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Dance
at
Lawrenceville

 

Our dance program offers a challenging curriculum designed to facilitate growth and exploration levels appropriate to students' experience. We emphasize technique, flow, and athleticism, encouraging students to explore a variety of dance styles and techniques. In our dance program, students expand their artistic and athletic potential; they express their emotions and connect with their community.

The Lawrenceville School Dance Program provides a well-rounded dance experience. Our broad approach prepares dancers for a wide spectrum of opportunities in the dance world and beyond. We develop the skills associated with academic and real-life success, including leadership, self-confidence, self-discipline, collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and cultural appreciation — reflecting the School's mission "to inspire the best in each to seek the best for all."

 

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Our
Purpose

Derrick Wilder

Derrick D. Wilder
Director of Dance

 

Dance is a unifying force that builds belonging, empathy, and self-expression across the entire Lawrenceville community. 

 

Opportunities

The dance program at Lawrenceville includes two opportunities to celebrate the culture and potential of dance:

Big Red Dance (Athletic Credit)

Big Red Dance offers students the opportunity to train, perform, and grow at a level that matches their artistic passion and experience. As part of the athletic co-curricular program, Big Red Dance features instruction in ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, modern, and lyrical dance, with classes available for beginner, intermediate, and advanced dancers.

More than a dance program, Big Red Dance is a vibrant and inclusive community where students build confidence, creativity, and connection through movement. Dance becomes a powerful language that brings people together, celebrates individuality, and inspires empathy and teamwork.

 

En Corps (Non-Athletic Credit)

En Corps ensembles welcome dancers of all backgrounds and abilities, breaking down barriers between athlete and artist, performer and participant, beginner and expert. Join the Movement!

Big Red Dance and En Corps are rooted in the belief that dance strengthens campus life and community spirit, empowering students to inspire the best in each to seek the best for all.

Lawrenceville Dance Team

LDT, Lawrenceville's competition dance team, aims to cultivate an environment where dancers aspire to inspire and promote artistry and athleticism, making a meaningful impact in our Lawrenceville community and beyond. LDT nurtures individuality and emphasizes the value of building both a cohesive team and a thriving dance community.

Tour de Force

TDF is more than just a dance ensemble; it is the spirit of the community bringing us together through creativity, passion, and self-expression. By encouraging dancers to embrace their individual strengths while learning new skills, TDF fosters personal growth, artistic development and community building. TDf creates an environment where students feel empowered to challenge themselves, build confidence, and connect with others through a shared love of dance. Through its spirit and dedication, TDF strengthens the Lawrenceville community by promoting unity, collaboration, and creativity.

Nachale

Nachale is Lawrenceville’s Bollywood and Indian classical dance ensemble, dedicated to celebrating a rich Indian culture. We foster a vibrant environment where Lawrentians from diverse backgrounds come together to promote cultural richness, community wellbeing, and the enduring legacy of cultural dance traditions.

L-KR3W

L-KR3W is our street dance-style ensemble, including Hip-Hop techniques. We cultivate a sense of liberation and camaraderie, embracing the diversity of rhythms within our community to showcase each dancer’s authentic, unique expression.

Lawrenceville School Dance Company

The Lawrenceville School Dance Company (LSDC) is a unique dance ensemble that provides students an opportunity to experience the world of professional dance through our esteemed dance faculty. In LSDC, dancers polish and expand their craft, exploring their potential and developing their technical and performance skills.

FRObeats

FRObeats is Lawrenceville’s Afro fusion dance ensemble dedicated to creating a welcoming space, regardless of experience or background, to explore and learn about this vibrant genre. Afro fusion, originating in West Africa and the diaspora, re-emerged in the 2000s and 2010s from countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK. By shining a light on this underrepresented genre, we and to support an appreciation for the diverse cultural expressions.

K-Dance Crew

KDC celebrates and shares Korean culture through dynamic performances. KDC dancers collaborate creatively on original works that fuse K-pop influences with traditional elements. We aim to cultivate teamwork, cultural appreciation, and community connections through our passion for movement and expression.

Lights that Dance

Lights That Dance (LTD) is a groundbreaking concept that redefines what it means to dance. LTD is a technology-driven performance ensemble dedicated to storytelling through the art of illumination — where the lights themselves become the dancers. By blending concert-style lighting techniques with immersive visual expression, LTD creates transformative experiences centered on discovering one’s inner light. Through innovation, movement, and design, LTD fosters a vibrant creative community where the light designer in all of us is inspired to express themselves in bold, unconventional, deeply personal, and in creative ways.

Bold Athletes Dancing

B.A.D. believes that all dancers are athletes and all students are dancers. We are committed to breaking the mold of traditional dance by creating an environment where movement is more than performance — it is discipline, confidence, self-expression, and personal growth. B.A.D., we recognize the strength, dedication, and resilience it takes to train as a dancer, while also embracing the idea that every athlete, regardless of experience or background, has the ability to move, create, and thrive.

Bold Athletes Moving

B.A.M. - Athletes are dancers who are artists in Motion. We are Boundary Breakers Beyond traditional Movement fostering strength, self-expression, opportunity for every athlete whether you are on the field, the court, the track or in the water to move freely and in their own unique artistry. B.A.M, believes dance is for everybody. We recognize dancers as athletes as evolving performers, building a community that challenges traditional dance norms through passion, discipline, and inclusivity.

Elements of Vogue

Elements of Vogue - Our mission is to create a bold, welcoming, and high-energy space where self-expression, confidence, and community reign supreme and come alive through the art of voguing. Inspired by the core elements of voguing — hand performance, floor performance, duckwalk, catwalk, and dips — we celebrate individuality, creativity, and movement in all forms. Whether you are stepping onto the floor for the first time or ready to bring your own flair, Elements of Vogue is a place to learn, grow, and shine together. No experience is needed — just enthusiasm, openness, and the courage to express yourself unapologetically.

Yún Dance Troupe

Yún Dance Troupe - brings a culture of elegance and expressive storytelling, exploring the vast avenues of China’s diverse ancient and artistic traditions, drawing inspiration from different time periods, dynasties, and ethnic groups to create dances of creative expression and authenticity. We strive to create a space where dancers are encouraged all to engage in these beautiful forms of movement and also discover their inner Yùn - the intention of spirit and rhythm behind every gesture; it is about each step and finding the continuity of breath and heart.

 

 

Instructors

Kristin Devine '10

Titles: Lyrical, Contemporary, and Jazz Dance Instructor, Performing Arts Department
Email:

Chloe Kalna

Titles: Department Chair, Visual Arts Department; Modern Dance Instructor, Performing Arts Department
Email:

Erika Mero

Titles: Ballet Dance Instructor, Performing Arts Department
Email:

Derrick Wilder

Titles: Director of Dance, Performing Arts Department, The Carol and W. Graham Cole Jr. Distinguished Teaching Chair
Email:

Start Your Journey

If you’re ready to take the next steps towards joining the Lawrenceville community, start with our inquiry form. During the Inquiry and Application processes, you'll be able to connect with faculty and staff in your area of interest.

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