Spring Break
Georgia Dymes blend diverse styles of dance
Contributed By JACLYN ENNERS
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Incorporating dance styles varying from African to hip-hop to modern, the club not only exposes audiences to unique forms of story-telling and communication, but to different cultures as well.
"The group was basically formed to make a creative group on campus that was not an exclusive club," said Jacques Bell, a senior from Stone Mountain and the group's founder. "The Georgia Dymes features dancers from diverse backgrounds."
Bell said the idea to form the Georgia Dymes came out of a need to create a diverse dance group.
"I just wanted to give students the opportunity to dance and learn," Bell said.
Monica DeLoach, a graduate student from Athens, helped judge new dancer auditions this fall and said, "(Dance is) everywhere; in commercials, on music television. Dance and music are things that we all can identify with."
Many team members said they feel the club's greatest asset is the diversity it brings to the local dance community.
"Watching the Georgia Dymes perform is like watching an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) dance team perform at half time," said Alisha Wiggins, a junior and former Dymes member from Columbus.
In their effort to promote cultural awareness through dance, the Georgia Dymes work closely with the Pamoja Dance Company, usually participating in Pamoja's opening number.
Pamoja, a dance company that focuses primarily on African dance, currently has nearly 100 members.
Active on and off the campus, Pamoja's aims are similar to those of the Georgia Dymes.
"Pamoja gives students the opportunity to express themselves and their art while being artistically creative," said LaRetha Spain-Shuler, assistant dean of Student Affairs and sponsor of Pamoja. "It's a great opportunity for students to create their own voice."
The Dymes are working toward gaining performance time at basketball games.
Currently, the Dymes serve as guest performers at other club events on campus and perform at the Bulldog rallies.
