The Student Dance Collective (SDC) is back! After a 6-year hiatus, the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance has restructured and rebranded SDC, which was previously called the UO Repertory Dance Company.
SDC is a student ensemble whose primary purpose is to elevate dance in Oregon through community engagement, outreach, and public performance. Its design is modeled after a professional dance company experience where dancers are selected through an audition process, rehearse regularly to learn repertory and new choreography, and tour to other cities to offer classes and performances.
This spring, the experience culminated with SDC concert, “Ascend! an evening of dance,” which impressed the Dougherty Dance Theatre audience on June 9. “It was great! There was a lot of love in the audience,” SDC dancer and sophomore BFA dance student, Emily Andaya, said. “It was very surreal,” SDC dancer and senior dance student, Nailah Lewis, said. “I’m so proud of the work we did.”
Students Perform "Trio B"
For the thirteen SDC students, “Ascend” was a triumphant accomplishment, since they learned the entire program of seven pieces in about 60 hours, which is the normal time it takes to learn two pieces for any other dance concerts.
THE “ASCEND” PROGRAM
The works showcased a variety of genres from hip-hop and jazz to tango and contemporary. They were choreographed by faculty, students, and one guest choreographer, Quilan “Cue” Arnold. Arnold is a professional dancer, teacher, and activist who visited campus in May for just 48 hours to teach his piece, mimicking a professional setting.
“It was very intense!” Lewis said. “But he made the process seamless. He is a brilliant choreographer. He teaches in a way that encourages us to think about why we’re doing certain movements. He emphasized that throughout his process, so it made it easy to be invested in the piece.”
Quilan rehearses with SDC
Assistant professor and SDC co-director, Hannah Thomas, hired Arnold after receiving funds from SOMD’s Committee for Equity and Inclusion grant. Arnold’s piece, called “Club KINGDOM” was “inspired by sanctuaries of black diaspora, the church and the club. We know that you can bring Saturday night to Sunday morning and so those were two huge inspirations.”
"Club KINGDOM"
"I’m very honored that I was brought here by Hannah Thomas and SOMD,” Arnold said.
The SDC ensemble learned six additional works, choreographed by faculty and students. “Pages Missing” by professor and SDC co-director, Brad Garner, was originally staged in 2005 and has been performed several times since. It was also selected twice to be performed at the American College Dance Association (ACDA) gala. “It's a special piece for me,” Garner said. “I really wanted to include it in this debut year of SDC.”
“Pages Missing”
Thomas’ “8th Ave” is a hip-hop piece which honors legend Doug E Fresh and his contribution of beatboxing to hip-hop music. Her second piece “dunamis.” was collaborated with senior Zoe Vander Hyde and described as a “powerful contemporary piece” by Garner. Both were choreographed alongside students. Instructor Florabelle Moses choreographed “Tango momentum” which is a ballet and tango fusion. Senior instructor Rita Honka contributed “Trio B” which is a fusion of Africanist and contemporary dance. The minimalist style plays with patterns and repetition.
“Tango Momentum”
“dunamis.”
“8th Ave”
“Etc.” was choreographed by SDC’s own student dancers, Emily Andaya and Devra Charlton. The duet was performed in March at ACDA, and it combines elements of contemporary dance with improvisation. “I hope all audience members were able to experience the sensations Devi and I brought to the creation of Etc. within themselves,” Andaya said. “As both the performers and creators, we hope we can continue to push the boundaries of performance contexts and our relationship to the viewer.”
"Etc."
OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
Prior to the home concert, SDC took “Ascend!” on the road to three K-12 schools in the region. They traveled to Arts & Communication Magnet Academy in Beaverton, Turning Point Dance in Medford, and Vancouver School of Arts and Academics in Vancouver, WA.
In addition to performing, they also gave master classes and invited the younger students to perform as well. “It was a lot of fun!” Lewis said. “It was cool to meet some students who are already planning to come into the dance program as well as the younger kids. Knowing we all share that same passion for dance was very inspiring to me and I hope it was for them too.”
Student Dance Collective on tour
At each school, the SDC students also engaged in Q&A sessions where the younger students often asked about life as a UO dancer. “It is important to amplify the work that's going on here in SOMD,” Andaya said. “It was especially important to do that here in our region so students can learn what we’re all about.”
The K-12 students also asked about the opportunities available for dancers after graduation. From commercial dance to academia, Garner helped lay out the various paths to take. “Many believe that dance is just a recreational activity, but it is actually an international field of research. There are endless professional possibilities from production to marketing or any field that values collaboration, creativity and discipline. Students go all over the world doing all kinds of cool jobs right out of UO. Dance is fun, yes. But It’s also a real, viable career path.”
SDC dancers pose with K-12 students
In the future, SDC intends to maintain its relationships with these K-12 schools. “This outreach is part of a healthy ecosystem, and for us to serve our purpose as a state institution,” Garner said.
THE FUTURE OF SDC
Next year, Garner and Thomas hope to get a few more schools involved in Portland, Bend, or Coos Bay areas. UO students interested in joining SDC will be asked to audition in fall, with a concert in April, and outreach to follow.
Anyone who joins is bound to feel a great sense of community, Lewis and Andaya say. “Traveling with this group and literally experiencing blood, sweat, and tears has brought us together,” Lewis said. “My fellow SDC dancers were my friends before, but this experience brought us that much closer and those are truly connections that are not going to fade away.”
Professional dance photos by photographer Jake Reynolds