Spotlight on dance

Sharing the Art of Dance

by Julie Garcia and Kimberly David

Strength, flexibility, poise, and communication - these are all traits that can be developed through dance. Every choreographer and dancer attains a heightened awareness of these traits through their passion for movement and dance.

The Jacksonville Dance Forum, an organization of artists devoted to increasing dance awareness in the Jacksonville community, produces an annual show called the Downtown Dance Project. This event, headed by Erik Hart, is intended for Jacksonville’s many talented dancers and choreographers to showcase their original work and share in a collaborative and creative performance.

Episcopal High School dancers have performed at the Downtown Dance Project for the past two years, and were invited to perform again in 2006. They performed a piece entitled “Swept Away”, choreographed by Jennifer Archibald. The piece is about breaking through barriers, whatever they might be. Ms. Archibald’s choreography focused specifically on the struggle of the survivors in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. According to Kimberly Dsavid, and Episcopal participant, “She helped us find our own way to connect to the movement in the piece. Each movement had a purpose, and every minute was intense and meaningful. Ms. Archibald did not use counts when she choreographed. Instead she allowed us all to feel the music and we found the timing by dancing through it. It was a wonderful experience to work with such a passionate and creative artist.Missy Ponder-Reston believes in exposing her dancers to many different styles and choreographers, and therefore we are both more versatile and appreciative of diversity in the art of dance. These opportunities have helped us to grow as a unit as well as individually learning to express our unique perspectives.”

The Downtown Dance Project is a great way to get involved in the Jacksonville dance community and share in a fun night of creativity, performance and fun. Cari Coble, a choreographer this year for the Downtown Dance Project and Jacksonville University faculty member, described the project as “...a great way to illustrate the rapport in the dance community in Jacksonville.” Coble added, “We all want to support one another as artists coming together for an evening.”

Downtown Dance Project welcomes everyone, from the veteran to the novice dance professional. All are invited to join in this celebration of artistic talent in Jacksonville. The diversity of the styles, choreographers, and dancers in this project allows for an ingenious exhibition of movement, emotion, and passion – dance.

A Workshop of Boundless and Legendary Alvin Ailey Movement
with Alvin Ailey Company dancer Matthew Rushing

Caila Gordon-Koster

The Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre is widely known for evoking floods of emotion throughout audiences with their legendary choreography, fierce dancers, and jumps that seem to defy gravity. The school was founded in 1969 by Alvin Ailey. He was driven by the idea that dance instruction should be accessible to all types of people. Only 15 years after opening, the Alvin Ailey School received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Dance, and a lifetime of prestige and admiration. On October 19, 2006, Episcopal High School’s most advanced dance ensembles had the opportunity to take class from Matthew Rushing, one of the Alvin Ailey Company’s elite dancers.

For many middle-school-age students, their dreams are unclear and volatile, but this was never the case for Matthew Rushing. Mr. Rushing was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. From the moment he saw his first Ailey performance in eighth grade, he was captivated by the company, and immediately applied to the local high school for the fine arts. The moment he graduated from high school, he was off to New York City, the dance capital of the world, and a place where most 18-year-old dancers feel intimidated. Often young dancers audition for hundreds of jobs before actually landing one. After auditioning only once, Matthew quickly found himself in the second-level performance company, and within a year was moved into the main performance ensemble of the famous Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre.

As a sophomore, it’s almost impossible for me to begin to dream about what my future will bring. Episcopal High School’s dance department has offered me and my peers a superior dance education, and has opened the possibilities of achieving something as great as Mr. Rushing’s position. Episcopal prides itself in producing well-rounded students with the determination, work ethic and imagination to achieve huge things. Mr. Rushing contributed to this mission by inspiring all who attended his workshop to be breathtaking dancers and limitless dreamers.