Meet Jordan | 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 jordan
JORDAN - 7th grade
My name is Jordan and I started dancing at Grace Arts when I was 6. I danced there with my friend until I was 7, but I left because the dancing just wasn't for me. I went to another studio when I was about 8 and was there until Covid hit. Also before Covid, at all schools there was this program I participated in called Minds In Motion. Most kids at my school didn’t like it, but I found it kind of fun. I soon got accepted into a bigger part of it. When Covid hit, I didn't do anything because everything was shut down. Around mid 2021, I was doing online dance for Minds In Motion. All of my friends left because they lost interest but I didn't. Soon I started to dance there and became an ambassador. I met my friends there and we did tons of dance performances and more. I also started to do dance at the Richmond Ballet since it was the same place I would do Minds In Motion (MIM). When I started 6th grade, I didn't know about the dance company, or anything there at my school. I did however know about theatre and I tried out for it, but it just wasn't for me. I found out about the dance company in mid 6th grade and tried out for it at the start of the 7th. When 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.
