By Elizabeth Smislova
Expressions Dance Alliance is a tight knit group of dancers that perform at Fordham events and hold open classes for students. Courtesy of Katherine Kelly
Arguably one of Fordham’s most appealing attributes is its support of all the exercises of the human physical person and intellectual mind — yet, until 2001, there were no Fordham Rose Hill dance ensembles. Angela Paparone, GSB ’04, saw the deficit and created the Expressions Dance Alliance to bring the powerful creative outlet and beauty that comes from dance to her home at Fordham. Expressions’ allure comes not only from the dancers’ impressive talent, but from being completely student-run.
The Expressions’ Facebook page claims that, “The Company maintains its original mission by providing dancers the opportunity to bring together their eclectic backgrounds in styles and techniques of dance to produce and perform completely original choreography.” This inclusive statement shows that Expressions’ members stretch the boundaries of their vision and physical ability, while taking complete control of both in order to provide grace for themselves and others.
Katherine Kelly, president-elect of Expressions, said, “Being a part of Expressions is undeniably my favorite thing about Fordham” and that they “always joke around that we are Fordham’s only sorority.” The glimpses given to the eager public of Fordham’s tight knit and hardworking group are during its semi-annual showcases (one in the fall, one in the spring) and at the Satin Dolls, Ramblers and B-Sides’ shows. They also perform in school fundraisers and events like ASILI’S Taste the World, Fordham Dance Marathon and Up ’Til Dawn. Each performance keeps audience members on the edge of their seats because no one knows what will come next. Dance styles include, but are not limited to, jazz, contemporary, tap, ballet, hip hop, modern, musical theatre and Bollywood. With such an extensive repertoire, it comes as no surprise that Expressions is the only Fordham dance organization that incorporates virtually every style of dance.
Stunning performances, however, can only come from extensive practice. Rehearsals are held Sunday through Thursday in Keating B23 — Expressions’ “beloved home,” says Kelly. She explains that, “Each dance for the show is allotted an hour rehearsal time each week. The choreography of the dance facilitates that rehearsal. Not everyone is in the same dances, so rehearsal times for each member vary, except for Sundays. On Sundays, we have a short company meeting, followed by a one hour stretch and warm-up for the whole company, followed by a two hour company rehearsal for the company dances.”
Spots in such a talented and intimate group are coveted, but in order to maintain the skill and keep up with the many practices, auditions are competitive. They are held at the beginning of every fall and spring semester and attract roughly 40 to 50 girls. Only three to five dancers who audition are chosen to join Expressions each year. However, to experience the benefits of dance without the commitment or audition, Expressions does hold classes open to the Fordham community on Mondays and Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. in Keating B23. The classes will not be held this week because of the upcoming showcase, but they will resume after.
Kelly notes that, “Almost all of the dancers on Expressions come from competitive dance backgrounds, like a studio’s competition team or competitive high school dance team.” The bond of a shared, intense passion for dance makes Expressions a special and tight-knit groups of girls. “We spend so much time together that it is inevitable that we become such good friends outside and inside the studio (we actually are such good friends that a lot of us live together),” says Kelly.
The group also has an executive board with a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicist and Events Coordinator (and President and VP-elect depending on which semester). While the board keeps things organized and well run, Kelly says, “There is no apparent sense of hierarchy. Everyone is encouraged to share their ideas and participate in everything.”
To get a taste of one of Fordham’s most impressive dance ensembles, their semi-annual showcase, “Expressions Presents: GOLD,” is this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21, at 8 p.m. in Collins Auditorium. The shows are about an hour to an hour-and-a-half long, including special performances by the Satin Dolls and Ramblers. Tickets are $3 with student ID and $8 for the public. The showcase will include everything the dancers have been working on this semester.
