Members of the 35–student Boston College Dance Ensemble perform John Fogerty’s “Proud Mary” as choreographed by Sophie Forte ’07, at the Robsham Theater, on December 2. The program, entitled “Control,” comprised 22 dance pieces ranging in style from ballet to hip–hop, each choreographed by a member of the ensemble, which is a student managed organization that enrolls members, by audition, from across the University.
In addition to weekly lessons from invited teachers, ensemble members rehearse one hour per week for each concert piece in which they dance—anywhere from two to 10 pieces per program. “We all have different technical backgrounds. But we spend so much time together that we begin to influence each others’ styles,” said ensemble president Julia Harding ’07. “What brings us together and keeps us working together is our passion for dance.”
Since 2002 the ensemble has donated proceeds from its ticket sales to the Campus School, a day school hosted by the Lynch School of Education that serves area students with multiple disabilities from age 3 to 21. The gift helps to fund supplementary programs, such as music therapy.