Seniors at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts are preparing for one of the most important showcases of the year.
Representatives from over 100 colleges and universities across the country will be in the audience, giving students the chance to perform for–and network with–professionals as they narrow down their college choices.
About 200 students are expected to participate in the college showcase, which features dance, music, visual arts, and theater conservatories. A tradition that spans 40 years, many students receive requests for interviews and callbacks throughout the week.
“We have the opportunity to have college recruits come here and watch us, and we’re the only school in the country that does something like this,” said Carisyn A. “We’re blessed to experience that, and we’re putting in the time and energy to get prepared.”
Carisyn, along with Maci K., Zoë M., Carra C., and Adrienne H. are seniors representing the dance conservatory in the college showcase.
Called an Evening of Dance, students will perform in an ensemble, highlighting a variety of styles, including contemporary, Latin, hip-hop, and fusion-inspired dances.
“We’re keeping up with training and working on technique, as well as rehearsing and going through dress rehearsals,” Adrienne said.
An Evening of Dance doesn’t only highlight the students in the dance conservatory.
It’s a student-led production that utilizes the skills and talents from those in other programs. While each group practices on their own, they come together as a student body for dress rehearsals.
“It’s really creating a community,” Zoë said. “We get to see everyone do their thing, which is really cool, and it builds a family.”
For the dancers, it’s that sense of community that brings them back to the studio and say it’s the relationships they create with fellow dancers that inspires them to keep going.
“The community that dance has, it’s really hard to find in another place,” Carisyn said.
Zoë agrees.
“I just love how steady dance has been in my life. I grew up with my dad in the Marines. Moving around and not having stability in my life, but having dance as my constant, it gave me a lot of comfort.”
Whether it’s performing with a company in New York, on a cruise line, or applying their experience as dancers as a psychologist or entrepreneur, the students plan to incorporate dance into their future careers.
“I’ve learned so many other things through dance, like discipline and determination,” Carra said.
In college, she wants to major in entrepreneurship and open a health and clothing business for dancers.
“I want to be able to provide all the things we need at an affordable price and make it accessible so everyone can get it,” Carra said.
Inspired by her experience coming back to dance after an injury, Maci wants to pursue a career in physical therapy to help dancers experiencing similar setbacks.
She credits her education at Booker T. to preparing her for the next step.
“I’m looking at colleges where I can train in as many styles as possible to keep my options open for when I become a professional dancer,” she said.
Her advice for younger students in the dance conservatory at Booker T. is to start preparing for senior year early.
“Make sure you get academic applications done early to get that out of the way. When you’re auditioning, you have to do double the work to apply for academics and dance, and it gets really busy,” she said. “Being able to time manage all of that while trying to enjoy senior year is tough. But doing it together and as a community is something that is unique to Booker T. that we all found this year.”
For more information on the Evening of Dance and other college showcases at Booker T., click here
