For a school of less than 4,000 undergraduate students, Brandeis holds an impressive array of diverse dance clubs. Even more impressive is students’ palpable devotion to strengthening the already commanding presence that dance has on the Brandeis campus and creating a space for this unique form of physical activity and art. In the words of Ballet Club Co-President Lilliana Aspromonte ’25, the ultimate “goal is to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and is able to dance.”

By collecting the personal reflections of executive board members from Adagio Dance Company, Brandeis Ballet Club, KAOS Kids and Brandeis Chak De, the wider University community can get a small taste of what has hooked Brandeis dancers on the art form and sport that many have dedicated the entirety of their young lives to. 

Adagio Dance Company is a broadly based dance club catering to dancers of all levels and backgrounds with currently over 60 members. Christina Lin ’25, the co-president of Adagio, underscores that “there’s no need to worry about competitiveness — if you want to dance, everyone has a chance to join after attending our dancer placements.” Adagio also has “a sub-group called the Dance Ensemble that offers advanced dancers a more rigorous dance experience and rehearsal schedule.” Joining the DE is competitive, “as it requires a greater time commitment and focuses on providing more specialized training for those looking to elevate their skills.”

Brandeis Ballet Club focuses specifically on ballet, and is slightly smaller with around 40 members. Co-President Emma Stott ’25 says that their mission is to “provide an inclusive and positive community … everyone is able to join regardless of their level and previous dance experience.” Some members “have been dancing throughout their life,” while “other members [have just begun] dancing in college. Similar to Adagio, “in order to join, dancers participate in a placement class so that they can be placed in the appropriate level dances.”

KAOS Kids is relatively more competitive, as it is the only hip-hop group on campus and holds auditions every semester to round out its crew, which sits right now at 18 members. Anna Jacobsen ’25, the president of KAOS Kids, explained that “the dance space at Brandeis is supportive, with various clubs catering to various levels of experience and types of dance.” She also applauded the “rich and diverse” dance community in Boston, “with many opportunities to engage with off-campus organizations including universities and professionals.” According to Jacobsen, members of KAOS “love watching and cheering on other dance groups, as it is inspiring and motivates us.”

Brandeis Chak De, which specializes in Bollywood fusion, also describes itself as more competitive, with a selective audition process. Captain Aishwarya Surendran ’26 says that currently “there are around 17 members … as we cannot take more than a certain number of people every semester.” 

Sharing how they got started in the world of dance, members interviewed across the four clubs shared similar sentiments about the alluring power of the art form. Jacobsen recalled that she “began dancing when [she] was in elementary school, doing ballet, contemporary and jazz styles.” Surendran also got into dance when she was five years old and she has been doing Indian classical dance since that age, beginning to compete in middle school. Echoing Jacobsen and Surendran’s experience starting out in dance at a young age, Aspromonte also described starting to dance at age five and continuing through middle and high school. The rest was history for her, as well as Stott, who started “taking ballet lessons at age three, as [her] mom had been a ballet dancer and was a dance teacher at the time.” Lin added that for her, dance is also a story of heritage and passing on generational passion. Lin said that she “started doing Chinese folk dance and classical dance when [she] was eight years old.” 

Surendran expressed gratitude for the dedication that Brandeis dancers have shown in maintaining their love of dance and creating a space to continue to develop their skills. She says that “when [she] came to Brandeis, [she] wanted to continue [her] passion for dance,” and thankfully she “realized there was a Bollywood dance team on campus.” Because of this opportunity, she has been “able to keep [her] passion for dancing alive while also learning more types of dance styles.”

The leaders also contributed their perspectives on dance as “so much more than a sport,” using Jacobsen’s words. The nature of dance is dually athletic and artistic, which also gifts each dancer with a deeply personal experience while dancing as it fosters both creativity and challenge. Lin shared that in her opinion, dance is a combination of art and sport. As an art, she says “it allows dancers to tell stories through creative movement.” In expressing how dance can be considered a sport, Lin draws inspiration from “an old Chinese idiom that says, ‘it takes ten years of practice for one minute on stage.’” This reveals “the challenge of dance, which requires endurance, commitment, and the ability to push physical boundaries,” which means to Lin that dance “fits into the category of sport as well.” 

