Transpose Dance Collective is a no-cut group on campus known for welcoming dancers of all experience levels. In the past, they have performed a variety of styles. Choreographers of the group utilize styles like lyrical, contemporary, line dancing, jazz and hip-hop.
Creative Director Patrice Serianni (class of ‘25) discusses why she believes Transpose being no-cut is important, explaining that, “It allows people who may not have had the experience or opportunity to dance in the past to be able to participate in that kind of community and club now in college, which is really exciting.”
Serianni continued, “We do have a lot of beginner dancers, and it really allows people to engage with an art form that they may not have been able to participate in in the past. It’s just so exciting.”
Transpose Co-President Ana Sofia Gonzalez (class of ‘23) also emphasized the importance of no-cuts by saying, “We just wanted to make sure that anybody that did want or had the passion to dance or an interest in dancing could go ahead and you know dance for fun. Most of the club is doing dance for fun.”
Julia Echemendia, a graduate student in the Master of Science in Accountancy program, joined Transpose while researching various dance groups at Notre Dame.
She described the process of joining Transpose, “I joined Transpose after researching different dance groups at Notre Dame and learning that all experience levels were accepted since they didn’t cut people during their audition process, so I went to audition, gave my preferences for different dance styles, said I’d be interested in performing, and now I get to perform three numbers of different genres at the Transpose show this Thursday.”
In describing her experience with Transpose and the opportunities she has been given since joining, Echemendia said “The close-knit atmosphere with the girls as well as the willingness of the choreographers to teach us and give all of us the opportunity to express ourselves through dance is something that doesn’t happen all the time if you’re not trained to dance... That’s what makes Transpose stand out — anyone can dance if they want to work hard enough at it, and Transpose gives all dancers, new and experienced alike, the chance to feel talented through practice and performance.”
Vice President Victoria Lyczak (class of ‘24) is also a choreographer for the group who joined the community her first year. She believes that Transpose is a place for dancers to come together.
“I think we are able to really come together regardless of whether you were a trained dancer or just someone who's looking to have some fun and move and groove,” she said. “I think we're all able to come together and share that time and it is about the dance for creating together but it's also just about the time that we spend together.”
For this year’s show, she is choreographing a jazz number, the senior piece, the officer piece duet and a solo piece. The process of choreography for Victoria is something that comes naturally to her.
“I hear the music,” she said. “The moves are within the music and it’s my responsibility to seek and find them.”
Serianni choreographed a line dancing number and started the process by finding a song. “I’ll play the music several times and improv to it. Just dance around and see what moves I like.”
Transpose Dance Collective’s showcase “Dancing Under the Stars” takes place Thursday at 7 p.m in Dahnke Ballroom. Tickets are $5 in advance, or at the door.
