It's safe to say that most Jumbos know someone in Tufts Dance Collective (TDC), if they are not members themselves. Boasting over 400 members, this student group phenomenon has taken over studio spaces and conversations across campus.
The origins of TDC are hazy, but rumors abound. It began in the 1970s, and, according to senior and board member Matt Horner, focused largely on classical dance and most likely had no audition process. TDC continues the zero audition policy today.
TDC rapidly expanded after its birth around 30 years ago. For the upcoming show, there are 39 choreographers rehearsing 20 dances. Although any dancer who wants to get involved is guaranteed an opportunity, the group is careful not to let its dances be bogged down by the large number of participants.
"We limit the dances to 28 dancers each," said board member Chelsea Goldstein-Walsh, a senior. "That way choreographers don't get overwhelmed."
Cutting out dancers, however, is not a serious problem. If you want to dance, chances are you will find a way to dance. Although there are no formal auditions, if a group exceeds the 28-person limit ,TDC's filtration process takes over. In the spirit of the group, however, this process is less than daunting.
"We have a questionnaire with just a lot of fun questions on it," explained Goldstein-Walsh. "For example, you might be asked to write a haiku about dance. It's just an easy way to see who's actually committed, and who just wrote down their name."
Why are these large numbers of students flocking to dance with TDC? The most significant reason is the sheer enthusiasm of the group, not its elite technical prowess. Most dancers and even choreographers in TDC have little to no dance experience prior to joining the group.
"I have never, ever danced ever before," said sophomore Juliana Slocum, currently involved with her first semester of TDC. "I did this to hang out with my friends for an hour and surprise my family by dancing!"
Slocum's family will be one of many flooding the campus for TDC's semesterly showcase. Though the group's main focus is the experience of rehearsing, the effort put into the dances leads to a polished performance than can be enjoyed by outsiders.
"We have a lot of fun, but that doesn't mean our dances are bad," Horner said, amid emphatic nodding from the rest of the board.
Getting involved
Surprisingly enough, TDC consistently generates strong interest without spending much effort promoting the group. When asked how they advertise, the board members merely looked around at one another quizzically.
"Student Activities Fair ..."
"Postering sometimes ..."
TDC does not perform in any kind of orientation show, nor does it spend money to recruit new members. Most of its members simply find out about it through word of mouth: a real testament to the feeling of community within the group.
"People come to see a friend, and end up enjoying the show so much that they join the next semester," Goldstein-Walsh explained.
This trend shows the extreme enthusiasm for the organization in the Tufts community — Jumbos seek the group out, not the other way around. The only prerequisite for becoming a choreographer is at least two semesters of dancing in the program. This means that most of the choreographers are not seasoned, trained virtuosos, but rather TDC veterans making up fun dances as they go along.
Though the choreographers are the authority figures of the group, they are open to collaboration in rehearsal.
"Many times, a choreographer will ask the dancers, ‘Can anyone here do a trick?' and then work it into their dance," said Goldstein-Walsh. For some, this may seem like a loosely structured system lacking an authority figure.
"There's definitely a mutual respect," said Horner. "You're having fun, but you're also working."
The level of difficulty varies greatly among the dances as well. Through an arduous selection process, the board creates 20 different groups of choreographers specializing in a diverse group of dances. These dances range from huge groups dancing at very basic levels to smaller, more technical dances.
Emily Spooner, a sophomore in her third semester of the program, has taken full advantage of the range of dances offered.
"I've been dancing for seven years," she said, "but I love doing TDC as much as less experienced dancers because of the variety in the kinds of dances you can do. If you're looking for something hard, you'll be doing the more technical dances."
Diversity among the dances goes beyond level of difficulty. Each semester's show is carefully crafted to showcase a wide range of dance genres. Spooner, like many TDC participants, has benefitted from this variety, having performed in hip hop, modern and ballet dances through the program. "You can figure out what you want or like to do by getting involved," she said.
Finding the time
Tufts students lead very busy lives. In fact, you're probably reading this while walking from your general interest meeting about a public service trip to Peru to your weekly Chinese conversation night. So how can so many Jumbos have time to devote to a dance collective when they're not even dancers to begin with?
TDC has always prided itself on a fairly small amount of commitment time. Dancers meet once a week for an hour with their choreographers to rehearse. Though there is a strong feeling of community, members are not smothered by commitment to the group.
Many dancers and choreographers are also involved with other on-campus dance groups, and choose to stay involved with TDC because it's just plain fun.
Tuftonian tradition
Like any well-established student group, TDC has formed its own traditions. In the spirit of the organization, these traditions are usually very, very silly. "Well, there's the Mandance!" senior Li Mei Kwan, a board member, quickly pointed out. The legendary TDC "Mandance," begun by alum Steve Leichman (LA '06), is, as the title would suggest, a comical performance choreographed for a stage full of men.
"It's really not serious," said Horner. "There's not a lot of guys in TDC ... I mean, it's dance." In addition to the Mandance, TDC's choreographers have developed "typical TDC moves," recycled in many dances. "These are moves you wouldn't necessarily see in a normal dance," explained Goldstein-Walsh. "There's lots of jumping [and] high-energy stuff."
Sign of the times
More than anything else, being a part of the Tufts Dance Collective involves lots of fun. But this fact isn't solely responsibly for the very steady rise in membership.
"More movies have been coming out with dancing in them," said Horner. "So people have become more interested in dancing."
"We've been seeing more diversity in dance styles too, and the dances have become slightly more technical," Goldstein-Walsh added.
Whatever the reason, TDC has become an undeniable presence among student groups on campus. For readers who have somehow been out of the loop on this phenomenon (all two of you), make sure to attend TDC's fall semester show on Dec. 6. You'll find yourself pirouetting in a studio in Jackson by the end of the week.