Jacobsen touched on the variety of dance styles as another factor in the exciting challenge that it presents as an athletic activity, saying that she “has always loved dancing in any form.” Both Jacobsen and Lin mentioned that since coming to Brandeis, they have expanded their experience and technical ability in different styles. Lin has “had the opportunity to explore different genres such as contemporary, modern and jazz,” and Jacobsen shared that she “had only done hip hop a few times before joining KAOS.” 

In fact, many student dancers spread their talent across a variety of dance communities. Jacobsen said that in KAOS, there are “some members who are also in Adagio, and in the past [they] have had members who have been in Hooked on Tap, Chak De, and Wayster.” As for Ballet Club, Stott says they also have “many members that are in … Adagio and Hooked on Tap.” As the biggest dance group on campus, Lin shares that there is a wealth of dance experience in Adagio as she, as well as many of her members, are also part of Ballet Club. Other students participate in KAOS, the Brandeis Ballroom Formation Team, Hooked on Tap and various K-Pop dance groups. While Chak De does not currently have any dancers in other clubs, Surendran highlighted the supportive nature of the Brandeis dance community, saying that “everyone interacts with each other, ... invites everyone to their showcases and collaborates,” which she appreciates “because we are all able to share our art forms with each other in a creative and supportive space.”

Lin agreed with Surendran, stating “we always attend each other’s shows to support one another, which makes it feel like one big dance family.” She also highlighted the master class hosted by Adagio, Ballet Club and KAOS last semester, explaining that the opportunity to share in each other's unique energy “was such a joy,” as dancers “from all three companies collaborate[ed] and learn[ed] each other’s dance styles.” The three companies choreographed a dance combo, “smoothly combining three dance styles together,” which is a testament to the multifaceted talents of the dancers.  

The presidents’ goals for their clubs find commonality in seeking to strengthen the interconnectedness of the Brandeis dance community and create a comfortable yet ambitious environment. Lin says that her “personal goal is to ensure that everyone feels welcome, regardless of their dance experience.” She aims “to foster a loving community where members can not only grow as dancers but also find a sense of ‘home,’” which she identifies as “a place to escape from the stresses of academic life.” Lin also says that for members, she hopes that they are able to “discover a passion for dance, improve their skills and most importantly, build lasting friendships” within the club. “I want every Adagio dancer to feel proud of the work we create together,” she explained. 

Jacobsen says that the ultimate goal for KAOS is “pushing ourselves in new ways as dancers.” She hopes that “whether it’s through learning new choreography, taking classes outside of Brandeis or performing at a show,” she and her fellow dancers “are always trying new things together and learning and growing as individuals and a team.” Fellow KAOS e-board member, Sofía Wolf ’25, stressed the importance of collectivity, appreciating the opportunity for KAOS members to “improve and perform [their] dancing abilities with people who want to do the same.” Wolf elaborated on this, saying that it is “always really good to find other people who like to express themselves in the same ways. It’s something that brings everyone together and everyone feels better after practice.”

Working towards shared goals and drawing inspiration from their fellow dancers is a defining characteristic of the Brandeis dance clubs. Stott and Aspromonte explained that for Ballet Club, this also means going further in supporting the well-being of dancers. They “increased the accessibility of ballet to the greater campus community” by putting an end to the division between club and company members in deciding which dancers performed in their annual performance of Tchovsky’s “The Nutcracker” and their spring showcase. The presidents emphasized an all-around commitment to ensuring that “members … have the opportunity to participate and perform in a supportive, friendly and close-knit community of dancers.” This means developing a broader range of costumes that are comfortable for our dancers and are accessible to different body types,” Stott said, for example. 

Aspromonte also touched on the shared experience dancers have growing up in an intense and isolated environment. She said that “often people have experiences where dance was a stressor or bad experience, so [she] want[s] all … dancers to know that they are able to be a part of a caring community of people where they can dance in a recreational environment and feel supported every step of the way.” Jacobsen affirmed the significance of this commitment to make dance at Brandeis inclusive as possible, stating that “Brandeis has an incredible and inclusive environment for dancers to share a love for dance and bond through a shared love to dance.”

