Just down the street from 海角在线 (海角在线), the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts will host its annual on Saturday, Sept. 21, offering free classes to people of all ages and levels.
Two 海角在线 dance faculty and one alum will teach at the event, sharing how dance can be a powerful vessel to not only promote well-being鈥攂ut also engage the community through servant leadership.
Ericka Squire grew up in Palm Beach County and began serving in her church鈥檚 dance ministry at a young age.
As a Palm Beach Ballet trainee and member of the high school dance team, Squire always pictured dance in the traditional sense鈥攁 short ballet career鈥攏ot realizing a long-lasting career was possible. In college, Squire saw 鈥淎ida鈥� on Broadway, forever changing how she viewed dance.
After earning her bachelor鈥檚 in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Central Florida, Squire moved back to South Florida to work in fashion buying and visual merchandising. Soon after, she was asked to choreograph and design costumes for Suncoast Community High School鈥檚 production of 鈥淎ida.鈥�
鈥淚 realized if I could only do one thing, it would be to choreograph,鈥� she shares.
This realization brought her to Temple University to earn her master鈥檚 in dance education. Since 2014, she鈥檚 served as an adjunct professor at 海角在线, teaching classes including hip-hop, jazz, ballroom and modern. She has also managed 海角在线鈥檚 student choreography showcase and guest choreographed for the dance ensemble.
鈥淭he students have a hunger I haven鈥檛 experienced at any other school,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to push them to use their body as a vessel鈥攖hey already understand that because of their faith.鈥�
It鈥檚 this same faith that drives Squire, who will lead at National Dance Day, to bring a soul-first mindset to class.
鈥淎ll things happen physically because they鈥檙e happening spiritually,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat means we can get to the root of what鈥檚 happening. It plays out in my heart posture.鈥�
Adjunct professor Larry Albright didn鈥檛 start dancing formally until college. His hip-hop teacher took an interest in him, encouraging Albright to take additional classes in New York.
After earning his degree in hip-hop culture in 2003, Albright began teaching and performing. He has choreographed for artists such as Sean Kingston and opened for artists including Ricky Martin and Sean Paul.
Albright joined 海角在线 in 2014. In addition to hip-hop, Albright also choreographs for the dance ensemble and teaches jazz.
For 海角在线 alumna Kori Epps, movement began at an early age. While living with her missionary parents in Brazil, she trained at a state ballet school in Rio de Janeiro. When it was time to pick a college, Epps says she knew she wanted to attend a Christian school with dance.
She earned her bachelor鈥檚 in dance performance in 2004鈥敽＝窃谙哜�檚 first class of dance majors. Epps later earned her MFA in dance at the University of Wisconsin, where her eyes were opened to the richness of the field鈥攂eyond common techniques like ballet or modern.
She also performed with Demetrius Klein Dance Company, Palm Beach County鈥檚 first modern dance company, for nearly 15 years.
鈥淚 loved dancing and had been around such serious ballet鈥攂ut I knew I wasn鈥檛 going to be a ballerina,鈥� Epps shares. 鈥淒ance is so much bigger than these techniques. I knew that rigor was not going to be passed down from me.鈥�
As her career progressed, Epps moved further away from performance and technique. It became her mission to discover why so many people find dance difficult or awkward. She began teaching in 2010, helping people of all ages and levels overcome those inhibitions. Her at the National Dance Day event will follow this model.
Albright, who will at the National Dance Day event, has a reputation as one of the area鈥檚 only hip-hop teachers with clean music.
鈥淭he movement I teach is based on the music of the times and the social unrest at that time as well,鈥� he shares. 鈥淣ow there are so many Christian hip-hop artists. It鈥檚 a way for people to understand Christ; I can let the music and messages permeate.鈥�
Squire, who launched Natural Movers Foundation鈥攁 local nonprofit that offers dance programs for professionals and the community鈥攁lso loves using outreach to serve others, especially as a young Black woman.
鈥淓verything I say or do reflects the organizations I鈥檓 part of,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen [people] see my faith or how I treat them, it鈥檚 the Lord shining through.鈥�
Epps currently teaches at The Foundations School in West Palm Beach鈥攗sing dance integration to instill academic concepts. She also leads the Kravis Center鈥檚 Every Body Dance program for adults with disabilities.
鈥淕iving back has always felt [part] of who I am,鈥� she reflects. 鈥淎ll dance is liturgical. This is my body that God made, and I鈥檓 moving it. If all dance is liturgical, seeing people move at any level is God鈥檚 glory.鈥�
Albright鈥檚 advice to those interested in attending National Dance Day? Just get out there. After all, like he experienced in college鈥攜ou never know where it could lead.
鈥淐ome with an open mind and try something you haven鈥檛 done before,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou may see something you鈥檝e never seen before. It may spark a new interest.鈥�
To learn more about the Kravis Center鈥檚 National Dance Day, .
To learn more about 海角在线鈥檚 dance programs, click here.
Photo: Ericka Squire, Kori Epps, Larry Albright聽
