Club Sports: Dance
Article by Nathan Robichaud
nathan_.robichaud
Photo provided by SMU Dance
Dedication and hard work go hand in hand in the realm of athletics. This philosophy is perfectly embodied and exemplified within the Saint Mary’s Dance Team. I was able to hear it first hand in the words of Tessa Worth. The dance captain explains exactly how much effort her team puts into any of their three weekly practices, which consists of two hours of learning, refining, and executing intricate choreography.
Tessa grew up dancing in Sydney, having started at age 3. She describes her style as contemporary Jazz but has enjoyed adapting to the dance team’s hip-hop themed routines. I asked the dance captain what dance means to hear, and she didn’t miss a beat, “[d]ance is so incredibly rewarding. I can’t imagine living my life without dance. It’s something that makes you feel confident and Inspired,” these words from the captain provide insight into the level of commitment and admiration Tessa has for dance and how fulfilling it has been on a personal level. She spoke highly of the dance community that’s been part of her life since she first began and explained that it helped her decide to study at Saint Mary’s, “part of the reason I came to SMU is that I knew the team’s choreographer, Brandon Skeete, from dancing in Sydney, and wanted to work with the group.”
Though only in her second year at Saint Mary’s, Tessa was able to impress former captain, Shelby Deglau, and the former co-captains; as a result, she was named head captain. She has since developed her leadership skills and is excited about how the club is growing, “being able to overcome the challenge of leading the club and juggling university is something I take pride in.”
Unfortunately, there have been some issues in the fall semester that prevented the dance team from performing as often as they would have liked. All such hiccups the result of poor weather, but Tessa affirmed that SMU Dance is eager to share the results of their hard work with the community, “It’s given us a lot of time to practice and work hard to improve. We had a lot of turn over last year, but I’m pleased with how the semester has unfolded.”
I asked the dance captain what we can expect from her team in 2020, and her response was an ambitious one. SMU Dance picked up the best choreography award at the Dance Quest Canada 2019 competition here in Halifax, having also reached the finals of the competition. Sentiments from the team’s captains and choreographer indicate that the plan is to build on the momentum this award has generated and take the team to the next level, with the goal being victory in upcoming competitions this semester. However, competitions are not the only way the team plans on making waves— the Saint Mary’s Dance Team is proud to announce that they will be performing during a home game for both the Halifax Hurricanes on March 13th and the Halifax Thunderbirds on March 8th, “this is new ground for us, so we’re excited about the opportunity” boasted Tessa.
Last semester the SMU Dance Team held several beginner-friendly dance classes designed for experienced and inexperienced dancers. Due to the busy schedule, no dance classes have been announced at this time, but there may be an opportunity later in the semester. You can follow the Saint Mary’s Dance team on their social media channels to stay in the know. https://www.facebook.com/SMUdance/
If you prefer to see the club in action, catch them performing at halftime during the men's basketball game on Saturday, January 18th, at 8:00 pm.