Connecting Students and Engaging Communities at the Dance Program Fall Concert

Art provides us with opportunities to create and connect with each other. This year, the annual Dance Program Fall concert is serving as a crossroads for past students and current dancers to connect through dance, service, and mentorship.

When Dance Program Director, Tara Mullins, was a beginning teacher, she quickly connected with her students. Two students, Ashley Hockaday and LeKai Butler, have stayed in touch over the years as they continued onto their careers. Hockaday now has a dance and gymnastics studio based in Richmond, VA, and Butler established a nonprofit organization for teen girls called Work of Art. Work of Art is a nonprofit that empowers girls ages 13-18 through leadership, inspiration and connections by providing mentorship and support. Students from both groups will be traveling to NC State on November 22, 2019, for a day of classes and activities, finishing with a performance of the Fall Concert.

Once students arrive, they will have the opportunity to take a Hip-hop class taught by NC State students from the Fusion Dance Crew. A student panel comprised of NC State dancers and women in STEM majors will follow the class. The evening will culminate with a tour of Stewart Theatre and a viewing of the Dance Program Fall Concert, which features student choreography and guest work of all styles.

This collaboration is one representation of relationships that are being cultivated between NC State dancers and the surrounding community. This visit will serve as inspiration for students to engage with others through art beyond the campus and classroom walls. NC State students and visiting teens will have the opportunity to learn from each other and connect through dance. The Dance Program pushes students to be thoughtful artists and active citizens through its work in the studio, instilling a value of community that will last far beyond graduation.

The Dance Program Fall Concert performances are Thursday-Friday, November 21-22, at 8:00pm in Stewart Theatre. Tickets are available online and can be purchased here.