Interview With Two of Pure Gold Dance Company's Brightest Stars
“5, 6 ,7, 8” is what the Pure Gold dancers hear everyday during ninth period and after school practice. Eloy Tijerina and Ms. Davis created the Pure Gold Dance Company two years ago and today, it continues to energize many pep rallies and basketball games. The dance program gives students the chance to experience the rich and diverse dance culture. The Pure Gold Dance Company begins at Dance I and works with individuals to build up their performance skills and lead them into Dance III. This program also offers students an opportunity to display their talents through the variety of dance styles it teaches, such as jazz, hip hop, ballet, and tap.
The 12-member dance company has placed second in one of the multiple competitions they’ve participated in. The Pure Gold Dance Company is currently preparing to compete again in May. The set will consist of a dance performance by the Dance 2 class, two performances by Pure Gold, and several solos.
Pure Gold is not included in the athletic department meaning that it is responsible for acquiring and maintaining its own equipment. Many people do not know what it is like to be an athlete, especially a dancer, so to give students a small insight, I interviewed two members of the Pure Gold Dance Company: Elysia Garza and Emily Pena. Both Elysia and Emily have been in the company for a year and have learned so much about themselves throughout this experience.
Emily Pena.
Elysia Garza
Q: What made you want to dedicate your time to dance?
Elysia: I wanted to dedicate my life to dance because I was really happy to express myself in a way that wasn’t vocal. Sometimes it’s hard to find the right words, but dance can convey all different types of feelings and emotions that I can’t say. It’s very cathartic actually.
Emily: I have always had a thing for dance, and I wanted to become better and learn new things. It’s always great to challenge yourself.
Q: What’s difficult about dance and what do you do to push through those obstacles?
Elysia: The difficulty with dance is definitely having precision with a whole group of different people. It is difficult to master, especially in front of lots of eyes that are judging your every move. Also, people are honest and you’re gonna hear if you mess up. It can be hard to ignore the negative comments. However, I push through these obstacles with support of my team! Honestly, the team is like a family, and we all know how hard one another work, so reassurance and support from them is really helpful.
Emily: The most difficult thing would be putting negative comments behind! I cannot stress this enough, but it’s so easy for people to judge the team when they do not see the amount of hours and days that we spend in the studio trying to make a choreography perfect. So basically we just have to let it go, and realize that how we feel internally matters more than those negative comments.
Q: Do you get nervous performing in front of audience? If so, how do you overcome that?
Elysia: In general, I don’t get nervous unless I know the piece we are dancing was rushed or is not ready. However, that’s only because I’ve built that mentality over time. I was actually nervous at first, but I got through that by telling myself that people will forget about my mistakes eventually, so there’s no point in letting fear stop me from giving my all. I try and embrace the idea that I’m my
hardest critic, not those watching me.
Emily: I think I get more nervous at our school than performing in front of strangers. It’s easier to perform in front of others because you won’t see them again, but at school you will, and people aren’t always pleased by what we perform. But anyway, I overcome that anxiety by realizing that I put a lot of effort into making the dance sharp! Also, muscle memory. My body knows the dance, so I don’t need to force myself or over think the steps.
Q: How do you apply what you learn in dance to your life outside of dance?
El: I apply what I learn in dance to my personal life when I’m doing anything emotion related. When I’m writing, I know how to better expand on how I’m feeling. When I’m driving home, I envision different movements that would go with the song playing on the radio. When I’m stressed out, I know how to use dance to use those negative feelings in an appropriate manner. Dance honestly gives me a space inside my head to live in a world better than my reality.
Emily: Facts vs. Feelings! Not being too harsh on myself and learning from my mistakes. Also, I have gained a lot of confidence through the dance team. I socialize more and I am comfortable with my own body.