Meet Juliana | Binford Dance Company Feature | Year Five
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 chose a word and in studio executed their word through movement, costume and set color and design.
MEET JULIANA
elegant
Juliana 6th grade
I have been dancing on and off since I was very little. I started dancing at a small studio called Village Dance. I mostly did ballet but I did a little bit of jazz and tap as well. I always liked taking dance there but it was a very small studio so I knew I wouldn't last there very long. By the time I was in fourth grade I was still dancing there and I was in the Village Dance Company. I was the youngest member and in the youngest age group. I had a lot of fun doing that but I still felt like I hadn't really fulfilled my dance needs. About midway through fourth grade, a program called Minds in Motion (MIM) came to our school. All the fourth graders in Richmond Public Schools would take dance classes from instructors with the Richmond Ballet at their school. I loved doing MIM and I even got picked to be in MIM Team XL. We were just about to have our big performance at the end of the year with all the schools but then Covid happened and it was canceled.MIM was pretty much over until the next year and Team XL students had the option to do virtual classes.
Let's just say the class started with about 20 to 30 kids and ended with 12. Then that summer the kids that were still interested in MIM did in-person Team XL. In 6th grade, those who still wanted to do MIM became Ambassadors and that's what I do now. At this point we were doing more ballet than actual MIM. It was fun but it didn't really give me that special feeling. That's when I got into the Binford Dance Company. It was a little nerve racking at first because I was pretty shy and everyone else was so good at dancing but once we started learning choreography and dancing a lot I felt like I had finally found the dancing that I had been searching for. After that is when I really started loving modern dance and the more I started feeling like ballet wasn't exactly for me. This will be my last year doing the MIM program. Staying with the Richmond Ballet means a lot of ballet so I still haven't decided but I may switch to a new studio next year.
I loved my time at Richmond Ballet but if I'm striving to become a modern or jazz dancer, Richmond Ballet may not be the best place to be. I will always remember my amazing teachers there and take what they taught me wherever I decide to dance. I chose the word elegant because I think having elegance is important in dance. I have very long legs so it is important to be graceful and elegant with them. Even in very upbeat jazz dances everything can get messed up without having elegance, so that is why I chose the word elegant.Dance is everything to me, dancing is what keeps me sane. Being able to express myself, to tell a story without having to say a word is truly magical. The world is as amazing as it is because of dance. Dancing takes away all stress and worry and reminds you of the good and hope in your life. Everyone should have the opportunity to dance and Binford has given a lot of people that opportunity. I will forever cherish and be grateful for being chosen for the Binford Dance Company.
