Calvin News

Thirteen years ago, in 1997,Mallory Feyen was pictured on the back of a Calvin development brochure wearing her brother's Commencement cap. This May, Feyen will graduate with a social science group major and a dance minor. In between—this Friday and Saturday, April 9 and 10 to be exact—she will perform in 10 dance guild dances (hip hop, jazz, funk, lyrical, contemporary, tap and high kick) two of which she choreographed. "That's the nice thing about Dance Guild," she said. "You can try all the different styles."

How long have you been involved in Dance Guild?

I am a senior and have been involved in Dance Guild for the past four years. As a sophomore I was chosen as a choreographer for Dance Guild. Junior year I was elected to the Dance Guild leadership team, on which I held the position of scheduling manager for two years.

What do you enjoy about it?

I have been dancing for 12 years, and being able to continue dancing has been really important to me. I love Dance Guild because I have been able to try so many styles of dance—such as jazz, hip-hop, tap, modern, lyrical, partner—that I would not have been able to try otherwise. Also, Dance Guild is so great because there are multiple levels of dances, so everyone can be involved, from beginner to advanced.

What kinds of dances can we expect this year?

We have a wide variety of styles this semester, as usual. The show is composed of jazz, hip-hop, ballet, modern, lyrical, funk, tap, swing, ballroom and more.

What range of students participates in Dance Guild?

We have students of all years and skill levels involved in Dance Guild. We have three levels of dances: guild, advanced and audition. Guild is for those that have not had much dance experience and would love to try something new. Advanced is for students with a moderate level of experience. And audition dances are for those with a significant amount of dance experience—and this level requires dancers to audition for the piece.

What are the challenges of putting on the show?

There are many challenges with putting on the show but all the work and time is worth it. As a student-run organization, the five of us on leadership organize everything and put the whole show together. We choose all the choreographers, work out the business and money logistics, schedule all practices, put together the show order, organize costumes and publicize the event. Along with that, we have weekly meetings with our adviser, Ellen Van't Hof, who is a wonderful mentor and does so much to help us out. Finally, we as leadership deal with any little details or problems that may arise while putting the show together. There are many challenges with putting on the show, but all the work and time is worth it. I am pleased that Calvin has become a place where dance has a significant role and can be celebrated.

What's it like to be featured on a Calvin brochure at age 10?

It's pretty exciting. My brother's actually on the front. We didn't know it was going to happen, and then we got the brochure in the mail. I've kept it in my room all these years.