One of this semester’s MCDE dances is sure to be a blast from the past! A 1940s inspired “Candyman,” choreographed by sophomores Kate Boylan and Amanda Whorlow, is a fun and sassy tap number that will get everyone up and dancing. As this is their second time choreographing together, Kate and Amanda are more than ready to tackle another semester of dance. “We felt “Candyman” was a fun, upbeat song that we could incorporate a lot of different tap steps into. We wanted to make a cute story with the song, so in our dance, we have Alex Polzun as the ‘candyman’ and all of the girls are dancing around him and flirting with him.”
With their tap class meeting every Monday, Kate and Amanda have had some obstacles to overcome. Amanda explains, “something that was definitely shocking this semester was having to lose the first two weeks of classes due to the snow! At first, Kate and I were stressing hard about not having even started our class yet when all of our other dance classes had already met twice.” Luckily, both choreographers are extremely pleased with the progress made so far. Having a smaller group is definitely an advantage, according to Kate. “I’m enjoying having a smaller group of dancers. Although having a lot of people in our dance [last semester] was nice, it has been so great being able to communicate more effectively and really getting to know the people in our dance!” The class as a laid back atmosphere and the students are able to easily communicate questions they have about the dance.
Kate and Amanda have a great friendship that allows them to work well together. Their usual routine includes meeting once a week to continue choreographing and sharing new ideas. Although both girls have busy schedules, choreographing and teaching are their favorite parts of the week. Both dancers agree that working together has been one of the most rewarding parts of MCDE, as their friendship has gotten stronger. They both explain, “last semester, we had an amazing experience choreographing and we felt we choreographed well together.” Specifically, Kate loves watching the dance come together. “My favorite part about choreographing is being able to share my experience with other dancers. I love being able to teach our dancers and watch them pick up on a step that they previously struggled with.”
Both dancers have rigorous training in many areas of dance. Amanda jokes that she loves dance for a few reasons. “My high school offered a dance program for some people to take instead of general physical education, and I obviously took full advantage of that since I love to dance and also can’t play sports for my life!” Kate also agrees that dance is a great way for her to escape the busy routine of college life. Both Kate and Amanda are extremely excited to continue working on their “Candyman” tap dance and can’t wait to see how it comes together at the MCDE shows in April.
Make sure to look out for Kate and Amanda’s throwback tap number at this year’s spring show!
Article and pictures by Kiersten Fallon
MCDE Behind the Curtain 