Tufts Blogs

Tufts has a vibrant dance scene for non-dancers. Yep, you read that right! Of course, there are incredible displays of talent by trained dancers who belong to a number of groups on campus — if that’s you, I encourage you to check out Sarabande, Turbo, Spirit of Color, Ballroom, Bhangra, Tamasha, or another performance group. But if that isn’t you (read: me), there are still a surprising number of ways to get involved with dancing in your time at Tufts!

When I was in high school, there were approximately five dance moves I was willing to whip out at prom or homecoming (no, I don’t literally mean the whip — that was way beyond my comfort zone!). But college is commonly understood as a time to try new things, and try new things I have. This semester, I enrolled in Hip Hop 1 on a whim with two engineering friends, and the three of us have confronted our lack of dance experience with open minds and increasingly open hips. A typical class involves stretching, ab/core workouts, learning a new move or two, and then pulling that move together in some sort of combo. We’re given direction as well as chances to come up with our own choreography, and doing something as bold as learning to break, freeze, and boogaloo with a group of strangers-turned-peers is humbling, to say the least.

 
I love this class because it pushes me to the edge of my comfort zone in a welcoming environment, and I always feel positively encouraged by my classmates and our instructor. In addition to dancing, we read articles, write papers, and have discussions about the hip hop movement. Considering topics like cultural appropriation, women in hip hop, and where our class fits into it all is an important part of the course and something that I think makes it quintessentially Tufts — thinking critically about the bigger picture surrounding our actions and studies.

TDC is another dance scene for untrained but eager dancers...

Speaking of quintessential Tufts experiences, Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) had its semesterly show this weekend! TDC is an amalgamation of people from all walks of Tufts; dancers and non-dancers alike. Each semester, students are able to apply for dances put on by our peers based on themes as obscure and varied as Tufts Joey (our on-campus shuttle) Presents: Riding Dirty, Dairy Queenz, Victorian Secret Fashion Show, and Daddy Claus Presents: Merry Litmas. The applications are ridiculous surveys that vaguely relate to the theme of each dance, and the commitment involves one-hour practices every week for the majority of the semester until the big show at the end. Whether you end up dancing on stage or watching from the audience with friends, TDC brings people together at one of the most stressful times of the semester and builds community in an odd, hilarious way.

Don't really have an explanation for this one.

So maybe you don't think you can dance, but I certainly didn't either. Who knows what sorts of new scenes you might stumble your way into in college?