By Gabrielle Prusak
The Young Dancemakers Co. is once again performing all over the city, including a stop at Flushing Town Hall later this month, with Corona resident Nhia Solari and Frank Sinatra School of the Art’s Jane Namenwirth.
The students have been working on their techniques and choreographing their dances.
There are 17 ethnically diverse high school dancer/choreographers in the group.
Namenwirth found out about the program at school.
“My dance teacher at school told me about this summer company and it seemed to be really for me, so I decided to try out,” said Namenwirth.
Namenwirth is a rising sophomore at Frank Sinatra and has been dancing for five years.
She felt left out as the only non-dancer in her clique, so she decided to try it out.
“My friends were taking ballet and it seemed like fun,” said Namenwirth.
It ended up being something she really loved and got addicted to.
Namenwirth was one of the only students at Frank Sinatra to try out for YDC who was able to follow through.
Solari learned about YDC at cheer-leading practice.
“My cheerleading coach gave me a flier and told me it was a good program for me to try out for,” said Solari.
She is a rising senior at the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College and has been dancing at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for the last five years.
The Alvin Ailey theater is a well-known dance theater that provides different dance classes for all different levels.
“I always wanted to dance when I was really young because my sister did it and I wanted to be like her,” said Solari.
In YDC, students get the opportunity to create their own performance while saying something through the dance. Namenwirth’s idea was to create a piece that is based on what it would be like to be different.
“Being a dancer in the city, you feel like an outcast,” said Namenwirth.
She feels that it is hard to be a dancer in the city and that “no one wants you to be unique” as a dancer.
Namenwirth wants to create a piece where people have the opportunity to feel like that.
Solari has a different idea for her dance.
“I want to choreograph the loss of friendship,” said Solari.
She wants to embrace the part where you get “really close with someone and then something happens and you’re no longer friends anymore.”
Solari said that this has happened to her quite a bit recently so that is why she wants to perform it.
YDC founder and Director Alice Teirstein said she created this program for “high school students to create their own original choreography.”
“I was particularly interested in New York City teens who would not otherwise have this opportunity for a free program such as this,” said Teirstein.
“I think the program is great,” said Solari. “Meeting people who love dance as much as you do, it’s great.”
The best part about the program so far for Namenwirth is working with “people who love the same thing as you do.”
If you Go
Young Dancemakers Co.
When: Sunday, July 27, dance lessons at 1 pm, concerts at 2 pm
Where: Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Cost: Free
Contact: (718) 463-7700
Website: www.flushingtownhall.org