Jacobsen and the other presidents characterized dance as an opportunity for connection, an outlet for stress, a unique form of joy and even complicated in that it can be “bittersweet.” In Lin’s words, “[dance] is intertwined with various emotions and memories.” Lin elaborated that dance serves as her “own little safe space,” where she feels “free to express [herself], explore [her] creativity, and connect with others when words are simply not enough.” Suredran feels this way as well, saying that to her, “dance is a creative outlet where there are no expectations” that she has to meet, and “no one else [she] needs to please other than [herself].” She says, “dance is something that I can do for myself where I can do what I want to do, and nothing will hold me back.” There is an sublime inability to completely sum up the power and freedom that dance offers, and Aspromonte chose to quote legendary American dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham, in the effort to put words to what dance means to her: “a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action.” 

Graham calls to dancers to let the art form and sport call to them personally: “there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost.” The balance of individuality and teamwork in dance is another interesting angle to considering dance as a highly elevated art form and sport. Describing what team means to her, Stott says that the word team “refers to a dedicated group of people working together toward a common goal.” Aspromonte says that she thinks a team “is there for each other through the good and bad,” and Lin agreed that teams are “built on mutual trust and support of each other.” Surendran says that as a team, dancers “can collaborate and learn more from each other.” Jacobsen puts it all together, clarifying that for KAOS, the common goal “as a team is for our hard work and dedication, as well as our fun personalities to be shown through our dances.” She believes that “every member of our team works hard; success comes from the collective effort, trust, and dedication each person brings.” Drawing upon individual talent, personality and personal unique expression, when team performances come together, the vitality that Graham describes becomes remarkably amplified.

However, despite all the diverse values and experiences that dance envelopes, as well as the incredibly vast student interest in not just participating but attending performances, dance organizations at Brandeis still face challenges. As student-run clubs, dance organizations have had difficulty securing adequate support from Brandeis administration. According to Lin, “there are areas where more support would be beneficial, such as securing practice spaces, increasing funding, and gaining exposure to showcase the incredible talent” of the clubs. Stott and the Ballet Club also struggle sometimes with “significant challenges … when attempting to book both rehearsal spaces and performance spaces,” sometimes “reaching out to several administrative members who were unable or unwilling to assist us.” 

A notable hurdle that popped up for the dance clubs this year was the discontinued access to the Multi-Purpose Room in the Linsey Sports Center. Lin disclosed that “MPR1” is “a standard-size dance room with a wooden floor designed for dance and mirrors, [but] has been occupied by the school's cycling team.” This was frustrating for the dance clubs because “with a very limited number of safe dance spaces at Brandeis, [they] were angered by how a vital space for the arts was denied to all dancers.” Lin said that dancers were “disappointed with Brandeis’ actions.” She regrets that “despite the collective efforts of all dance groups to negotiate for access, we were still denied the use of MPR1.”

Suredran also shares that it is hard work maintaining the rigorous schedule that dance demands, saying that “the main challenge we face is really maintaining strict practice times and schedules since we usually have a lot to get through.” Finding rehearsal times that work for everyone is difficult because as college students, “everyone's schedules are always changing,” she says. 

Lin also elucidated that one of the biggest challenges Adagio faces is balancing the diverse needs of their choreographers and dancers. “It’s often a dilemma,” she said. “On the one hand, we strive to be supportive and meet everyone’s requests, but on the other hand, ensuring fairness and remaining unbiased can be difficult,” she admitted. “We want to create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard, but it's not always possible to satisfy everyone equally given our large population,” Lin said. One of the hardest aspects of running the company has been “finding that balance between accommodating individual preferences and maintaining fairness.” 

It is truly a tall task for students to take on in organizing, teaching and supporting themselves, but it’s one that these student dancers take on diligently and enthusiastically. The passion that goes into choreography, practices and shows is reflected back to the dancers by the always-impressive student turnout to any and all dance showcases at Brandeis. Stott marks this deep student commitment as an important value in making the dance presence on campus what it is: “a vital aspect of the Brandeis community.”

— Editor’s Note: The Justice editor in chief Anna Martin ’26 is a member of Adagio Dance Company, Adagio’s Dance Ensemble and a member of the Ballet Club’s executive board and did not edit nor contribute to this story. 

— Editor’s Note: The Justice Managing editor Eliza Bier ’26 is a member of Adagio Dance Company, Adagio’s Dance Ensemble and a member of the Ballet Club executive board and did not edit nor contribute to this story.

— Editor’s Note: The Justice editor Elizabeth ’26 is a member of Ballet Club and a member of the Adagio Dance Company’s executive board and did not edit nor contribute to this story.