Colgate University students and faculty worked together to put on the Fall 2024 iteration of Dancefest on Dec. 7. This year’s rendition saw 24 performances that ranged significantly in style and form. Styles included ballroom dancing, ballet, break dancing, tap dancing and more.
The dancers were pulled from various Colgate student dance groups to show off the various styles and abilities of the Colgate student body. The Colgate Memorial Chapel was packed as students flooded in to see the semi-annual celebration of student creativity and expression.
Administrative Coordinator of Student Engagement Taylor King Crocker helped make this exciting event happen.
“Dancefest is one of the few places at Colgate where students from all walks of life come together to share their talents and get support from a large amount of the student body,” King Crocker said.
This is King Crocker’s third year working with the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) at Colgate but her first year coordinating Dancefest.
“The students fill up the 900-person chapel every semester so the production deserves all the stops to make it the best it can be,” King Crocker said.
One thing that was special to Dancefest this year was the production value; specifically, the chapel was made into a stage with a backdrop and a dynamic lighting display designed by senior Brian Douglas Jr.
“Knowing that Dancefest is a premier program led by students on campus, this semester my goal was to enhance the production elements of the performance,” King Crocker said. “I knew I wanted to introduce lights, marley flooring, a black backdrop and engineered sound aimed to support each artist’s work, and the [Dancefest Committee] helped to bring this to life.”
“This year’s Dancefest marked a significant leap in production value through the integration of dance-synchronized lighting design,” Douglas added. “It was particularly rewarding to design for such a diverse range of dance styles, from contemporary to hip-hop, classical to cultural performances, with each genre presenting unique opportunities to explore different aesthetics and rhythmic patterns while emphasizing the talent of our students.”
Such technology also enhanced one of the most important elements of the entire event: communal support. Dancefest creates an apparatus that encourages participants and audience members to be proud of their own individual accomplishments but also to celebrate the hard work and dedication of everyone else on and off the stage. Junior Lucy Brewer, a member of the Ballroom and Masque and Triangle dance groups was excited to cheer on her peers after her own performances.
“Honestly, my favorite part of Dancefest is when I am done dancing, and I get to cheer everyone on,” Brewer said. “We have a TV feed of the stage, so we can cheer people on even though we aren’t directly in the audience.”
Dancefest, in addition to incorporating a wide range of styles and genres, also takes in participants that vary in terms of dancing experience. By juxtaposing novelty with savvy, the groups that make up Dancefest encourage newcomers to discover the joys and merits of the art form and helps more seasoned dancers to hone their craft.
Senior Katie Victor enjoyed working with newer dancers as a member of the Colgate Ballet Company, Colgate Ballroom Dancers, Colgate Dance Initiative and Masque and Triangle, though she is an experienced dancer herself.
“From beginners who are trying out dance for the first time to those who have been dancing their whole lives, both are extremely rewarding in their own ways,” Victor said.
Dancefest set a strong precedent this year for future installments of this tradition and bodes well for future student and faculty-led efforts to promote the arts and artists on Colgate’s campus.
“I am very happy with the final product of the performance. It’s such a pleasure to work with dancers who are passionate about their art,” Crocker said. “The bottom line is, Dancefest is only possible through the collaboration of minds, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to lead this rich tradition this semester.”
