Meet Juliana | Dogwood Dance Company Feature | Year Seven
This is my seventh year working with Dogwood’s Dance Company and showcasing their talents through my camera. It has been such an honor getting to know so many dancers over the years, As a former middle school teacher I love this age and it fills my heart to get to know these dancers and work them in such a fun setting every year!
The Dogwood Dance Company was established in 2016. It is an audition-based student dance company from Dogwood 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 Dogwood 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 Branch Muesuem and chose their favorite spots to showcase their movement and choreography they have learned through this year’s dance curriculum.
MEET Juliana
Juliana - 8th Grade
My name is Juliana, I'm 14 years old, in the 8th grade, and this is my third year in Dance Company. I love being in Dance Company and it's truly been the highlight of my middle school experience. We're such a tight knit community and love each other so much. It's a really positive environment where we all just lift each other up and encourage each other to be the best dancers we can be. I started my dance journey at a very young age, I was always very drawn to ballet. I tried other dance styles but ballet was the one I actually stuck with. I'm at Richmond Ballet right now and I'm really enjoying it. I've received some really quality training and grown a lot as a dancer. Along with the progress I've made with Richmond Ballet, I've also made a lot of progress in my dancing with Dance Company. I've been given the opportunity to tip toe into the world of choreography and learn about my own personal style. I'm going to be so sad to leave Dance Company but I'm so happy for the time I had.
