Dance at Oldfields

As part of the curriculum, Oldfields offers classes for beginners, intermediate, and advanced dance students that include the techniques of Ballet/Pointe, Jazz, Modern/ Choreography, and Contemporary dance. All classes include dance history, vocabulary and current events components. Currently offered classes include:

• 8th Grade Arts Wheel- Dance is offered one of three trimesters
• Introduction to Dance
• Intermediate/Advanced Ballet
• Pointe I and II
• Intermediate/ Advanced Jazz
• After school Dance sports- offered all three trimesters (meets daily)

Throughout the year, students have the chance to choreograph and to perform in concerts and assemblies. As is the hallmark of an Oldfields education, every opportunity is made for girls who have little or no dance experience, as well as for those who have special talents and extensive dance training. Performance opportunities for all dancers exist through the following showcases:

• Fall Family Weekend Performing Arts Showcase
• Winter Dance Concert
• Spring Dance Concert

Two Dance Companies exist on campus as well. The goal for these groups is to collect dancers who wish to pursue more intensive levels of dance through choreography, rehearsal/evaluation and performance. The Oldfields Dance Co. and Dreamcatchers Hip Hop Dance Team rehearse on weekends and perform in the above mentioned dance concerts. They have also performed off-campus in the following events:

• “A Community Calling”- hosted by Seton Keough HS and their NHSDA to annually benefit the Ailey Camp Baltimore Summer program
• Design In Motion Annual Benefit Dance Concert to support Wounded Warriors
• Susan Ina Dance Studio Annual Benefit Dance Concert to support Sarah’s House (a shelter for women and children)
• Project More Love: Benefit Dance Concert to support education for girls in Uganda
• Maryland Dance Alliance

Students have the opportunity to work with special guest artists for Master Classes. This may occur during regularly scheduled classes or through Oldfields May Program in which students are offered the chance to participate in the SWEAT Dance Intensive completing up to 60 hrs.of master classes in a two week time span. Here are just some of the notable dancers that have come to campus to share their knowledge and love of dance:

• Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance
• Lloyd Boyd III and Courtney Ross – Dancers of Ailey II
• Le Sole Dance Project – a West African dance troupe
• Brandon Perry-Russell – former dancer with Dance Theater of Harlem
• SoleDefined- Step/ Tap ensemble
• Kelly Sneddon of Complexions Contemporary Dance Company

Carrie Hammond
Performing Arts Department Chair
Dance Teacher
HammondRoC@OldfieldsSchool.org