By: Brianne Shamburger
Posted In: Entertainment
Photo credit: Brianne Shamburger
Members of Salve Regina’s Extensions Dance Company practice their routine before the festival held February 6-10 at Connecticut College.
“Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.” ~Havelock Ellis
The aerobics room, everyone knows it. It’s hard to miss on your way to the gym. This room is the host to many activities. This includes everything from cycling to body sculpting. But did you know that it is also the home for SRU Dance (the student-run dance club), and the dance company? That’s right, for those of you who haven’t heard yet; Salve now has a dance company, Extensions Dance Company. Extensions was officially formed last year under the direction of Lindsay Craven, one of two dance faculty members at Salve. Extensions is not like the dance club, in which everyone is guaranteed a spot. “The participants for the company were chosen based on technique and performance in three different genres of dance: ballet, modern and jazz,” said Craven. The 16 students in this organization are, arguably, the best technical dancers at Salve. These girls show an enormous amount of discipline and passion for dance. I mean, c’mon, most of these girls have been dancing for as long as they’ve been walking. Aimee Horgan (’09) the public relations director for SRU Dance, is very excited about the newly-formed company. “I definitely think it’s a step in the right direction for Salve. It’s nice that [dancers] are getting more recognition for what we do,” said Horgan. The formation of the company is especially sweet for seniors. “Speaking for Justine [Tomon], Lisa [Maniscalco] and I, seeing all the hard work brought to fruition is wonderful. We were able to work with Lindsay [Craven] from the beginning to establish the company,” said Megan Kolakowski (’08). The most recent excitement about the Extensions company is that did attend the New England region of the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA). They competed with other schools from throughout New England. This year ACDFA was held at Connecticut College. All 16 dancers attended the festival from February 6-10. During their time at ACDFA the girls took dance classes with world-renowned choreographers, attend a series of seminars and workshops and even attend a dance. Salve performed three dances during their stay, one of which is adjudicated. For those of you that don’t know what that means, it means that our dancers get to participate in a competition, not just a showcase. When asked what they are most excited about, most of the girls will tell you they are excited about the classes. At least that’s what Lynell Lovejoy (’09), Erin Vardaro (’10) and Shannon Deptula (’10), told me. “I’m looking forward to taking master classes in different types of dance that I’ve never tried before-like African,” said Lovejoy. I had the privilege of previewing one of the dances Extensions is performing at ACDFA, and let me tell you it was hot! The piece I saw was called Night Mystery and it was choreographed by Craven. “I wanted people to feel like they were walking through the Amazon and came across these women doing a ritualistic dance,” she said. Well, it is clear to me that Ms. Craven is doing a fantastic job here at Salve helping students cultivate their love of dance. I know she helped me. Hopefully under her excellence, the dance program here at Salve will continue to flourish and achieve the respect and recognition these girls so rightly deserve. And for all you girls going to ACDFA, I say bon chance, break a leg, or whatever sentiment for luck is most appropriate.
