Terpsichore, the Greek muse of dance, is what gave the name to Knox's Terpsichore Dance Collective. Pronounced terp-sick-oh-ree, this extracurricular dance group gives everyone on campus a chance to participate in the art of dance. Terpsichore, often nicknamed Terp, aims to create a place for students to explore movement, regardless of technical knowledge or skill in the field.
Opportunities with Terpsichore
Dance. This dance group gives students of all skill levels a chance to perform in three major shows throughout the academic year. With one show each term, students can audition for and participate in one, two, or all of the shows
Choreography. In order for Terp to exist, there have to be students who choreograph the dances for it. Students can submit choreographies to be reviewed by the Terp board, which is also run by students. In the past, dances have been chosen from students with bountiful choreography experience, but also from students who were trying their hand at choreography for the first time
Range of styles
Every Terp show contains dances of a wide variety of styles and concepts. These include:
Interpretive dance
Jazz
Hip-hop
Ballet
Techno/robotic
Belly dance
Flag dance
Salsa
There are also a number of dances choreographed by students that combine elements of many of these styles, and still other dances that are almost impossible to categorize.
More than just performing
In addition to putting on shows, Terp has also brought:
AMEBA, an acrobatic dance company to Knox to inspire creativity in dance on campus
Professional dancers to Knox for residencies and workshops open to all students
Perseverance
After a fire code forced the Terp shows to change venues from their usual performance location of the Knox Auxiliary Gym, it became clear that Terp's audience would pack into any venue they played. When Terp's shows during the 2007-2008 school year moved into Harbach Theatre, every seat was filled. Later in 2009 when they tried their first-ever indoor-outdoor combination show, with one half in the Knosher Bowl and the other half in the Memorial Gym, the crowd also followed in massive numbers.
Constantly facing challenges in terms of using theater spaces when theatrical shows are running or having to quickly find a new performance spot when their outside venue got rained out (and still manage to have a full audience), Terp as an organization faces every situation with skill and perseverance.
Auditions for Terp take place every term, and all students are welcome to try out and/or submit choreography.
