Meet Lyric | 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 lyric
Lyric- 6th Grade
My name is Lyric. I am a sixth grade dancer for the Dogwood Dance Company and a competitive gymnast. Dance to me means freedom to express myself through movement. Dancing for the Dogwood Dance Company has been a wonderful experience that has given me the opportunity to study various styles of dance, meet new friends and most importantly perform.
My dance journey began at a young age. At the age of three I would watch dance videos on Youtube trying to learn different dance styles and routines. I would also make up dances and showcase my routines to family and friends. Since I loved to dance I was given the opportunity to choose to take a dance class or a gymnastics class. I chose gymnastics because I could train my acrobatic skills and dance.
After taking gymnastics for a couple years I decided I wanted to learn different styles of dance. When I was seven years old I attended Camp Butterfly hosted by the Rare Academy. Camp Butterfly was an amazing experience that gave me an opportunity to learn and perform Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Dance Theater. After dance camp was over, I realized that I love dance because not only it gives me a way to express myself through movement, but it is also so much fun.
