring.

The women are also considering the idea of having two Dance Days next year.

Tickets for the event are available at the Sanders Theatre Box Office