News

Kent Dance: Chapter 2010-2011 By Caroline Hubbell, Courtesy of Kent News

Kent Dance has been spiced up this year with a new teacher.  Ms. Beedy had taken over the dance program and brought great energy and enthusiasm to the program. “Dance has always been a primary interest of mine,” she remarked, and when Kent offered her the opportunity of teaching the class, Ms. Beedy jumped at the chance. 
With an open mind towards the future of the class, Ms. Beedy began teaching a small group of girls this fall.  The group ranged from experienced dancers to beginners.  The more experienced girls led the class and helped those that were just beginning to learn.  Weeks were spent dedicated to choreographing short pieces and focusing on technical practice.
The theme of the fall recital, which took place in November 2010, was A Day in the Life at Kent. Portraying a typical Saturday for Kent students, the recital began with a dance piece about waking up and ended with a typical Kent night. The performance featured nine dancers in six short pieces, ranging from modern dance to hip-hop, pop and jazz. Isabelle Vidro ’11 and Jane Ruan ’11 danced the sole ballet piece of the evening. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Ms. Beedy strongly believes in a recital each term so that dance becomes “a part of the fabric of Kent life that can be seen.”  This winter she plans on creating a new theme for the recital.  The winter performance will feature the seven dancers currently in the afternoon dance activity as well as one number performed by the faculty children, who are taught by Caroline Hubbell ’11 on Sunday afternoons. 
This winter also sees a change in class plans, as Ms. Beedy has been teaching the class with the idea of two-day sessions.  For example, Monday and Tuesday are spent learning modern dance, while Thursday and Friday focus on ballet.  Ms. Beedy hopes to add more dance education to the program as well, so that students will see dance’s full capacity of self-expression.  She sees this as an opportunity to “facilitate classes that show dance as an art form.” With a stronger program this year, Ms. Beedy hopes that as the year progresses, the dance program continues to be “seen, known about, and perceived as fun.”