Dancers of rva

To me, dance means a way to express yourself. When I started dancing it was just at home in front of my tv with loud music playing and I never really thought about joining a company. Now that I have, it has been such a fun experience. Dance is something that you can connect to people with, it is something that I have always loved doing. For a really long time now, dance has  been an interest of mine. The fact that dance comes in many forms is nice, it means your dance journey is never ending as there will always be something new. Dance is a huge passion of mine and it is such a beautiful art form that allows you to  express yourself and your emotions.

 Truth be told, dance hadn’t been such a passion of mine up until I began dancing with the Binford Dance Company. The love for dance that I had was always lit up whenever I was dancing in the studio. I remember my heart feeling the happiest it had ever been. Overall, it changed my personality, my perspectives, and my life.   When I was little, dance was more of a hobby than anything else. I mean, yes, I loved to dance, but I guess I never saw how much it really impacted my life. When I dance, I feel like I am painting a beautiful work of art that takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. All in all, dance makes me feel free. 

It felt nice to move with a purpose and have something that was mine. I stopped for a while after that but I never stopped moving or pretending like I was the principal dancer front and center. One of the things I like about dance is that it makes me feel so free and powerful. No matter how I’m feeling, everything goes away while I’m dancing. The feeling I get when I do it is like nothing else. It’s one of those things that you can never get tired of.

My name is Kennedy and I like to be creative. I used to dance when I was younger but stopped because I wasn’t a really big fan. I wanted to do something new. However, I started back doing dance at the beginning of 7th grade. A friend told me I should audition, so I took a chance and I surprisingly got in. Dance is a way for me to express myself and connect with others. It is one of my favorite things to do in my spare time. I enjoy art a lot. It helps me express myself more than words ever can. I think that if I didn’t do dance then I would not have been able to become closer with my friends nor create new friendships.

I have been dancing since I was 5 years old. I started to take dance classes at my elementary school, during kindergarten. They mostly focused on one style of dance, ballet, which was the start of my dance journey. After the classes ended I went to Grace Arts for a few years and took Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, and Tap. My favorite dance style then and now was always Contemporary and this is because of two reasons. I love to write and tell stories, so putting together telling stories and dancing made Contemporary one of my favorites. The other reason was because Contemporary is also about expressing yourself through dance and that is what helped me to start liking to dance better. After I took tap I stopped going to dance class for a while and started other things, but I still liked to dance more than other sports. When I came to Binford I was thrilled they had a dance company. My first year I tried out and I didnt get in. That didn’t stop me, and the next year I did! So now, here I am telling my story.

Dance is my everything, it is a way for me to express my emotions without having to verbally speak about them. Dance has always been a way for me to cope with grief, happiness, confusion and so much more. Dance is my therapy and I do it because it is the only thing that can be whatever I make it. Without the Binford Dance Company I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunities I have now. I have had such amazing relationships and experiences through this company and I could not be any happier to say I am a proud member of the BDC. 

Hi my name is Makenzie and this is my dance journey . I have been dancing since I was 7, specifically ballet and tap. I always thought that I was not a dancer and then I took one class and said this is what I want to do.  Dance means the world to me and I love how it makes me feel. When I’m dancing, I feel like I can express myself and enjoy myself. I also feel happy and joyful when I dance but I can express myself as sad and scared and much much more. I love dancing so much because I can also find new friends and good bonds with people who you can trust. I am only in sixth grade so I hope to grow with the Binford Dance Company. I really love to choreograph dances and work with improvisation. I enjoy hip-hop and jazz and just doing dance in general. I love being taught by Ms. Perkinson. She is the reason why I’m in the Binford Dance Company and I appreciate her a lot. She is helping the dance company grow so much and I’m so excited to try out again next year. 

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. 

Dance is a big part of my life. Dance is who I am and it makes me feel happy. When I dance I can’t explain how I feel. I just move with the flow. Dance just makes the sad days happy and the bad days easy.

My name is Juliana and I love to dance. I've been dancing since I was very little but ballet is what has always stuck out to me. I've always loved the elegance and flowyness of ballet. I enjoy trying different styles of dance but there is something about the specificity of ballet. I feel in ballet you can always do better, you can always be stronger, and you can always improve your technique. I feel that in some other styles you either have it or you don't. Ballet is hard, and it hurts, and sometimes I really wish I could go home and never go again, but the will that makes me go to my next class and makes me try my hardest to get better is what reminds me of how much I love it. I currently go to Richmond Ballet and next year I will go on pointe. I'm in seventh grade and this is my second year being in the Binford Dance Company. I've loved the dance company ever since I joined. It's such a safe space to be in but we also push and inspire each other to improve. We truly are a team and we grow together as dancers and as people. I'm so glad to have been able to be a part of this little community and I will never forget what an impact dance company has had on me.

hen I got in I was so excited. I stopped dancing at the Ballet because it got in the way of dancing at school. However,  I hope to start again in the upcoming fall. At school I've got along with mainly everyone in the dance company, and it’s been a really fun experience.

 Dance gives me a lot of confidence and it’s a beautiful art form. I have loved to dance ever since I was 1. I always liked dancing and moving in different ways. I would often enjoy looking at others dance. For a while I liked ballet the most because of the smooth and glorious movements. I took many classes on various dance genres. I feel like more people, especially kids, should do dance because it's a way you can express yourself without having to speak. Dance is for everyone who enjoys it. Dance is a big part of my life and it means alot to be able to dance with the Binford Dance Company.

Dance can mean so many things, but to me it is a way to create feeling in emotion with my body while others can feel that energy and emotion from the movement and music. Anyone can dance, they just need to find a reason to. (Or not technically, you don’t need a reason to dance!)

My relationship with dancing had always been a beautiful thing. Going to my dance studio had always been something I looked forward to and enjoyed. Unfortunately, in the past couple of months, a lot has changed in my viewpoint towards dancing.