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ENTERTAINMENT

The Norwich Guidon
Nov. 13, 2003

Dance Team offers students chance to showcase talent

By Luis Barberena
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Since she was seven years old, dancing has been a part of Selena Walton's life. And now, as a college student, her passion for dance has not stopped.

As president of the Norwich University dance club, she shares her experience with others.

"Dance Club is a place to get away from my schoolwork," she said. "Dance for me has always been like an escape from everything else."

Dance Club provides its members with an opportunity to serve and do what they love best within the Norwich community.

Most all of the members of the dance club participate in other activities, such as sports and cheerleading, "which makes it difficult for us to meet," Walton said, a junior architecture major from Troy, N.Y.

The biggest challenge is "getting people to go to meetings," Walton said, adding that several people showed a great deal of interest at first, but interest has since waned.

"We are having a little bit of trouble because we've been having some scheduling problems," Walton said. "We've been wanting to have practice on Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., but communication is another major problem."

Currently there is no club advisor."We really have to get the group rolling, first, to see if we really want this to work," Walton said.

"We are still trying to get people to come. We had a couple of first meetings. We are just trying to get people involved, and people to want to come and do it," said Allyson Baird, 21, a mechanical engineering major from Palatka, Fla.

Baird said the club has several "good routines and lots of activities to do, but there are only about six members who are truly dedicated."

One of the great benefits she receives from the dance club this year is an opportunity to teach children in Northfield about dance, Baird said, explaining that "it is just something fun to do besides school."

Baird said other benefits of club membership include performing in front of people at balls and talent shows, "which is one of the things that I love to do is performing. I get exposed, and dance club gets exposed."

Being part of the club at Norwich also "lets me know that there are other dancers on this campus," said Jeri-Lynn Harper, 19, a sophomore electrical engineering major from Brigham City, Ut.

Dancing can also be tough "because you are doing intense dance for three minutes straight, non-stop, and you are trying to get your turns perfect, your splits, your kicks, everything," Harper said. "It takes a lot out of you."

"We'd like to get [the club] to a status to where we can have a show that we can put on at the end of each semester, or maybe just at the end of the year, depending on how long it takes people to learn things," Walton said.

"The goal of the club is to build up membership and get it to be a continuing club," Baird said, "we really want to get it started, and we want to perform at junior ring ball and talent shows," Walton said.

"I just love dancing; it's fun to get up [and dance]. I like doing it just for fun, and I like getting up in front of people and performing," Baird said.

"Everyone loves to dance," Harper said. "It's for everyone, for fun."

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.