The Midland University Dance Program hosted its 10th annual Dance Connection event on December 12th. The event featured 89 participants ages 14-up and was an opportunity for dancers to learn from local and national instructors and current and former Midland University dancers.
In her first season as Director of Dance at Midland, Ashley Counterman said the event was a great way to showcase Midland University’s dance program. “It’s a great recruiting tool for us,” Counterman said. “It presented us the opportunity to not only talk about our program but Midland University. It’s a chance for us to put Midland on their radar when it’s time for them to select a school”
The event featured a variety of classes throughout the day, ranging from hip hop to theatre dance. Several of the classes were taught by Midland alum, local dance studio directors, and choreographers from Creative Dance & Music Studio in Los Angeles. “It gave us a little of a celebrity feel having dancers from Los Angeles,” Counterman said. “We had a Q&A session at the end where people asked them about life in Los Angeles and what it was like to dance professionally.”
Counterman said the Dance Connection was a great way to connect the program with the community. “Our students and teachers made it a positive experience for everyone,” she said. “It was a great way for us to celebrate with the community, and also a way for our dancers to be involved and dance some styles they don’t normally get to do.
“I am very grateful for the work Ellie Reavis (Midland dance student) put in to make this event possible. It would not have been nearly as successful without her.”
