Q&A With Two DANCE MKE Competitors

Dos. Photo courtesy of the Marcus Performing Arts Center.

A large crowd was on hand Tuesday night at the Peck Pavilion for the first night of the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s 2019 DANCE MKE competition. The multi-week contest is part of Live at Peck summer programming series.

Out of the six competing dance groups, four have advanced to the Finals.

Want to help pick the next group of winners? Join the fun at 7:00 p.m. on August 6th at the Peck Pavilion at the Marcus Center (929 N. Water St.). The event is free to attend.

Fourteen groups of talented dancers from all backgrounds and disciplines will compete for nine spots in the finals. Come down and be amazed by these talented Milwaukee dancers as they compete for cash prizes and Danceworks scholarships, and bragging rights. There will be a little something for everyone with dance styles including: contemporary, Mexican folklore, hip-hop, American Tribal Belly Dance, lyrical, salsa, contemporary fusion, ballroom and tap.

For more information on the DANCE MKE schedule and all of the free Live at Peck events visit http://www.marcuscenter.org.

Two of the competing dance groups that advanced to the finals answered some questions.

Dos

With DANCE MKE – What are you hoping to get from this experience?

From this experience I want to network with the performers and expand my knowledge of all dances other than my own style of dance.

Why do you love to dance?

I enjoy making people happy, and at a very young age I realized that my dancing put smiles on peoples faces. Also, I grew up in a household that played music daily. Music from different genres like country, reggae, hip-hop, Rock & Roll, pop etc. That made my musicality a lot better, giving me an ear for what and what not to dance to. As I grew up, dancing became a big help to me whenever I was upset or sad about problems in my life and it was easy for me to form my aggression into dance moves instead of taking any drugs or doing anything negative with my anger.

What is one unique characteristic about you/your group?

One unique characteristic about me is that I can decipher any bad/negative situation and make it a positive one.

What is your favorite thing about your dance you performed?

My favorite thing about my performance was the way the crowd reacted to my dancing. I put a lot of hard work into the choreography and the reaction was a good sign that my hard work paid off.

Artistic Edge Dance Centre

Artistic Edge Dance Centre. Photo courtesy of the Marcus Performing Arts Center.

With DANCE MKE – What are you hoping to get from this experience?

Milwaukee is a city that is extremely diverse and has extensive talent in the arts. Dance is not just an art form, but an expressive outlet for many, including the dancers here at Artistic Edge Dance Centre. DANCE MKE enables all to come together and share their talents, their passion and their messages. The experience is about bringing the dance community together, ignoring physical differences and, instead, celebrating the connection we all have developed through dance and supporting one another. We hope to gain a greater connection to the Milwaukee dance community.

Why do you love to dance?

I feel as though no matter how “impressive” or “cool” outsiders seem to think dance is, it truly isn’t all about the tricks. Dance is one of the rarest forms of communication because it takes so much strength to let go and allow outsiders to read your true emotions. It’s an outlet to express yourself and spread positivity. Also, the people you can meet throughout your dance career are truly astounding. Dance is all about supportive and encouraging actions which you may not receive from other activities.

What is one unique characteristic about you/your group?

One of the most unique things about Artistic Edge Dance Centre is our strength as a family and our persistence and drive to get through everything together. We have been faced with unfathomable challenges that were just as much emotional as they were physical, yet, in response, our team has built an incomparable bond.

What is your favorite thing about your dance you performed?

This piece is an emotional piece and it is very dependent on one another as it relies on a lot of partnering. This past year, we have all had to rely on one another for many reasons and this piece really conveys that story.