The Columbia Renegades Dance Team performed this week as part of the college’s first Festival of Dance Clubs, a new initiative aimed at bringing student dance showcases under one coordinated, weeklong program.
After weeks of rehearsal since the start of the spring semester, the team presented a series of choreographed routines reflecting a range of styles…
The festival was organized by the Dance Center in response to growing demand from student groups seeking performance space.
It showcased C2K, Columbia’s Renegades Dance Team and Mi Gente Latin Dance Team. The initiative offered a full week of dance this week and emphasized the art form on Columbia’s campus…
Renegades Dance Team co-captain Emma Graveen, a junior music business major, joined the team her first year at Columbia and became a captain her sophomore year…
Renegades Dance Team co-captain Elaina Fletcher, a junior performing arts management major, said she also was excited to be a part of the festival for the first time.
“It’s really nice that they’re giving all the dance clubs an opportunity to perform on the stage, because usually it’s super booked with other performances and hard to get, so it was really nice to have the opportunity,” she said.
“[Dance is] a vital form of expression, storytelling, and community building. It creates space for students to share their identities, perspectives, and lived experiences in ways that extend beyond the classroom. When dance is visible and celebrated, it fosters a more vibrant, inclusive campus culture, valuing creativity, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas.””
Fletcher also pointed out how the festival is beneficial for the student-run dance clubs because they get to display the variety of dance styles they all use…
The showcase marked a milestone for first-year film and television major Tallie Olmos, who is in her first semester with the team and contributed one of the featured choreographed pieces. Her work centered on the theme of friendship…
“It’s a vital form of expression, storytelling, and community building. It creates space for students to share their identities, perspectives, and lived experiences in ways that extend beyond the classroom,” Sutton said. “When dance is visible and celebrated, it fosters a more vibrant, inclusive campus culture, valuing creativity, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas.”
