Women’s Groups Hold Dance Clinic

Yesterday evening the Adams House Junior Common Room (JCR) was host to a multicultural dance clinic designed to bring together a number of women’s ethnic groups on campus.

Co-sponsored by the Association of Black Harvard Women (ABHW) and Latinas Unidas, a group dedicated to females of Latin American heritage at Harvard, the event was the first of its kind, and organizers said that they hoped it create stronger bonds between the groups involved.

In addition to the co-sponsors, students from the Asian American Women’s Association and different dance-related groups were in attendance.

Nicole M. Laws ’06 of ABHW said, “It’s a great way for the various women’s organizations on campus to get together and learn what they’re all about. And if it’s popular we hope to do it again.” About forty women and a handful of men crowded into the JCR to watch demonstrations from members of the Caribbean Club Dance Troupe (CCDT), Expressions Dance Company, and Candela, the dance group associated with Fuerza Latina.

Ayo A. Adigun ’06, of the CCDT, got things started by asking assembled dancers which maneuvers they were already familiar with. One brave soul ventured an answer: “The foxtrot.” Adigun then gave a brief demonstration that was met with a mixture of laughter and applause.

Adigun laughed along, then got down to business. Her first demonstration was of the “thunderclap,” a gesture made by raising her hands and forcefully rubbing them together.

This was followed by a tutorial in “windin’.” A maneuver that emulates the movements involved in hoola-hooping, but “slowly, so it’s more sensual,” according Adigun.

“Dance is a great way to bring people together. It allows us to express ourselves non-verbally through movement. Dance is really growing in popularity exponentially on campus,” said Adigun.

After Adigun, Anneliese R. Torgerson ’07 of Expressions led the group in an eight-part hip-hop choreography. Torgerson drilled the dancers with military precision, taking them step by step through the entire program.

Then she cued the music and led them through the full sequence. The group erupted into spontaneous applause at the dance’s conclusion.

Torgerson said of the event, “The dancing is as diverse as the people. It really is a good way for different groups to come together on campus. This is exactly the reason I came to Harvard. I love it.”

Rounding out the evening was Candela’s salsa dancing presentation. Throughout the room dancers paired off and practiced elaborate ballroom style steps.

Leyla R. Bravo ’05, who is a member of both Fuerza Latina and Latinas Unidas, suggested that despite the night’s festivities, dance might be facing some difficulties on campus, particularly in light of dancers’ recent struggles for space to rehearse and perform.

“There’s scarce little dance space on campus. And that’s unfortunate because there is so much talent and interest here,” Bravo said.