^{Kathryn Smith of Sidney Center, Sameerah Grant of Queens and Maddi Bowman of Newark, New Jersey will take the stage May 5-6 at Hartwick College’s Slade Theater. (Photo provided)}

On Stage: Performing Arts at our Oneonta Campuses
by Rachel Frick Cardelle

From Tap to K-pop: Evening of Dance
Will Feature a Variety of Genres

II had the opportunity to spend time with a few of the dancers for the upcoming show “MOVEment” at Hartwick College as they prepped. The show itself will include students from Hartwick College, SUNY Brockport, Dean College, and SUNY Potsdam, along with dancers and choreographers from Sidney and Binghamton.

Between practicing different dances, two of the Hartwick students—Maddi and Sameerah—and their instructor, Kathryn Smith, spoke to me about the work. I was struck during the rehearsal and our conversation by the quiet, joyful enthusiasm for dance and the amount of work they put in to bringing about a show like “MOVEment.”

There will be a variety of dance types during each of the two nights of this show. Each evening will be different, but one can expect a mixture of genres both nights. This will include tap, lyrical, hip hop, majorette, modern, contemporary, acro, and ballet styles of dance and moves. One piece I watched, danced by Maddi, was choreographed by a teacher out of New York City who specializes in K-pop* style choreography. Another, danced by Sameerah, was also choreographed by Sameerah in the majorette-style. While I did not get the chance to see it in practice, the show will also include a ballet piece and a modern piece danced by Kathryn.

Like a writer gives an actor a script, a choreographer gives a dancer a script, Kathryn explained to me, with line-by-line of the performance scripted by the choreographer and the delivery of that script determined by the dancer. In her class, Kathryn teaches the students to use the beginning of a dance they are choreographing to “write their thesis statement,” e.g., set the motif for the dance. Then they express that motif throughout the dance. Kathryn went on to detail that there are other ways of choreographing that have been quite successful. She used Merce Cunningham—an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years—as an example of a choreographer whose scripts left much up to chance, rather than a more rigid approach might.

Both Maddi and Sameerah began dancing not long after they learned to walk, but both told me that although their interest in dance waned at one point while they were young (one from a very bad experience at a dance studio), they were both re-inspired to dance from the television show “Dance Moms.” This came as a shock to me, as I am willing to admit that I saw at least part of one episode of this series. (If I am being more honest, I may have seen an entire show. And if I were prepared to be completely honest, I’d admit to having binge watched three episodes. However, I am not willing to be that vulnerable in such a public forum as this, so let’s just go back to the part where I have admitted to having seen part of a show, once.) What I focused on while watching the show was that the dance moms were stereotypes of the showbiz I-didn’t-make-it-but-my-daughter-is-going-to-make-it-at-all-costs-so-I- feel-better-about-myself-and-I-don’t-care-what-other-young-kids-I-have-to-crush-to-make-that-happen mother. However, what Maddi and Sameerah focused on in the show were the young dancers who inspired them to continue dance. Maddi and Sameerah both laughed when they heard my perspective of the show but assured me they didn’t pay attention to that momma drama, they just cared about the dancers’ progression. The conversation with Maddi and Sameerah reminds me that I see, hear, and interpret based on my own roles and experiences, and at the time I saw this show I had three young daughters. Hearing someone else’s perspective can bring new colors into my world and I look forward to someday watching an episode of “Dance Moms” just to try to see it through Maddi’s and Sameerah’s eyes. I don’t expect to like either the dance coach or the moms any better, but I look forward to ignoring them and being inspired by the dancers.

When I asked Maddi and Sameerah what they were studying in college, I was surprised to get the answers “criminal justice” and “psychology,” as I had assumed it would be a major more closely related to dance, given how good they both are and the amount of time and energy this show must be taking. However, Maddie told me she thinks she may go on to law school, while Sameera wants to be a school counselor. Both, in their own way, want to incorporate dance into their lives. Maddie talked about pursuing a career in dance while also preparing for a career in law, while Sameera believes that dancing can be incorporated into a job as a counselor for youth.

For those in and around Oneonta, though, if you want to incorporate dance as a performing art into your own life or enjoy watching dancers, you can get inspired by the performances of “MOVEment” at Hartwick College. One thing the students told me at the start of my time with them is that dancers believe if your dance teacher yells at you the night before competition, you’re going to take first place. I can’t really imagine Kathryn yelling at them but, just in case, I wish all the dancers a rough final practice and that Kathryn blows up at the lot of you!

[*K-pop is short for Korean popular music, a style of music out of South Korea which has been sweeping the world of late, along with television shows from South Korea called K-dramas. If you want a sense of how much fun K-pop is to dance to, I’d recommend you start with “Butter” or “Dynamite” by BTS. If you want a sense of how much fun K-dramas are to watch, that is part of a much longer conversation that will require a deep dive into your tastes and world view. There are a surprising number of K-drama lovers in these parts who can help you on this journey; just mention “Crash Landing On You” in a loud voice in a crowded, public place and see whose head whips around. That person can help you put together a watch list.]

You can see “MOVEment: An Evening of Dance” at Hartwick’s Slade Theater—performed and choreographed by students, faculty and regional artists—May 5 and 6 at 7 p.m. for $5.00 admission, free with Hartwick student ID.

Rachel Frick Cardelle covers performing arts at SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College.