Students Dance at Hip Hop Performance
After a long week of tests, practices and extracurricular commitments, students entering the Goel Center of Theater and Dance were greeted by hip hop music as the dancers from in and outside the Exeter community came together to hold the Academy’s inaugural Hip Hop Dance 280 Performance. The performance showcased the work done by PEA’s very first Dance 280 Hip Hop dance class led by choreographer and dancer Deo Mwano. Throughout the night, the audience took videos and clapped along to the music as the performers showcased the work they did throughout the term.
The hip hop class is comprised of fourteen students ranging from preps to seniors, many of whom are members of various dance groups around campus. Upper Annabel Lee noted that this camaraderie between the Exonians because of their shared identity as dancers “made the class a really encouraging and fun environment.”
The term-long instruction involved dancers learning original choreography by Mwano in addition to occasional workshops by guest instructors. However, the performance crept up on the students very quickly. “At some point Deo told us that the class may do a performance for the school, but it was just a joke,” Lee said. “[Mwano] later introduced the idea to us as a feasible event and then said that he would even bring in some of his own dancers. The class didn’t really think it was official until [Mwano] told us that the tickets were out.”
Though all of the students had taken at least one dance class before entering the course, Mwano noticed that the moves were a challenge for some to master. He noted that the Exonians tried hard to improve their skills, leading to more students being confident in the dance. “I think the biggest change that I saw [from beginning to end of term] was definitely the students feeling more and more comfortable in themselves to actually fully commit to the movement.”
Many of the dancers found themselves doing something they never thought they would be doing. Senior Rina Kawagishi expressed that she did not know there was going to be a performance when signing up for the course but ended up looking forward to the showcase. “When we were practicing the dances, I liked it a lot, so when I knew I was going to perform I was very excited,” she said.
Mwano wanted to create a challenge that would force the students to become vulnerable, so he made plans for the showcase. “Right away I thought, ‘We have to find a way to highlight what they're going to accomplish in this class.’ I think the other part of [my decision] was that the students are really supportive of each other and I challenge them a lot,” he explained.
During the performance, Mwano kept urging the audience to become more active by nodding to the beat or cheering, to create a more comfortable space for the dancers. Mwano said that he wanted the audience to leave with a deeper appreciation of the student dancers. “I want them to be able to appreciate the performance and the fact that the students have been in this class for the last two and a half months…I also encouraged the audience to come in with an open mind if they don't like hip hop.”
Prep Kendrah Su, a member of the audience, described the dancers from Exeter and the guests that the class had brought in as incredibly talented. “The performance was definitely amazing, especially with the dancers from the company…the fact that I knew the students who were performing made the experience more personal.” Su added that as a dancer herself, the performance inspired her to broaden her understanding of dance.
Lee walked away from the performance asking herself more questions about herself as a dancer. “[You’re forced to think about] your personality, your energy while you dance, how to make sure you look good even if you’re putting your own spin,” Lee reflected. “This has taught me how to put more thought and energy into the way I dance.”