Dancehampton is Raising the Barre

[caption id="attachment_51731" align="alignnone" width="800"] The young dancers of Dancehampton will take the stage June 10 and 11 at East Hampton High School.[/caption]

By Dawn Watson

Dance is about much more than merely learning the steps to a routine and performing it. It’s about opening up an entire new world of possibilities, says Kelly Hren.

Offering up those opportunities for growth, and then building and sharing in those learning experiences, are some of her favorite perks of the job, says the Dancehampton owner and director. Teaching young dancers at her East Hampton studio since 2007, there’s nothing that she enjoys more than seeing the looks of wonder and excitement on the faces of brand-new students when they first walk in the door. Except maybe when she gets to see those same students beam with pride and confidence when they are able to turn what they’ve learned into true accomplishment.

“I love to watch them fall in love with dancing,” she says of her budding dancers, who range in age from 2 to 16. “And it’s even more fabulous to see them be proud of themselves when they know that they’ve done something well.”

Culminating another year of achievement, and ending its ninth season of dance, which stretches from September to June, the company will perform its annual end-of-classes recital. Featuring what the students have learned in their ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theater, Irish step and lyrical classes, this year’s two-part program, “Places Everyone,” will be held at the East Hampton High School on Friday and Saturday, June 10 and 11.

The name of the program has multiple meanings, says Ms. Hren. It signifies where a dancer’s feet should be planted at the beginning of a performance, and also the important steps that they have undertaken in their journey of dance—where they’ve come from and where they’re going. The title of the show is also a reference to specific locations and times, as well as to emotional places in the lives of her young dance troupe members.

“It’s all about the journey, and their successes and improvements,” she says. “About how they continue to raise the bar.”

[caption id="attachment_51730" align="alignnone" width="800"] Members of Dancehampton.[/caption]

Though she’s still finalizing the program, “Places Everyone” will feature a selection of standard and contemporary tunes and dance styles, reports Ms. Hren. A few of the numbers she shared include a tap dance to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” performed by the Petite group; a musical theater number to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” by the Junior group; and an advance tap routine to “Renegades” by the Ambassadors, performed by the Senior group. Other program highlights will include routines by the Dancehampton company Competition Team, which is made up of 22 performers ranging in age from 9 to 16, and performances by the new Tap Army group, which is led by instructor Anita Boyer.

Ms. Boyer, who notes that she is honored to teach alongside Ms. Hren, says that it’s always been her passion to bring tap to the East End. Her newly formed Tap Army company, which is a recent addition to the Competition Team, came out of the gate this year with a strong start, earning six platinum awards this season.

“I love being able to teach,” says the veteran tapper, who also co-owns Our Fabulous Variety Show with fellow Dancehampton instructor Kasia Klimiuk. “I’m so proud of their work.”

Regardless of the seemingly endless variations in movements and choreography of the myriad styles, there are a few basics that are common to all types of dance, says Ms. Hren. For her and her fellow instructors, it’s about a lot more than teaching the correct steps; it’s about providing the building blocks of character, community and commitment, she reports.

Their most important jobs, she says, are to harness their students’ talents by providing them with a solid foundation to lead them to success. That means building their self esteem, as well as their respect for themselves and others, while helping them to recognize and celebrate their own individual strengths, whatever they may be.

“It’s definitely beyond dance,” she says. “It’s about making sure that they reach their fullest potential.”

Learn more about Dancehampton at www.dancehampton.com.