Dance Collective wowed a fully packed auditorium two nights in a row with a compilation of performances ranging from ballet to hip hop to tap dance. The dancers are students who manage to juggle classes, jobs and spending an entire semester attending rehearsals, choreographing and working on putting together a showcase in Sainer Pavilion.

The Spring 2016 Dance Collective, which took place on May 6 and 7, was administered by second-years Eugenia Quintanilla, Rachel Ceciro, Maria Simmerling and first-years Ximena Pedroza, Matthew Bocanumenth and Sara Friend.

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“My first year, on opening night for the fall show, I peeked out to see how many people were in the audience and Sainer was maybe half full and I nearly started crying, thinking it was so empty out there,” Simmerling said. “And since then we’ve gotten it so that the house is completely packed both nights, just by telling people, ‘Come to the show. Come to the show.’ I’ve talked to some people who were like, “Well I did ballet when I was 10,” and I’m like, ‘Well, you should join! That’s enough!’”

Dance Collective holds a student run performance that occurs at the end of every semester. The showcase is sponsored by professor of Philosophy April Flakne. Dancers have the option to receive academic credit by writing journals, participating in at least two pieces and choreographing one piece. The associate professor of dance at New College, Leymis Wilmott, also comes in to give critiques of the performances.

Anyone interested in becoming a part of the Fall 2017 Dance Collective next semester should contact the Facebook page, any of the administrators or sign up for the email list during the next Club Fair. 

“I was nervous the first time,” third year and dancer Olivia Short said. “It was definitely fun when I wasn’t nervous anymore and it’s really fun when the crowd gets really into it and starts cheering with us. Dance is a good way to bring people from different backgrounds together to do something that’s fun and healthy and challenging and cool.”