by Elise Goitia '18

When you're dancing, you're not taking an exam—you're growing and having fun. That's the philosophy of Vershawn Sanders-Ward, who visited Knox for a week-long Afro-Contemporary Dance Residency.

"When you're little and you're moving around, you don't think, ‘am I stepping the right way?'" Sanders-Ward commented. "No. You need to release and explore a different side of who you are. It's okay if you don't get it right. It's an opportunity to have some fun and to grow."

Sanders-Ward, a movement activist and founder and executive artistic director of Red Clay Dance Company, offered a variety of dance workshops, such as Afro-Contemporary Dance and Improvisation & Composition. She also visited the Contemporary Dance II/III class, which was opened for other students to attend, and held an audition to choreograph a piece for the Department of Dance Spring Concert.

"I wanted to reinforce that dance is athletic, and it's work, but it can be fun work," said Sanders-Ward. "The takeaway is for you to approach each class as an opportunity to learn and to experience something new, which is why you're at college."

Pam Dang '19 has been dancing since her first year at Knox. She thought Sanders-Ward was "an amazing choreographer."

"I got to learn a new type of dance, which is really cool," commented Dang. "I had such an amazing time. I learned more about how to move freely across the space, new movements, and how to just let go."

Sanders-Ward's pieces have been performed at festivals in New York, Toronto, and Kampala, Uganda. She's a 2013 3Arts awardee and was selected by NewCity Magazine in 2015 as one of the "Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago." 

Claire Cody '18, who studied drumming and dance during an immersive trip to Ghana last year, said that attending the Red Clay Dance Residency brought back memories of learning dance in a different culture.

"I always love taking advantage of the residencies that the dance department offers," she added. "There are so many super cool guest artists that come. We've had a samba residency, ballet, flamenco, all sorts of different things. You can try something new and to get a good workout out of it."

Sanders-Ward's residency was funded by the Department of Dance and Terpsichore Dance Collective.