Meet Selma | Binford Dance Company Feature | Year Six
The Binford Dance Company was established in 2016. It is an audition-based student dance company from Binford Middle School, an arts integrated school located in Richmond, VA. Company members study Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Improvisation, and Composition within the Binford dance program. The company has performed throughout the community including: The 2019 Superintendent’s State of the Schools Address, Generation Dream, Richmond Public Schools Fine Arts Festival, Strawberry Street Festival, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology, Petersburg Home for Ladies, and Cedarfield Retirement Community. The company also had the opportunity to perform in the music videos “Have It All” and “Love Is Still The Answer” by Jason Mraz. The Binford Dance Company inspires students to find their own voice through performance and choreography while learning valuable skills in the rehearsal process including collaboration, respect, and confidence.
This year the company dancers met at the VMFA and chose their favorite spots to showcase their movement and choreography they have learned through this year’s dance curriculum.
MEET selma
SELMA - 8th grade
Since I can remember, dance has been my passion. Even when I was in kindergarten, I remember going to my studio after a long day at school, ecstatic to dance my heart out. It was my safe space, and I loved being able to express myself through movement. However In the past year or so, my view of dance has changed–I now see some of the negative aspects of ballet.
Traditionally, the ballet world has put a lot of pressure on dancers to look a certain way, but when I was younger it was never something I paid much attention to. As I entered my teen years, I began to notice the expectations put on ballerinas; to be thin–something not important to me–and white–something I’m not. The majority of the girls I grew up dancing with looked nothing like me, and I started to feel out of place at my studio. Microaggressions suddenly became more apparent to me, like my teachers confusing me for one of the only other brown girls. I put a lot of pressure on myself to fit the beauty standards, and it was difficult to look at myself in the mirror for hours at a time in a fitted leotard and tights. I was uncomfortable in my own skin, and oftentimes I felt I wasn't good enough to train at my studio.
I eventually learned to prioritize my mental health. I came to realize that beauty comes in all different forms, and I wasn't willing to give up who I am to meet the standards that I always felt pressured to fit into. Now, I work on loving myself and highlighting my brown identity when I can. Every time I get a new pair of pointe shoes, I dye them to match my skin color and I wear them with confidence. By shifting my mindset, my relationship with dance became healthier. Once I began to think of dance as an escape like I did growing up – instead of comparing myself to others– it became much more enjoyable.
Looking back on my time in middle school, I’m so grateful for the Binford Dance Company. Being around such a fun, kind, and diverse group influenced my love for dance, and I’m so lucky to have met so many amazing people. Thanks to Ms. Perkinson, BDC became my family and my home, and I am forever grateful to have been a part of such a supportive community. Appreciative for the memories I’ve made, I can't wait to see what the future holds.
