Joining a Summer Dance Group
Sophomore summer is an iconic Dartmouth tradition that allows students to get involved in new spaces of campus.
If you're unfamiliar, sophomore summer is the term after everyone's sophomore year that students take classes on campus. Because there are only sophomores on campus, student groups need more members to fill their organizations. Thus, there are many auditions and open callings for students to join groups for the short summer period!
Because I have never been involved with the arts at Dartmouth (due to my lack of any sort of talent), I decided to try out for a dance group for the summer. After a day of auditions, I joined Sugarplum, a jazz-ballet dance group on campus.
For the group, we have practice once a week for an hour and a half. This is a much smaller commitment than typical dance groups in the normal school year, which is an easy way to be introduced to dancing.
We will have two shows throughout the summer, one hosted in a fraternity house and another in a dance showcase at the end of summer.
The dance group directors are all '25s, which means they are graduating in 2025 and are sophomores, just like me! This creates a stress-free environment as the directors are more peers than authorities.
Overall, I am having a blast with my dance group and can't wait to perform in my first show!