When Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro visited UWC-USA this week, dance students offered her more than a performance: they provided a student-led introduction to the breadth of their IB Dance experience.
Kanyoro, chair of the UWC International Board since 2019 and an international leader in philanthropy and gender equality, spent several days on campus. Learning of her interest in arts and culture at UWC schools, dance instructor Judi Harrison Ruprecht organized an October 6 lecture-demonstration highlighting four elements of the program.
Students introduced each section themselves, explaining what they study, how they prepare and where their choreography originates. Their presentations gave Kanyoro a window into both the movement and the learning behind it.
The demonstration opened with ballet, which students study every other week. They showed foundational barre exercises, followed by a petit allegro combination performed first slowly by the full group and then at a quicker pace by advanced dancers.
Next came Pilates, a regular part of the students’ warmup. Students demonstrated a sequence of five abdominal exercises, explaining how they build toward performing the series continuously as their core strength and stamina develop.
The hip-hop section featured “I Love You,” choreographed by guest instructor Dom Moody during last year’s Hip Hop Weekend. Moody visits twice each school year, helping students develop choreography for the Spring Dance Concert and work submitted for IB assessment. He returns next month.
The program concluded with an excerpt from the finale of Hairspray, learned during a September expedition to the National Dance Institute in Santa Fe.
Together, the four sections showcased the range of a program that connects technique, conditioning, choreography and performance. With Judi’s guidance, students took ownership of the presentation, sharing not only what they can do as dancers, but also their understanding of the work that makes each performance possible.