Final Project - Jun Yuan

Dancing With The Scholars 

By Yong Jun Yuan

On Monday, April 9th 2019, I began following some College Park Scholars along to their Latin Dance workshop as they prepared for their item for their Arts Fest Showcase on Maryland Day, Saturday, April 27th. 2019. This would form part of their course requirements as part of the program for this semester.

Evan Thanicatt (left) and Deborah Meirowitz sitting in a circle taking turns to tell everyone one good thing and one bad thing that happened to them in the previous week. The workshop is being held at a dance studio at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on Monday, Apr. 9th 2019 to give the dancers a better sense of how they look while they dance since it has full-height mirrors.

Victor Herrara, a History and French major, had been the group's main instructor over the past ten weeks up until today (Monday, Apr. 9th). Here, he's selecting the song that they will be dancing to which is Stand by Me by Prince Royce.  

Victor demonstrates some moves to the rest of the group with Deborah. This form of Latin Dance is known as Bachata and is done between two partners. 

Victor demonstrates some moves to the rest of the group with Deborah. This form of Latin Dance is known as Bachata and is done between two partners. 

Merissa Nakashi Collins had finished her two years under the College Park Scholars program but she signed up as a teaching assistant again because she enjoyed mentoring the underclassmen last year. She has been dancing since she was three and is currently a Dance and Sociology double major. 

Adriana Alonzo (left) and Evan brainstorming on how to choreograph a move for an awkward pause in the music. Adriana and Evan became good friends through the workshop and they had also put up a show together as Theatre majors over the course of this semester. They seem to have the most chemistry among all the other couples today. 

On the next Monday (Apr. 16th), the dancers return to their usual classroom in Cambridge Community Center and review their performance from the previous week. They were unable to complete the choreography as there were a few parts in the song that they had yet to fill in with moves. 

Eli Winkler (left) and Adriana recount how they've heard "Stand by Me" so many times by now. Adriana says that Prince Royce "haunts her in her dreams now". 

Halfway through their routine, the dancers need to swap partners and Emily Stancliff (left) has left her partner temporarily for Deborah. She noted that as an Architecture major, she was used to seeing well spatially. However, her biggest challenge in Latin Dance was seeing the choreography from the audiences' perspective which she felt came more naturally to her peers.

The partners seem to have gotten more comfortable with each other as time passes. 

Jenna Hertenstein tries some creative improvisation to try and fill in the last two-eights in the music. As a dancer with 12 years of experience, she liked the fact that Victor taught them more relaxed moves which were different from the competition style that she was more accustomed to. 

Victor introduces Latin Dance to the other College Park Scholars on Friday, Apr. 26th 2019 in the Grand Ballroom Lounge at Adele H. Stamp Student Union. He invites some of the audience members up on stage to learn some dance moves with the other dancers. 

A look of confusion on some of the students as they figure out the dance moves.

Three of the dancers could not make it today for the presentation today so everyone else had to make do. The dancers can't help but laugh and the audience still seems to be enjoying the show. 

The audience members giving an encouraging hi-five to Adriana, given the awkward circumstances.

The dancers have a short debrief session with Merissa who tells them to rehearse again before the final performance in the morning tomorrow. "87% of the time, it'll look better but sometimes it sucks ass," she said.

Victor's first meal today after attending to other commitments that he had to attend to since this morning.

Today's the actual day of Arts Fest on Saturday, Apr. 27th 2019. A few helpers, including Victor, assist Harold Burgess, the program director for the College Park Scholars Arts Program, with moving all the exhibits from their holding area in the Grand Ballroom Lounge to the Prince George's Room where they will actually be for the rest of the day. 

Victor arrives at 7am to help. He said that if he had not conducted the workshop, he would have taken up bullet journaling, which is the exhibit panel that he's carrying here. 

Having a short moment to himself, Victor opens ELMS to check on an assignment that he received. It is a reflection and self-assessment form that he has to complete as a workshop leader.

Merissa raises her voice when she realises that the dancers are late for their scheduled rehearsal at Prince George's Room. "It's their performance, not mine," she said.  

Evan injured his thumb the day before in the workshop so his thumb is completely covered today. He said that he was not in any pain, though. 

The dancers finally make it on stage after attending to their other commitments on that day, putting 12 weeks of training to the test. 

Eli came over to dance after singing some Hebrew songs with another group of scholars 2 performances before this. 

Jenna remembering to apply the flourishes that Merissa had taught in class. 

Everyone looks almost incredulous, congratulating each other on a job well done. The performance went forward without a hitch. 

The dancers take their final bow as they conclude their 12-week long Latin Dance journey.

Smiles all around for a job well done completing their workshop and performance.